The Inyova community is made up of inspiring impact investors, and we want you to get to know each other better! That’s why we publish Investor Stories, a monthly feature where an Inyova impact investor shares their investment journey.
Meet Fungai!
Fungai, 31, is Zimbabwean-Swiss. Not only is she an Inyova impact investor, she’s also one of the Inyova Women Investors of the Year winners Fungai works at the biopharmaceutical company MSD as the Associate Director of Social Business Innovation (EEMEA region), and she is the co-founder and director of Swizimtrust, an organisation supporting marginalised communities in Zimbabwe. She also serves on the board of Conscious Influence Hub and Friends of Matibi which are both non-profit organisations creating social impact.
Tell us what a day in the life of Fungai looks like.
After waking up I meditate ♀ and, if it’s my turn, I bring our son to daycare. I then work from home or the office where I’ll have lots of meetings throughout the day. After work, I pick up our son and enjoy some family time in the evening before putting him to bed. I’ll then hang out with my husband, watch TV , work on my research or attend a board meeting for one of the organisations I support.
Now onto your investment journey! How long have you been investing with Inyova?
Just over two years.
What motivated you to start investing?
As a woman and a woman of colour, I want to do my part to close the income gap. ♀️ I have not always had the same opportunities that my counterparts have had and I wanted to be proactive about generational wealth.
I come from a less privileged background and have had my fair share of struggles. I believe that investing will ensure that I can change my and my family’s trajectory. My goal is to grow my finances so that I can further impact more lives through my various philanthropic initiatives.
What do you think previously stopped you from investing and how did you overcome that?
Not knowing where to start was a huge factor – it can be overwhelming.
I also encountered a practical issue – before getting my Swiss passport, I only had a Zimbabwean passport, and I wasn’t able to invest due to sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by international law. I started with what was possible for me and was glad when my investing barriers were removed by becoming a Swiss Citizen.
What would you say to someone who doesn’t think investing is for them?
Start small and hopefully that gives you the courage to go bigger. I always feared that because I didn’t have enough knowledge about selling stocks and bonds, I couldn’t invest. Now I know that you can build your knowledge and use platforms that don’t require you to be an expert in finance lingo.
What would you say to someone just starting their investment story?
I have learnt that investing can start small and that is ok – you don’t have to be rich to invest, just use what you have. Keep going and try investing in many things with little amounts until you find what suits you. There are no guarantees, but that’s the way life is and that’s what makes it exciting. ✨
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