The Entrepreneurial Journey Of Ms. Nkandu Beltz

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Summary:
Ms. Nkandu Beltz’s journey is a powerful story of resilience, purpose, and bold leadership in Zambia’s mining sector. From her early entrepreneurial ventures as a child to her transition from journalism into mining, she has consistently demonstrated a problem-solving mindset and a commitment to creating opportunities for others.

Driven by the philosophy of Botho—centered on humanity, compassion, and community—she has challenged traditional norms in a male-dominated industry, with a vision to transform Zambia’s copper mining sector through local ownership and job creation.

Despite facing significant setbacks, including the failure of her first venture, Ms. Beltz used these experiences to strengthen her leadership, sharpen her business acumen, and remain focused on her long-term goal of creating thousands of jobs.

Her story is not just about business success, but about impact, perseverance, and inspiring others—especially young African women—to pursue their vision with courage, resilience, and purpose.

By Luyando Mooya

Ms. Nkandu Beltz—you cannot say her name without thinking extraordinaire. She is a Zambian entrepreneur and mining pioneer, known for her bold efforts to transform Zambia’s copper mining industry through local ownership and job creation. Her work challenges traditional norms in a male-dominated sector, driven by a vision to alleviate poverty and empower communities. It is important to understand how her early experiences and values shaped the resilient and visionary leader she is today.

Childhood and Upbringing

Born in Katete, Zambia, Ms. Nkandu Beltz recalls her childhood as one filled with joy, family gatherings, and traditional ceremonies. She fondly remembers joining her grandfather, who worked in government, at his board meetings, while her grandmother contributed to education. Farming was central to their livelihood, and her grandparents maintained multiple sources of income while serving the community.

Moving from Katete to Ndola marked her transition from a small town to the city, where she quickly adapted, made friends, and became active in drama despite being shy. Her love for reading shaped her worldview, with stories from her grandparents’ travels sparking her fascination with London, Paris, and Milan, and inspiring her dream to travel with purpose.

Influences Growing Up

Family, community, and personal challenges played a significant role in shaping Ms. Beltz’s character. She emphasizes the importance of leaving people feeling valued after interactions, a lesson reinforced by encounters with influential figures such as Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Festus Mogae, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Richard Branson, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Bana Susan. These experiences instilled in her the desire to ensure that everyone she connects with feels seen and heard, even in disagreement.

Early Professional and Personal Journey

Entrepreneurship has always been part of Ms. Beltz’s life. From selling fat cakes from her mother’s kitchen and ice blocks as a child to repackaging sugar in boarding school, she demonstrated a problem-solving mindset early on. Her passion for writing led her to represent Maun Senior Secondary School at various forums, later working for Ngami Times in Botswana before pursuing studies in Journalism and News Writing.

Guiding Values and Lessons

Her guiding philosophy is rooted in “Botho,” a Setswana term meaning Humanity. This philosophy emphasizes mutual respect, compassion, and community interdependence, similar to “Ubuntu”. Ms. Beltz describes herself as a doer—someone who takes action to solve problems whenever they arise.

Turning Point into Entrepreneurship

At 36, frustrated by Zambia’s missed opportunities in benefiting from copper resources, Ms. Beltz decided to leave journalism and combine her business training to start an exploration company. She acknowledges the challenges of being a woman in mining but views it as rewarding, aiming to demonstrate that Zambians can own and manage mines successfully.

First Venture and Challenges

Her first venture ended in a public failure, with a loss of $250,000 due to poor management, legal missteps, and weak accounting. This experience taught her the importance of governance and operational skills, reinforcing that business degrees differ greatly from real-world practice. She resolved to remain vigilant and accountable to shareholders.

Navigating Setbacks and Doubts

Setbacks are inevitable, but Ms. Beltz embraces resilience. She admits to crying as a way to release negative emotions, but quickly regains focus and determination. Her motivation stems from a belief that God has tasked her with creating 10,000 jobs in the Copperbelt region. With a strong mindset, she plays to win, driven by collaboration and wisdom.

Evolution of Vision

Her vision has remained consistent since childhood: to help people and solve poverty through employment creation. Having lived in both Zambia’s Copperbelt and Perth, Australia—the mining capital of the world—she recognized the potential of combining these experiences to address poverty through mining.

Proudest Achievement

Ms. Beltz’s proudest achievement is yet to come. She envisions cutting the ribbon at the Mwekera/Ndola site to begin copper drilling, listing her company on both the Lusaka and Australian Stock Exchanges, and creating thousands of jobs.

Balancing Innovation and Core Values

Innovation is balanced with her core values of Botho. She emphasizes that her identity is defined by how she treats herself and others, not by her work. Her love of languages enriches her worldview, incorporating Setswana, Shona, Bemba, and Dutch terms into her vocabulary.

Relieving Stress

To manage stress, Ms. Beltz reads extensively and has recently taken up horse riding, which she finds meditative and mindful, requiring full focus on the horse and technique.

Recognition as Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

Being recognized as an Entrepreneur Extraordinaire is an honor she never anticipated. For her, the greatest reward is inspiring others to believe in themselves, with the hope that someone will say, “Because Nkandu did, I could.”

Message to Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Her message to young African women is clear: if your mission and vision are defined, pursue them relentlessly. Continue learning, upskilling, and never let anyone dim your light. Kindness and resilience are key.

Future Goals

Looking ahead, Ms. Beltz is excited to deploy drill rigs at Mwekera/Ndola, create employment opportunities, list her company in Zambia and Australia, and publish her fourth book