When he left Rwanda as a boy in 1994 – the yr of the nation’s genocide that killed as many as 1 million individuals – Charles Shima vowed he would by no means return.
He’d been stopped at a checkpoint, compelled to his knees. He feared he is likely to be killed.
“I keep in mind saying to myself, ‘If I survive this, if I’m not killed at the moment, I’m out of Rwanda and I’m not coming again.’ It’s simply what I stated to myself.”
Together with his older brother, the 16-year-old orphan made his approach to Kenya and, finally, to Canada, the place he accomplished his training and took up accounting, his late father’s commerce. Household enterprise known as him again to the nation 24 years later. He didn’t wish to go.
ZaNiheza founder and CEO Charles Shima
“I used to be very scared to go,” he recalled over a video name from his residence in Vancouver. “Very, very, very scared.”
Returning modified his life – in addition to his world view.
“I solely had 10 days. I used to be seeing how Rwanda had developed and developed,” he stated in English accented by the British faculty in Kenya the place he discovered the language. “I noticed it with my very own eyes. Principally, I noticed the potential of the youth. One thing actually touched me.
“I attempted to see if I may see the nation once more as an area. I keep in mind issues I used to like once I was there as a toddler. I used to be searching for native, immersive experiences. I used to be looking on-line, and I actually couldn’t discover what I used to be searching for. The concept actually grew from there.”
“The concept” grew to become ZaNiheza, a journey market for immersive experiences that connects vacationers with verified native curators in Africa and different creating international locations.
“I didn’t perceive then what I used to be pondering,” Shima stated of his first return to Rwanda, “however once I got here again I began to do analysis. I feel the whole lot in life is one thing like future. One thing is guiding you.”
Right now, after being named one in every of British Columbia’s high 20 startups in 2021, ZaNiheza affords the sorts of immersive excursions and actions in international locations like Morocco, Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa that Shima couldn’t discover on his return to the continent. The CEO and founder spoke with PhocusWire in regards to the firm and his hopes to indicate the world a aspect of Africa few vacationers see. These are edited excerpts from the dialog.
ZaNiheza is a phenomenal identify. What’s the story behind it?
ZaNiheza is a mixture of three phrases [from Kinyarwanda, the official Rwandan language]. “Welcome” and “It’s stunning.” We prefer to say at ZaNiheza it’s not a tour, it’s an expertise. The expertise begins from when a traveler will get in contact with ZaNiheza. It’s a video-driven digital mall. We are able to do extra in fulfilling the imaginative and prescient of offering an immersive expertise for the traveler, from once they guide with us till they go to the nation.
You will have stated you want to dispel misconceptions about Africa. Inform us what you imply.
In North America, the picture most of us have of a spot like Rwanda is a rustic ravaged by conflict. It’s caught in our thoughts. Subsequently, we now have this concern. However Rwanda is a phenomenal nation. The sweetness begins from whenever you log into our platform by displaying you photos, content material, of the place you’re going, what you may be consuming, what you’ll expertise. We’re focusing past the safari, past the wildlife. As a result of the wonder to me is what connects us to the human nature. It actually stays with you.
Being from Africa, you may have additionally skilled misconceptions about what your life was like, haven’t you?
The Africa individuals [think they] know will not be the Africa in Rwanda and Congo that I grew up in. Life was regular. I didn’t develop up in a hut. My dad was an accountant. [He] was one of many first within the nation to have a Mac. We had a pc in my home in 1986. He introduced this machine into the home. He put it on a desk. He stated, “Charles, this machine goes to alter the world.” That’s the place my love for computer systems was born. We bonded on that. He used to indicate me the numbers on the display. When he was in a great temper, he would allow us to [Shima and his older brother] play Pac-Man. We needed to behave to play Pac-Man. From our standpoint, life is regular. We had been simply one other common household, in my standpoint. We’ve had some actually unlucky occasions, greater than different international locations, however the whole lot else [about his childhood feels] regular.
That was earlier than your father died, whenever you had been 13, and the Rwandan Civil Struggle started not lengthy after that, adopted by the genocide in 1994. Nearly 30 years have handed. What would you like individuals to see at the moment?
If you wish to go to Rwanda, what you’ll consider is the hospitality of the individuals, the meals you eat. It’s not the imagery of what was taking place in 1994; it’s how they rebuilt the nation. It’s fashionable. It’s clear. They’ve this rising espresso store tradition in every single place within the metropolis. I prefer to deal with cities. Rwanda has now what they name [a pedestrian-only] zone the place they don’t have any vehicles. The streets are blocked and you may take stunning footage as you store when you stroll. You see the palm timber and surprise, “Am I in Miami? The place am I?” I’m working laborious on discovering these distinctive, superb experiences that you wouldn’t see in any other case. We’ve got the expertise to convey these superb experiences on-line.
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What’s your 30-second pitch to buyers?
ZaNiheza is a video-driven digital mall for journey in Africa and past. We’re connecting vacationers with very tremendous native curators.
How tough has it been to draw funding?
[Shima smiled.] I’m certain you’re conscious of the problem confronted by Black founders. The statistics present that we’re extremely, extremely underfunded. That’s the fact you must take care of. Sadly, my timing [ZaNiheza launched in the months prior to COVID-19] was actually fascinating. Nobody deliberate on the pandemic. It’s very difficult. We’ve got to recollect why we began this and hold going.
A yr from now, what state do you assume your startup might be in?
ZaNiheza has developed. The imaginative and prescient has at all times been there, however there’s a means the whole lot comes collectively. Shifting ahead, that is the way in which we’re going to be considered: a digital journey mall that’s going to deal with offering immersive experiences in Africa. You’ll be able to think about the potential inside that realm. A yr from now, I foresee we’ve raised cash [he laughed] and extra vacationers will use our reserving platform.
What’s your endgame (going public, acquisition, rising and staying non-public, and many others.)?
I’ve at all times had an exit in thoughts, and that’s going public, in about 10 years or so. One other factor I prefer to envision is creating wealth for the underserved. A startup generally is a good car to try this. You herald buyers at the moment, the magic occurs after we go public.
Most interviews about new companies finish right here, however you may have bigger hopes, don’t you? Are you able to discuss your ambitions to lift consciousness about Africa?
Vacationers who’ve by no means been to the continent of Africa, they’re lacking out. Till everybody makes their means there, I’ll hold preaching this. Even I’m amazed on the experiences I’m discovering. There are 700 million individuals who journey for culturally infused experiences, however they don’t go to Africa. So that you see the work we now have to do. Africa is 54 counties. I’ve been wanting on the tourism boards in Africa, and they’re form of missing in how they promote their international locations. I can perhaps identify three international locations which have developed their tourism board when it comes to web sites and sights and the whole lot. The remaining is darkish. And that’s the place lies the chance.