Market entry in Zimbabwe, from zero to 8 depots: case study

Problem

The company wanted to expand into Africa, with no local presence, suppliers, banking or customers in any of the candidate countries.

Evidence

Evaluated Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria for the CEO, then picked Zimbabwe. On the ground, 40+ discovery interviews with transporters, vendors, fuel stations and corporates shaped what to sell first and what the product would need later.

Decision

The business before the product: banking, procurement, credit, dispatch and reporting under written SOPs, with ~15 suppliers signed in month one, including global commodity traders and the national oil company on USD settlement. The interviews became FMS and VMS requirements fed through a live feedback loop.

Result

A live B2B business with 8 active depots, 50+ enterprise and regional clients won from a 400+ network, zero stock-outs, unit margins improved through pricing and supplier mix, and the Country Head role added to the product one.

How it unfolded

Before the move
Evaluated Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria for the CEO, and picked Zimbabwe.
Apr 2025
On the ground in Harare as Product Manager, starting with no local presence, suppliers, banking or customers.
Month one
~15 suppliers signed, with USD settlement, and banking, procurement, credit and dispatch running under written SOPs.
Apr 2025 – Apr 2026
50+ enterprise and regional clients won from a 400+ network, and the business grown from zero to 8 active depots. 40+ discovery interviews feeding the backlog.
May 2026
Asked by the CEO to run the Zimbabwe business as Country Head alongside the product role. Owns the P&L and leads an 8-person team.
Now
Writing the requirements that take the fuel management and vendor platforms into Zambia and Nigeria.

On the ground

Six people, most in work overalls and hard hats, in front of a fuel tanker at a depot in Harare — At a depot in Harare, with the crew.

Five members of the team standing outside The Three Monkeys restaurant in Harare at night — An evening out with the team in Harare.

What I'd do differently

I scoped an on-site fuel management system for a large enterprise client, hardware and digital payments included, before confirming the hardware could be sourced in-country. It's paused. In a new market, check the supply chain for the product before you check the appetite for it.

Related work

More case studies

Commercial terms stay private. Figures are rounded.

A new country, from zero to 8 depots and 50+ B2B clients