By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
For many young women in business, the biggest obstacle is not talent — it is being taken seriously.
Ambassador Apphia Nyasha Musavengana knows that reality well.
“One myth I have worked hard to destroy is the idea that young women are not serious business leaders,” she said.
Through her organization, Concord for Young Women in Business, Amb Musavengana has spent years challenging stereotypes surrounding age, gender and leadership.
In many professional spaces, young women are often underestimated before they even speak. Their ideas are questioned, their ambitions dismissed and their leadership abilities doubted.
Concord for Young Women in Business founder and president Ambassador Apphia Musavengana
Amb Musavengana believes those assumptions continue to limit countless women across Africa.
“Age and gender should never limit someone’s potential,” she said.
Her response was not simply to criticize the system — it was to build an alternative.
Concord for Young Women in Business was founded to provide mentorship, networking and opportunities for young women determined to succeed in business and leadership.
Since its formation, the organization has helped create a growing community of women proving that leadership has little to do with age.
Through business programs and mentorship initiatives, participants have launched brands, expanded businesses and developed the confidence to lead.
“There are many success stories,” Amb Musavengana said. “Watching young women become confident entrepreneurs is the greatest reward.”
But changing perceptions has required persistence.
Amb Musavengana herself has had to grow through criticism, pressure and the demands of leadership.
Since winning a Best Young Entrepreneur award in 2019, she says her understanding of leadership has evolved significantly.
“In 2019, I was ambitious and passionate, but still learning,” she reflected. “Today, I am more mature, strategic and purpose-driven.”
That growth has strengthened her commitment to empowering other women.
She believes Zimbabwe is already producing capable female leaders who deserve recognition and support.
“We proved that Zimbabwean women are already leading, building and creating impact across Africa,” she said.
Her vision now stretches beyond Zimbabwe.
Over the next decade, she hopes Concord for Young Women in Business will become a continental empowerment platform with leadership hubs and business incubation centers across Africa.
The goal is not only to create entrepreneurs, but to redefine leadership itself.
For Amb Musavengana, the future of Africa may depend on whether societies finally stop underestimating young women.
And each new business launched through Concord is helping dismantle that old myth — one success story at a time.
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