SHAMISO – THE WOMAN BEHIND S.I.M MAKUMBIRO FARMS

By Penjani Nzima

“I WAS in the United Kingdom (UK) for twenty – five years. Ten years of my life I did nursing and pursued Public Health in the other ten years.  I still did some studies in the last five years. I went to the UK when I was eighteen (18) years,” she explained with an infectious smile on her face.  

Shamiso Makumbiro is her name, a nurse by profession and specialized in Public Health.  She is the proprietor of S.I.M Makumbiro Farms based in Chongwe Central in Lusaka province.  

She is a thriving pig farmer who stated with only three pigs almost 4 years ago but with passion and commitment her piggery business has grown tremendously and currently her animals are beyond 300.

On the other hand, she also runs a butchery called Makumbiro Farm Pork Centre operating under the concept of ‘Farm to Table’ simply assuring the customers that freshness and quality are definitely guaranteed on their products.  

She runs the farm business together with her aunt who is the secretary and her 15-year-oldson does help at the farm during the time he is on school holiday while her21-year-old girl doesn’t have much interest in pig farming.

Ms. Shamiso also adds value to the pork meat by producing her own various pork products that includes the much-cherished smoked Hungarian sausages but of late she has slowed down on that because they’re just too many companies that are making Hungarian sausages.

“We also make fresh pork sausages that come in different varieties such as family Garlic pork sausages, Chilli pork sausages, hot spice sausages and family sausages. Last time I was making Hungarian but I have noticed there’s so much Hungarian sausages on the market. Our family sausage is quite popular,” she disclosed.

The usual Pork Chops is the delicacy that one will find among the Makumbiro pork products list and not forgetting the ribs.  

She laughs out before disclosing that the pork ribs are not very popular to people of Chongwe town who say they’re just bones without much steak.

Ms. Shamiso revealed that aside from taking pig farming as a form of income generation, she is very passionate about pig farming and has so far pioneered the first Pig Farmers Association of Zambia which currently has 16 committee members and she is the current Chairperson.

She hopes that the Pig Farmers association will help to grow the pig farming industry in the country.

Ms. Shamiso hasa big dream of becoming the most happening pig farmer in the country in the next 5 years and operate as a commercial pig farmer.

“I want to have just two thousand pigs with the right cash injection if I am able to construct two to three big piggeries in the next five years. I really want to have a mobile butcher because there some areas that are not close to Shoprite, Choppies and all that but I want to bring the butchery to the people,” she explained.  

She is very ambitious of seeing her business grow and have customers beyond the Zambian borders supplying pork products to the neighboring countries such as Malawi.

Ms. Shamiso disclosed that there is so much business potential in Zambia that has not been exploited by the locals.  

“If they (government or financial institutions) were able to identify people who are obviously paying tax, registered properly and offering employment to the community then let these people be identified and be empowered and see how far they can go,” she said.

She said if only the financial institutions here in Zambia can be able to identify and empower upcoming SMEs like they do in UK that would be better.  

“I think I don’t know maybe it’s just me being too much of British or White ideas they used to identify. What they do that side they identify certain people who have potential for example they can identify pig farmers, they can identify poultry, SMEs to work with to bring them to that standard that’s what they do out there,” she explained.  

‍