Better Brands boss plans to bring Dubai to Zimbabwe
When Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya boasts about the tonnes of gold he has delivered to Fidelity Printers and Refineries and the millions that have passed through his Better Brands company, one is tempted to conclude that he is cooking up the figures. For example, he casually declares that in 2022, “we bought and sold gold worth US$1 billion”. It is fact, not fiction.
Even when he talks about his vision, he sounds like an over-ambitious young businessman. For example, after securing a licence to set up a gold refinery, he says his vision now is to “bring Dubai to Zimbabwe”. The doubting Thomases will obviously ask: “How on earth will ‘Scott’ do this?” To this question, the 43-year-old businessman has a simple and short response: “Just ask yourself how a mere gardener has risen to become the country’s biggest gold buyer and seller and how that gardener now has a licence to set up a gold refinery? To the naysayers, it was Mission impossible, but here I am.”
As our Editor-in-Chief Munyaradzi Huni recently found out, Sakupwanya, popularly known as “Scott”, is clearly not your ordinary businessman. The somewhat shy and humble young businessman has become so successful that he is now counted among Zimbabwe’s rich and famous. A remarkable story indeed for a streetwise teenager, who was forced to quit school at the tender age of 14. Now he boasts that “I actually employ some very educated people, among them the very same whites who used to enjoy a virtual monopoly in the gold sector”. Read on . . .
What makes “Scott” tick?
This was the question uppermost in my mind as I waited to interview the man with the golden touch in his exquisitely furnished Greendale offices. I couldn’t help noticing something about him that makes it possible for him to achieve his targets, never mind the odds stacked against him. As he spoke on the phone, he was cool, calm and collected but quite the opposite when the need arose. And if you are a service provider or artisanal miner seeking to pull a fast one on him, forget it.
Despite dropping out of school in Form 2, Scott is no dullard when it comes to his finances. Says the gold magnate: “I have to be tough with these people. They know I am awash with cash and think that it is theirs for the taking. I have worked hard for this money and if I am going to spend a cent, I must know where exactly it is going otherwise my business will go bust.”
So, who is this “dark horse” who has taken the country’s gold sector by storm? It is a tall order trying to tell Scott’s incredible rags-to-riches story in a magazine article such as this one. He needs a whole book, a biography, that readers of this magazine can look forward to one day. But until that day comes, the following synopsis will do. At 14, Scott dropped out of school and hustled until he landed a job as a gardener for the MacMillan family. Impressed by his sharp intellect, Scott’s employer soon “promoted” him to work at his Bindura gold mine. It was here that Scott learnt about the basics of gold buying and selling. What his employer perhaps did not realise at the time was that by hiring Scott, he had literally set the cat among the pigeons. By virtue of his privileged position, “Scott” was able to get a rare insight into the rampant underhand gold dealings that were prejudicing the country of millions in potential forex revenue. He then turned whistleblower by exposing the rot in the gold sector to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
The RBZ has since put in place measures to plug the revenue loopholes, thanks to “Scott’s” timely intervention.
Never one to miss an opportunity, “Scott” formed and duly registered a gold trading company by the name Better Brands, which soon became one of the country’s leading buyers and sellers of the yellow metal. In no time, Scott was a household name amid accusations that he was using violence to fleece artisanal gold miners of their bounty. Others claimed that he was just a front for unnamed rich and powerful politicians, including the President’s sons. As it turned out, the allegations had no leg to stand on.
In 2021, Scott was elected chairperson of the Gold Buyers’ Association of Zimbabwe vowing to use all his powers to stem the tide of gold smuggling. As his star continued to rise, Scott was co-opted into the Resource Mobilisation Committee, set up by President Mnangagwa to raise funds for Zanu-PF activities, in the run-up to the 2023 harmonised elections.
March 26 2022 saw the holding of by-elections to fill vacancies in both the House of Assembly and council chambers across the country. Scott decided to test the political waters by throwing his hat into the ring as a candidate for the vacant Ward 21 seat in Mabvuku (his birthplace) on a Zanu-PF ticket. He won hands down. Later, the same year, Scott was named the Biggest Gold Buyer of the Year and was handed the award by President Mnangagwa at glittering ceremony at State House. In October, he added another feather to his cap when he was granted the much-coveted gold refinery licence.
But it’s not all work and no play for the man with the golden touch. In May 2022, Scott was seen hobnobbing in Dubai with retired American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jnr, who was in the United Arab Emirates for an exhibition bout. American rapper, record executive and former athlete Rick Ross was in Zimbabwe on 18 November 2022 for what was arguably the biggest hip-hop show ever staged in the country, courtesy of Scott.
With an estimated net worth of around US$30 million, Scott’s story sounds like a fairytale. And it is a story that is best told by the man himself. Over to you, Scott:
“Getting to where I am now was tough. People are seeing the successful side of me today, but when I was in the trenches sweating it out, they didn’t care a hoot about me. People have a tendency to focus only on the success but not the sweat. In case you didn’t know; surviving in the gold sector is no picnic because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
“As you probably know, the gold sector was previously a preserve of white people. We surrendered our gold pickings to them in the mistaken belief that were working together when, in fact, they were using us for their personal gain. They had their own nefarious agendas. They fought viciously to block some of us from getting a foothold the gold sector, but they underestimated my determination to succeed.
“I remember years back, South Africa was said to be overflowing with gold, yet most of it was being smuggled from Zimbabwe. The South African rand continued to firm, thanks to our gold. On the other hand, the Zimdollar continued to depreciate, making it appear as if Zimbabwe had no gold reserves or other precious minerals.
“The coming into office of the Second Republic opened up opportunities for black people to enter into the gold sector. The sector was not opened to me alone, but to all black Zimbabweans. Once I found my footing, I discovered that Zimbabwe had the capacity to produce about 60 tonnes of gold per year. With this in mind, we targeted to produce about 35 tonnes of gold last year. We are slowly moving towards the 60-tonne target and I am confident that we will meet, if not surpass, it soon. There is so much gold in this country.
“What really excites me is that, after nearly 25 years in the industry, government saw it fit to grant my company a licence to open the country’s second gold refinery. I know this has raised a few eyebrows in some circles, but everything was done above board. All the critics have to do is go to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, as well as the Ministry of Finance and there they will see all the paperwork. I know the eyes of the enemy are fixed firmly on me. So, I cannot afford to take any chances by engaging in corrupt or illegal dealings.
“With the gold refinery licence, I can assure you that getting 60 tonnes of gold per year is going to be easy. We are putting everything in place to set up this refinery and we will soon be making very bold announcements. We are going to emulate the Dubai model under which gold from different countries ends up in the emirate. We are bringing Dubai to Zimbabwe and our country will soon become an irresistible destination for gold from around the world. Dubai is definitely coming to Zimbabwe.
“We can’t continue exporting our gold in unrefined form. We will add value to it by producing top-notch jewellery, etc. Nothing will stop us from achieving this noble goal. The train is already in motion, but for now we prefer to play our cards close to the chest until the groundwork is complete. Expect big news in the gold sector in 2023.”
With visionaries like Scott, who dare says Vision 2030 is a bridge too far?
Scott sheds more light into his dream: “I was given a licence to open gold centres around the country. We are going to spend about US$30 million-US$40 million on these centres. As Better Brands, in 2022, we bought and sold gold worth US$1 billion. This is the amount of gold I circulate in the market. This is not Mickey Mouse stuff, but it was not an easy journey. I am what I am today because of hard work, focus, perseverance and humility. In this business, you need to keep your feet on the ground. Don’t pay attention to the noise-makers. As they say, a lion never roars after a kill.”
To those who cast aspersions on Scott’s meteoric rise, the former gardener has an emphatic response.
“It’s unfortunate some people are ignorant when it comes to how business operates. I managed to raise money to start this business through my connections. There are many people who trust me out there, so I borrowed money from them to finance my business ventures. Is there anything unethical about that? The world over, businesses borrow to expand and diversify their operations. Now I buy and sell gold worth about US$30 million per week. The money goes through the formal banking channels until it gets to the RBZ. I do not believe in money laundering. As a result, we are very open and transparent in our transactions.
“The only motive of going business is to make money. You don’t go into business to impress your peers. If I see an opportunity but I don’t have the money, I approach the ‘moneybags’ who are prepared to lend it to me. I will invest that money into my business and pay back whatever I owe. That is how business operates. Ask any businessperson, and they will tell you that there is nothing wrong with borrowing money in order to make money. In fact, that is why banks exist in the first place. Any one of us is free to approach them to borrow money and finance their business idea”, says Scott.
But how does someone who dropped out of school in Form Two manage to keep tabs on a fledgling mini-empire like Better Brands?
“Look, it’s not about academics. Education is a noble idea and I encourage everyone to go to school. But business is about seeing an opportunity and seizing it. Business is like playing a game of draughts [a board game similar to chess]. It’s about knowing what to do and when to do it.
“It’s now an open secret that I started my working career as a gardener for a Mr MacMillan, who was into the gold trade. It was under him that I learnt the rudiments of the gold trade when he assigned me to work at his gold mine. But what my employers did not realise was that my new job gave me an insight into the dark side of the gold trade.
“It was then that I approached the-then RBZ Governor, Dr Gideon Gono, offering my services as a whistleblower. After witnessing first-hand how the whites were plundering our gold I vowed to do something about it. As someone familiar with the history of this country, how the comrades and innocent civilians died during the liberation struggle to free us from British rule, it pained me to see the country being plundered in broad daylight.
“I hate to say this, but most white people hate blacks. To them, blacks only matter when they want to use them. And so I said to myself: ‘This country was won through a protracted war. So I can’t stand by while these white people plunder our gold.’
“I told Dr Gono about it. Thereafter, I started working with the RBZ and within one month I had managed to recover two tonnes of the yellow metal. So you can imagine the prejudice to the country when gold that should have gone to Fidelity Printers was being smuggled out of the country on a daily basis. According to my own estimates at the time, about one tonne of gold was being smuggled to South Africa every month.
“The RBZ introduced incentives to ensure that all miners — both large-scale and small-scale — delivered their gold to Fidelity Printers through formal channels. They opened the gold sector to everyone who could source it. Mind you, the doors were not opened to Scott only. Anyone who could supply gold to Fidelity Printers was welcome to do so.
“I immediately set up a network of miners to work for me across the country. I have people who work for me throughout the length and breadth of Zimbabwe. I am talking about each and every province. There is also nothing wrong with having a strong network.
“In answer to those who accuse me of running a one-man show, Better Brands is a not a shelf company. It has an organogram and is led by executives and managers who are answerable to me. I am not even involved in the day-to-day running of the company, of which I am the chairman. I have very highly qualified staff on my payroll, including whites. Can you imagine a former gardener turning the tables on his former employers-cum-tormentors? But that is the reality of the situation. My former bosses (as it were) are now working for me and reporting to me. How times change!
“But to cut a long story short, I am not in the business of preaching about the make-up of my company. I am in the business of making money through buying and selling gold. Those who want to know more about how my company operates can do their own research. I am too busy to be bothered with such mundane stuff.”
Scott has been accused of using President Mnangagwa’s sons to instill fear in his competitors in the gold sector, but he scoffs at such accusations.
“Look, I know the President’s sons from a purely business point of view. I don’t see anything wrong with that. As you will probably know, Collins Mnangagwa is also into gold mining. I buy gold from him. Can you tell me, is there anything wrong with that? This is purely business.
“I have heard stories that I conduct my business violently. If I have committed a crime or crimes, why have the police not opened a docket against me? I am a law-abiding citizen. Criminals are behind bars. This talk about me terrorising my competitors is sponsored by the opposition that is not happy seeing me working for my country. Anyone who works hard for the country is an enemy of the opposition and they do everything to tarnish that person’s image. Unfortunately for them, I am past the stage of losing sleep over such cheap and malicious talk. A train never stops even if the dogs bark the whole night.
“I am unapologetically a Zanu-PF member. Zanu-PF unlocks business opportunities. I also discovered that the opposition that was winning elections in Mabvuku did not have the people at heart. They just want to enjoy the perks that come with becoming MPs or councillors while doing nothing to serve the people. While they were seated in their offices, the situation in Mabvuku was deteriorating. Raw sewage flowing all over. Garbage all over. Bins not being collected. Service delivery was crumbling and I decided I couldn’t stand this nonsense.
“I want to tell the youths that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo is not just a statement. This is reality and any country that wants to develop has to follow this model. There is no foreigner who will come and develop your country. I have taken it upon myself to play my little part kuvaka nyika yangu brick by brick in the gold sector. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. Gossip and insults on social media don’t build a country. It’s brick by brick and not talk by talk.
“Recently [Friday, 18 November, 2022], I brought rapper Rick Ross from America, a country that imposed sanctions on us. He was here and he was happy. He even wore our country’s scarf. I did the same with Floyd Mayweather. The idea is to show the world that Zimbabwe is not a bad country. This is engagement at a social level. These celebrities are going to be our ambassadors whenever someone talks about Zimbabwe.”
Any parting shot?
“Let me be emphatic on this one,” says Scott. “Once you make money, remain grounded and humble. Be a reflection of the goodness of God,” says the gold trailblazer, who was the brains behind the formation of a youth empowerment group called Upfumi Kuvadiki.
“Our forefathers fought for this country and it is now our duty to carry on the torch to develop it. I want to continue making lots and lots of money. I look at people like my mentor, Dr Phillip Chiyangwa, and I get inspired. He is not stopping when it comes to making money. Neither am I.
“Dr Chiyangwa started out as a vendor, selling vegetables in Chegutu, but look where he is now. He is now a billionaire and it is also my wish to become one, thanks to President Mnangagwa who has opened the doors to economic prosperity. It’s time to make Zimbabwe great again,” concludes Scott, a firm believer in James Keller’s famous quote: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
