Liquid Telecoms Regional COO, Clara Mlambo, talked to Trevor Ncube on his YouTube channel.

Clara joined Liquid after 21 years at BAT.

Key Points From The Interview

1. Clara said when she joined Liquid, she was interviewed by Winston Makamure and did not have any knowledge of the telecoms industry.

2. Clara said she is always challenging the status quo.

3. The pandemic has brought about massive growth.

4. Liquid Telecoms is present in over 13 countries, after starting in Zimbabwe.

5. There is a huge focus on the DRC at present.

6. Liquid has datacenters in Kenya and South Africa.

7. In Zimbabwe, liquid is the largest data and fibre provider.

8. Liquid is in the retail space through ZOL.

9. Clara was born in Rusape to Prisca and Ernst Matienga.

10. Her father got a scholarship to study in the UK. When she was 5 she was taken to the UK.

11. In 1981 they came back to Zimbabwe. She attended Borrowdale Primary.

12. She went to Arundel High. A girls only school.

13. After School she wanted to be a lawyer.

14. She rarely wears make up because of her time at Arundel.

15. When she got to Arundel,vshe found the best of the best and was no longer the best.

16. She felt average at Arundel. There were people with a lot of money.

17. After her A levels, Clara went to the University Of Zimbabwe. Her father had just started a new business. He had four other kids in Primary school.

18. She registered for a Bachelor in Business Administration at the UZ. She was one of three students who were not employed.

19. She also worked for Agribank when it was called AFC.

20. She used to process invoices.

21. She then re-applied to the UZ as a mature student.

22. A lot of the materials she did during the degree was the same as the diploma.

23. Her mother was surprised how she clubbed so much.

24. She graduated with. 2.1 grade.

25.BAT came to recruit. She had hot a job at First Bank where she was a graduate trainee.

26. She attended the assessment which was done by the leadership of BAT.

27. At the assessment, there were 8 candidates. After dinner, all the other students except for Clara and another stayed at the Dinner table with the assessors.

28. The only two students who got the job were the two who were with the assessors.

29. She was a marketing management trainee at BAT. She has learnt everything about marketing.

30. She was sent to Kenya for an assignment.

31. When she got to Kenya, she was sent to present a market entry proposal, into Sudan, to the UK team.

32. She presented in the UK while pregnant with her first child. She did not declare this to the company. She did not let that affect her performance.

33.