Our #WCW is Karen Nyenga, an astute Real Estate Agent in Zimbabwe with experience in Local, Regional and International Real Estate Markets. She owns the Zimbabwe License for Fine & Country, which is a part of the renowned global brand with a network of over 300 offices worldwide.
She also serves as an Honorary Board Member for her high school Alma Mater Watershed College. Her background includes a solid track record in business and brand development, strategic marketing as well as complex stakeholder negotiations. She has been forging ahead as a trusted real estate advisor, and wealth strategist to Zimbabweans local and abroad Private and Corporate Investors.
In Karen’s final year at Watershed College she was head of school, house captain, athletics captain, president of interact and choir leader. Karen was the recipient of the Tembo Trust Scholarship for tuition and studied at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. Karen worked there after completing her studies and then came back home to settle in 2009. She is now the CEO of Fine and Country Zimbabwe, a real estate which is part of the international real estate group. Karen also sits on the board of Watershed College as a member.
She is also the Director of Industry Girls Network (IGN), an association which is focused on assisting women in business solidify their positions, collaborate and be profitable. She also enjoys being involved with initiatives that change and inspire people’s lives, and has recently through Fine & Country Foundation, become an active supporter of the local initiative Eat Out Movement, which works diligently against the plight of homelessness and hunger.
Recalling on how she started, at the age of 33 she gained the courage to leave a company she had been working for and venture into the franchise world and she is the sole owner of the Fine & Country license here in Zimbabwe.
She admitted that it was not an easy experience for her and she calls some of the experiences “the battle scars” obviously where she did walk out victorious.
With their offices located at 20 Maasdorp Avenue, Belgravia in Harare. Her Real Estate Company offers sales and rental services, Interior Design and Architectural Services, Construction and Consultancy Services.
Speaking of some challenges she has faced in her entrepreneurial journey, the first being lack of confidence to leave her formal job in a shrinking economy, where lines of credit were not being extended and most of the strategic plans required significant finances to execute. The matter of existing competitors in the industry was another challenge she faced, how to grow their market, remaining relevant and executing their service mandate to clients profitably. The inspiration to keep going came internally from family, friends and obviously the team of employees.
