What you need to know:
Summary:
- The term, 'mama mboga' is synonymous with women
- However, this scenario is no more.
- Starting before the Covid-19 pandemic, many high-paying jobs that are mostly done by men – like manufacturing – have contracted or disappeared
- This has seen an increasing number of men get into female-dominated jobs including Baba Mboga
If there is anything that the pandemic has taught us, it is that we cannot stay within our comfort zones and assume that things will always be the same.
A few decades ago, if a man announced that he had ventured into selling vegetables, many would have laughed at him, and advised him to get a 'real male job' and leave the trade for market women.
And so the term, 'mama mboga' is synonymous with women. However, this scenario is no more. Starting before the Covid-19 pandemic, many high-paying jobs that are mostly done by men – like manufacturing – have contracted or disappeared. At the same time, many jobs in fields dominated by women have significantly increased.
This has seen an increasing number of men get into female-dominated jobs, breaking and challenging traditional gender stereotypes.
A recent study published in sciencedirect.com shows that unemployed men are much more likely to switch to a female-dominated job. And when they do, some men experience job advantages.
This is the case of the new young man who has rolled his sleeves, shelved his ego, and brought in the term, 'Baba Mboga.' This man in his 20s or 30s, will in most cases be educated, is fairly progressive and exposed, and mostly has a young family.
We spoke to three of them and today bring you their stories of courage:
The security officer turned Baba Mboga
Gad Kamarei Kibiwot, 32, Good Fortune Greens, Nanyuki, in Laikipia County, a married father of one
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This business is the primary source of my livelihood. I started it five months ago. It deals with the sale of vegetables. This is not the first time that I have ventured into agribusiness. I was a farmer before I switched to my current business. I used to farm and sell most of the vegetables wholesale through brokers. Then I realised that I was not getting good returns. The middlemen became very exploitative. In some instances, they earned more than I did from my vegetables. This provoked me into considering alternative ways of putting my vegetables on the market. One of the ideas I had was to harvest and transport my produce to wholesale markets in Nairobi. I did a cost versus return analysis and found out that this would be a risky move. In the end, I decided to open a small shop where I could sell to the end consumer on retail. I opened the shop along the road that leads to the Baraka estate in Nanyuki.
Over the past five months that I have been running this venture, my earnings have risen to Sh3,000 per day. This translates to Sh90,000 per month.
Running this business has not been without challenges. There are seasons when I suffer significant post-harvest losses at my shop. I don't have a cold room or refrigeration system that can preserve and extend the shelf life of my vegetables when there is a glut in the market.
To minimise these losses, I have adopted a harvest-on-demand approach. I harvest my vegetables and stock up my shop based on consumer demand and cash flow. Working as a Baba Mboga, I have faced the social stigma attached to being a 'Baba mboga.' Most men are very reluctant to join in because this type of business is not very highly regarded in society.
The picture that comes to mind when I tell someone that I am a 'Baba Mboga' is that of a man who couldn't find anything better in life to do. But there is good money for those who can put their ego aside.
Previously, I worked as a security officer and given a choice, I would never close shop to return to that job. There is no shame in rolling your sleeves and doing an unpopular business that can make you good money. In the next five years, I am hoping to open numerous stalls in Nanyuki town and scale up my fresh produce farm and start transporting on a larger scale to bigger markets in Meru and Nyeri.
From hospitality job to vegetable seller
Simon Chege, 31, Kiganjo market, Kiambu County, a married father of one
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I have not always been in the Mama Mboga sector. I was living and working in Dubai before I started this business. I worked at the Marriott Hotels as the executive lounge supervisor. I returned to Kenya in late 2019. Switching from the hospitality sector to Mama Mboga was not very hard for me because of the way I executed my jump. I did not start a market stall directly after leaving Dubai. Instead, I started with a farm project. I am passionate about farming. When I started considering which farming venture to start, I noticed that there was a big demand for fresh vegetables in my area which a handful of Mama Mbogas could not satisfy. Nearly all Mama Mbogas bought their vegetables from the markets. I saw an opportunity to be both a wholesaler and retailer of fresh vegetables.
With Sh10,000 capital, I started my vegetable farm in June 2020. Vegetables do not take long to mature, and within two to three months, I opened my stall and started selling fresh farm produce. Although I occasionally sourced some vegetables from the market as vegetables in my farm matured, I knew that I was on the right path. The farm would allow me to avoid middlemen and market brokers. I started my stalls with a stock of sukuma wiki and spinach. With my farm now in full production, I sell four types of vegetables; spinach, kales, coriander, and spring onions. I sell at both retail and wholesale prices.
Farming my vegetables has not been without challenges. The major ones have included pests and diseases. Lack of a steady supply of water for the farm has been another challenge. Despite these setbacks, I have a bright outlook for the business. My five-year plan is to do commercial mixed farming. I want to expand and grow my farm and business to a stable commercial mixed farming that will entail mixed vegetable farming, poultry keeping, pig rearing, and bee-keeping. One of the things I take pride in is having an opportunity to provide fresh produce to my community. This keeps me going regardless of what others might say about the type of business I do.
From odd jobs to cutting sukumawiki
Samuel Muchina, 30, Kiserian Market, Kajiado North, a married father of three
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I started this business in 2015 and I never thought I'd end up here. It was my last option, yet today, it has turned into my biggest blessing. After completing primary school at Narumoru Primary School in Kiserian in 2006, I was not so lucky to proceed to secondary school. I immediately started working as a casual labourer at various farms in Kiserian. I earned Sh150. Over the nine years to 2015 when I started working at the market as a Baba Mboga, I struggled with getting jobs. The best pay I ever got was from construction sites in Kiserian where I was paid Sh300 per day. This meant that the money I earned was only sufficient to provide food for me. I lived a life of hand to mouth.
Towards 2015, I started considering opening a fresh vegetable stall at Kiserian market. This though was not an easy route to take. It demanded that I take on a business that many of my peers considered a woman's job.
I rented a space from the town council and opened my stall in March 2015. I started with a capital of Sh200. I used this money to pay the Sh20 daily council levy and buy vegetables. These included sukuma wiki, spinach, and packaging bags. I immediately caught the attention of many people when I started working at the market.
The majority were women who wanted to witness a man chopping off sukumawiki. Some were happy to promote my venture but others kept away. They threw jabs of ridicule and wondered what a man was doing at the market. 'Si aende mjengo! Wanaume wa siku hizi ni bure tu!' they'd often say. But I knew what had brought me to the market. Business knows no gender and I was determined to break the myth that a man couldn't thrive in the mama mboga business.
Over the last five years, I have built up a customer base that depends on my services for their vegetables. I get good money that enables me to sustain my family, pay rent, educate my kids, and leave some for saving. I usually source my vegetables from farms at Kiserian. I am very grateful to my wife who has supported my venture and urged me on without seeing me as a lesser man for what I do. 'Kazi ni kazi,' she encourages me.
Soon, I am hoping to scale up my operations and buy a shamba where I can settle and start farming my vegetables. This will help me increase production and enable me to start selling wholesale to markets in Kajiado or start transporting to bigger markets such as Marikiti. I am also planning to introduce assorted fruits to my stock.
The experts have their say
The Saturday Magazine spoke with experts on how you can scale up your mama mboga business and become profitable.
Felix Omamo, Chief Commercial Officer at Twiga Foods
The company uses technology to source fresh and processed food from farmers and food manufacturers, and deliver it to vendors
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Why is the mama mboga business mainly dominated by women?
A cultural perception that food handling is the role of women is the main reason for this. However, the concept of Baba Mboga is becoming normal as days go by, and with the right mind change, education, and business support, more men could join in.
How can Kenyans doing this kind of business scale up and become profitable?
There are four steps they can take. These include:
Consistent quality customer experience: Your customers must feel that they are getting quality products. Food is very sensitive and customers won't return to a seller who compromises on quality.
Ready assortment: Your business should be the one-stop-shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, and fast-moving consumer goods. This will lead to higher customer conversion rates. If you only sell one type of product, there is a risk that your customer could opt for your competitor who has all under one roof.
Build up capital: Partner with microfinance institutions that allow you to save and access micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) loans easily.
Marketing and sales power: Since this is a densely populated line of work, you must sharpen your marketing, selling, and negotiating skills. Know your customer, understand their needs, and go the extra mile to retain them. This includes extra services such as home deliveries.
Zeph Kivungi, founder and director of Maracuja Farms, a crop production for local and export markets.
What types of crops do you grow? Where do you grow them and on what scale?
I run two farms near Emali in Makueni County totaling 47 acres, under drip irrigation. We produce baby corn, French beans, watermelons, onions, and tomatoes.
What is your primary market? How profitable is this venture?
Our primary market is small-scale vendors in Kenya both in Emali and in Nairobi through our off-take partner Twiga Foods. It is a profitable venture. The returns are good. Experience has shown that a new farming venture can break even in one season of a maximum of 120 days. But it can also take more than a year before your money is back.
Why is the mama mboga business mainly dominated by women?
One reason is the cultural and gender-motivated prejudices, like saying handling food is a woman's forte. Also, Kenya's food value chains are strewn with hardcore cartel-like middlemen. This attracts men and drives away women. This confines women to the end of the chain where the selling and vending of fruits and vegetables is made up of less effort and less profit.
How can Kenyans doing this kind of business scale up and become profitable?
The first step is in changing the mindset. People in this line of work need to digest and accept that this is a business, not a pastime. This will allow you to see your customers in a different light, and understand what more they can get from you.
Find out what other products your customers may need and go the extra mile to source for them. This line of business is driven a lot by word of mouth. Once the customers know that you are reliable, then the only piece left is consistent supply. You can get this from larger-scale farms such as Maracuja. The Mama Mboga business is convenience shopping for the most part. The customer wants to find you where they prefer, not where you prefer. Build a good location. Then seek partnerships that will accelerate your growth. Don't just get stuck in a market stall.
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