Tatenda Samukange of Skylake Borehole Drilling, Breaks Entrepreneurship Barriers
"Fortune Favours the Brave": How Tatenda Samukange Built a Drilling Empire
ProWater Media | Business Profile
Fortune favours the brave is a popular expression that describes how courage breaks borders and initiates a breakthrough in one’s life. For 25-year-old Tatenda Samukange, founder and CEO of Skylake Borehole Drilling, this adage is the blueprint of his life. From humble beginnings to leading one of Zimbabwe's top drilling firms, his story is a masterclass in resilience.
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| Tatenda Samukange: A visionary in the water sector. |
The Unconventional Path
Tatenda Samukange's journey began with a difficult choice. After successfully writing his O’ Levels in June and November of the same year, and proceeding to pass his A’ Levels, he stood at the precipice of university life. However, he made the bold decision to end his academic journey there.
"A few months after leaving high school in 2013, I managed to sail through and scooped the best performer and got promoted to head the Bulawayo branch [of an IT company]," Samukange recalled. The corporate world offered safety, but his ambition demanded more.
His stint in formal employment was brief. After leaving with meager savings, he spent months navigating the informal sector. He eventually ventured into buying and selling cars to raise capital. This period was crucial—it taught him the art of negotiation, cash flow management, and the importance of customer networks, skills that would later become the foundation of his drilling empire.
The Birth of Skylake
By the end of 2015, a former client from his car dealing days offered him a commission-based job in borehole drilling. Samukange didn't just take the job; he studied the industry. After learning the ropes, he registered Skylake Borehole Drilling in mid-2016, starting with literally "empty ground."
"Before year-end, Lady Luck proved to be on my side as I won a tender of US$14,000. This made a huge turnaround in my business... The tender also played a crucial referral part," he said. Initially, he had to hire equipment to fulfill orders, a costly exercise that cut into profits but allowed him to deliver quality results and build a reputation.
Scaling Up at 22
2017 marked the explosion of growth. At just 22 years old, Samukange opened his first one-room office and acquired his first rig truck. He attributes this rapid success to unique, aggressive marketing strategies that outpaced older competitors. Skylake quickly moved from being a middle-man operation to a fully equipped service provider.
Conquering Age Bias
In a heavy industry dominated by veterans, youth can be a disadvantage. Samukange revealed a tactical secret: "I used to disguise my position as I felt I was too young. I thought other clients and business partners would not take me seriously at that age."
He often posed as a manager rather than the owner to secure deals. Today, he advises young entrepreneurs to break fear barriers, take risks, and have self-confidence, proving that competence has no age.
Quick Facts
He is the founder and CEO of Skylake Borehole Drilling.
He registered the company in 2016 and acquired his first rig at age 22 in 2017.
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