#9 Joséphine Katumba - The rise (and importance) of the Intrapreneur, jumping on rocket ships without a reserved seat and 'weighing and paying' as a retail model of the future

AfricanOptimist Episode #9 Joséphine Katumba - The rise (and importance) of the Intrapreneur, jumping on rocket ships without a reserved seat and 'weighing and paying' as a retail model of the future 

In this episode, you will learn a couple of things. Firstly, you will get a behind the scenes look at how you take an idea (let's face it, haven't we all had them - 'One day I will open…' 'Some day I will sell…') and turn it into reality. And secondly, how you can do this not only as an entrepreneur, but as an intrapreneur within an organisation. Just as exciting, at much less personal risk.

Our guest Joséphine Katumba shares how, while growing her own small business, she was recruited by celebrity entrepreneur himself, Miles Kubheka (from 'Vuyo' fame and founder of the Wakanda Food Accelerator) to help create Gcwalisa, an exciting 'weigh and pay' mini retail model first piloted in Johannesburg's Alexandra township (developed in 1912 as the only place where Africans could buy freehold land, and now adjacent to Sandton (one of the richest suburbs of Johannesburg).

Joséphine takes us on the two-year journey of growing Gcwalisa into a model pilot mini retailer that is now on the brink of scaling up and expanding its horizons. With her signature calm voice and in matter-of-fact detail, we get a glimpse of the iteration and patience required to birth a brand new baby, that lets you buy food for the money you have in your pocket or in exactly the quantities you need.

Joséphine is the picture of Zen, and could grow anything she puts her mind to. Join me in finding out how she does it. And why.

For more information on Joséphine Katumba, visit her page on the AfricanOptimist website, where you can find her bio, show notes and episode transcript.

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TIME STAMPS

00:00 Embracing the Unknown: Cheryl Sandberg's Google Analogy

00:41 Introducing the African Optimist Podcast

00:54 The Journey of an Intrapreneur: Meeting Joséphine Katumba

01:07 Josephine's Entrepreneurial Spirit Meets Miles Kubheka

12:56 Designing and Implementing the Gcwalisa Model

18:03 Community Feedback and Adjusting the Offering

21:31 Understanding Gcwalisa's Impact and Philosophy

28:24 Exploring the Poverty Tax and Packaging Solutions

28:47 Customer Journey and Packaging Innovations at Gcwalisa

29:48 Shifting Consumer Behaviour and Environmental Impact

31:19 Understanding Gcwalisa's Customer Demographics

33:57 Real-life Customer Stories: Impact and Gratitude

40:50 The Business Model and Scaling Up

41:21 The Importance of Patience in Business Growth

43:57 Facing Competition and Maintaining Originality

46:51 Challenges and Learnings

49:55 From Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur: A Personal Journey

55:37 Closing Remarks and Resources