Nancy Amunga - I fight off fear to win in my life

Nancy Amunga founded and runs a courier company in Nairobi, she hopes to go global in five years time

Who is Nancy Amunga? I am the CEO of Dana Communication Limited and born again.

Tell us more about your company?
We are a communications and transport company registered under the Communications Authority of Kenya and fully licensed as a national courier company. We have been offering the services in Nairobi for the last three years and aim to expand our services to reach the other parts of the country and worldwide in a few years to come.

You have had the chance to participate in many international forums such as UNCTAD 14, TICAD, Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, tell us more? How did you get the chance?
The secret is always keeping your eyes and ears open and hanging around the right people. Opportunities are heard through the right people so when the call for application was advertised, I applied and gave my reasons why I should be allowed to participate as a youth and I’m glad I got the opportunity because it was mind blowing and full of learning experiences.

You were behind the Miss Fabulous Beauty pageant show, how was it?
This was a show I organised in 2012, meant to boost young women’s self-esteem and make them believe in themselves more. The platform also offered an opportunity to other sponsors to come on board and one of the greatest achievements was taking the participants through two weeks training on reproductive health and family planning.

You are the leader of the Young Women in Business under the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industries. What’s your work at the chamber?
One of the roles of the chamber is advocacy and many a times you will find that young people who are just starting don’t have a voice. So, young women in business is a sub-sector under the women in business committee which aims to give more young women in business a voice and also to encourage more to go into business as so many people fear this road especially this group.

One of the things that we do is hold forums and trainings which enable the young women in business to learn from the older women in business and also to network because business is about networking and building useful contacts.

You were named one of the top 25 under 25 entrepreneurs in Kenya (2015). What was the feeling?
It was such an amazing and humbling experience. Feels good to be recognised for the small efforts that you are putting in to add value to the society.

How long have you been in the field? Three years’ now

Why business and not any other job?
With the current unemployment rate in the country, I figured out I can be part of the solution by creating employment, I am currently employing over 6 people, those are families fed.

What are some of your achievements?
Being elected the National co-ordinator – Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs, E. Africa and having the opportunity to participate in Commonwealth Youth Ministers meeting as a young commonwealth network leader in Uganda in July. It was amazing to meet young people from 53 countries who are doing extremely well in their spaces. I mean, what else could be amazing as sharing a platform with Baroness Patricia Scotland, the SG for The Commonwealth.

Which women do you look up to in the business industry?
I have several women that I look up to and I’m not able to mention all of them but one woman that I cannot go without mentioning is Ms Mary Muthoni Muriuki-Director of the Chambers, she has taught me a lot not just in business but in life and always pushing me to do things I couldn’t imagine I could do because of fear.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered?
First, when I started I had never been in the courier industry before and so for me it was learning and doing at the same time, my profession is media and communication with a specialty in Public Relations so Logistics was a new world to me. Something that I never imagined I would do. Besides I had not stepped in to a business class so there was a lot of learning to be done, and I’ve made a lot of mistakes on the way but I believe that it is always a learning process.

What keeps you going?
I want to do more and I believe I can do more in terms of motivating people and also impacting lives in my own small ways. So, every time I wake up in the morning, I tell myself that God had plans for allowing me to wake up in the morning and that keeps me going.

What advice can you give to upcoming women in the industry?
Have confidence in yourself at all times! Fear is good but it’s how you use that fear that matters, keep focus, eyes on the ball and always have clear structures in your business and define your goals. Never fear to get out of your comfort zone because that is the only way you move to the next step.

Given a chance what is it that you would change in the business industry?
If I was in authority, I would ease the business licensing process for startups. Many a times businesses die even before they start because of the many licenses which are required. I would also do more tax awareness because so many young people don’t know about tax and also make financial access easier for them.

What next for Amunga? I want to grow my business and increase my capacity so as to create employment to as many people.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? I see myself in the international platform and probably in the Forbes magazine.

[email protected]