Lucy Kiongosi’s journey from a small mitumba (second-hand clothing) trader to running one of the largest scrap metal businesses in Dodoma, Tanzania, is a story of resilience, vision, and hard work.
At her scrap metal yard, Lucy is hands-on, managing day-to-day operations while overseeing several employees. Her business collects, sorts, and sells scrap metal locally and regionally, transforming waste into valuable resources and providing jobs for the community.
Like many entrepreneurs in East Africa, Lucy faced multiple challenges in her early career. Starting with limited capital and experience, she navigated a market often dominated by informal traders. She learned to build trust with suppliers and customers while managing logistical challenges and fluctuating market prices.
Her experience as a mitumba trader taught her critical business skills: negotiation, inventory management, and customer relations. These lessons would later help her scale her scrap metal business.
Lucy invested in infrastructure to expand her operations, including better storage facilities, collection vehicles, and safety equipment for her staff. She also introduced structured record-keeping systems, helping her track profits, suppliers, and clients efficiently.
By diversifying her sources of scrap metal and exploring export opportunities, Lucy positioned her business to serve larger markets and increase profitability. Her success has inspired many young women in Dodoma and across Tanzania to pursue entrepreneurship.
Lucy emphasizes that persistence and hands-on involvement are key to growing a successful business. She advises budding entrepreneurs to:
Start small but think big.
Learn every aspect of your business, from operations to finance.
Build trust with employees, suppliers, and clients.
Be resilient in the face of setbacks.
Beyond personal success, Lucy Kiongosi’s business provides employment opportunities and contributes to the local economy by turning discarded metal into usable materials.
She is proof that with determination, East African entrepreneurs can turn modest beginnings into thriving enterprises.
