Startup Story
Nilza Mazive is the co-founder of Xiphefu Digital Ligth, Lda, a green energy business developing solutions to help consumers reduce energy costs in Mozambique. The business develops solutions to help consumers reduce energy costs, acting on electrical equipment to avoid wasting electrical current. The business also adds the solar component, offers a range of internal and external lamps, and installs solar systems.
LoA spoke to Nilza Mazive about her entrepreneurial journey, her passion for green business, and her ambitions for the future.
Nilza Mazive Sengulane is the co-founder of Xiphefu Digital Ligth, Lda, a green energy business developing solutions to help consumers reduce energy costs in Mozambique. She is 36 years old, married and a mother, and has a degree in Computer Engineering with 14 years of professional experience, working as a manager for large companies. She started her entrepreneurial journey in 2019, as a fashion accessories retailer for the Honey brand, where she stood out as one of the best salespeople in Mozambique. She embraced other challenges, founding the company Kero Lda and being co-founder of Xiphefu Digital Ligth Lda, where to date, she dedicates all her dedication, knowledge and efforts, in order to, through her work, improve the lives of her clients and be able to provide employment opportunities to youth. The business has created 5 jobs to date.
Nilza Mazive Sengulane, com 36 anos de idade, casada e mãe.
Tem frequênca em Engenharia informática e experiência profissional de 14 anos, trabalhando como gestora de grandes empresas. Decidiu empreender a tempo inteiro, desde 2021. Iniciou sua jornada de empreendedorismo em 2019, como revendedora de acessórios de moda da marca Honey, onde na altura de destacou com uma das melhoras vendedoras de Moçambique. Abraçou outros desafios, fundando a empresa Kero Lda e sendo co-fundadora da Xiphefu Digital Ligth Lda, onde até o momento, dedica toda a sua dedicação, conhecimento e esforços, no sentido de através do seu trabalho, melhorar a vida dos seus clientes e poder dar oportunidades de emprego, à camada juvenil.
“At Xiphefu, we develop solutions to help consumers reduce energy costs, acting on electrical equipment to avoid wasting electrical current.”
Quando lançou a sua empresa?:
Xiphefu started in 2018, at the time as an EI company, and in 2021 we decided to register the company, under the same name as the product, Xiphefu.
A Xiphefu começou em 2018, na altura como uma empresa EI, e em 2021 decidimos registrar a empresa , no mesmo nome do produto, Xiphefu.
What does your company do?
At Xiphefu, we develop solutions to help consumers reduce energy costs, acting on electrical equipment to avoid wasting electrical current. We also add the solar component, we have our internal and external lamps, and we install solar systems.
Na xiphefu, desenvolvemos soluções para ajudar ao consumidor a reduzir o custo de energia, atuando nos equipamentos elétricos para evitar-se o desperdício de corrente elétrica. Adicionamos também a componente solar, temos os nossos candeeiros internos, externos e fazemos instalações de sistemas solares.
What inspired you to start your company?
It was through the end of the Computer Engineering course, where I (co-founder) and Jessen (founder), began to have contact with home automation, 2011.
At the time, it was just a scientific project for Jessen's defence work, and was updated from time to time, like a hobby. However, in 2018, when we thought we should abandon the "Hobby", our innovation began to receive recognition in the technological area and in fact, this was what pushed and gave us oxygen to take Xiphefu from a hobby to something that would come to become a patented product and a company.
Foi através do término do final do curso de Engenharia Informática, onde eu (co-fundadora) e o Jessen (Fundador), começamos a ter contato com a domótica, 2011.
Na altura, era apenas um projeto científico do trabalho de defesa do Jessen, e ia sendo atualizado de tempos em tempo, como um Hobby. No entanto, em 2018, quando achávamos que devíamos abandonar o "Hobby", a nossa inovação começou a receber reconhecimentos na área tecnológica e na verdade, foi isto que impulsou e nos deu oxigénio para tirar o Xiphefu de um passatempo, para algo que viria a se tornar um produto patenteado e uma empresa.
“Faced with a context where there are scarce technological resources, we are able to cross borders to be able to create solutions that will help people save money, enjoy better use of energy, automatically/without extra effort and super bonus, we guarantee a sustainable planet, which can welcome more generations.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
What makes us special is the fact that, faced with a context where there are scarce technological resources, we are able to cross borders to be able to create solutions that will help people save money, enjoy better use of energy, automatically/without extra effort and super bonus, we guarantee a sustainable planet, which can welcome more generations.
O que nos torna especiais, é o fato de que, perante um contexto onde existam recursos tecnológicos escassos, conseguirmos transpor as fronteiras para poder criar soluções que vão ajudar as pessoas a pouparem dinheiro, usufruirem de melhor uso da energia, de forma automática/ sem esforço extra e de super bónus, garantirmos um planeta sustentável, que possa acolher mais gerações.
Tell us a little about your team:
At the moment, we are a team of 5 individuals: Jessen Sengulane, as founder, responsible for the technological and scientific part of our products, me, Nilza Mazive, as co-founder, for the administrative part, and staff in the areas of finance, industrial electricity and Marketing.
Neste momento, somos uma equipe de 5 indivíduos: Jessen Sengulane, como fundador, responsável pela parte tecnológica e científica dos nossos produtos, eu, Nilza Mazive, pela parte administrativa, e pessoal nas áreas de de finanças, eletricidade industrial e Marketing.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Clear!
Xiphefu's journey began in 2011, with defence work, which awakened our curiosity in the field of Energy.
In 2018, we registered the company, the innovation patent and below are some of the achievements along this path:
2019 - We were recognized by ITU Telecom World Global as a solution with great social impact
2021 - We received our first funding through the Tony Elumelu Foundation's TEF Connect program award
2022 - Orange Corners Program First Place Winners, BIZ VIII Including Funding
2022 - Accepted into the Get.Invest Finance Readiness program
2023 - Orange Corners Innovation Fund Program Participants
2024 - Social partnership with Eletricidade de Moçambique, to electrify health units.
Claro!
A jornada da Xiphefu iniciou em 2011, com um trabalho de defesa, que despertou em nós, a curiosidade pela área das Energias.
Em 2018, registamos a empresa, a patente de inovação e abaixo, seguem algumas das conquistas ao longo deste percurso:
2019 - Fomos reconhecidos pelo ITU Telecom World Global, como uma solução de grande impacto social
2021 - Recebemos o nosso primeiro financiamento através do prémio do programa TEF Connect da Fundação Tony Elumelu
2022 - Vencedores do primeiro lugar do programa Orange Corners, BIZ VIII que inclui financiamento
2022 - Aceites no programa Get.Invest Finance Readiness
2023 - Participantes do programa Orange Corners Innovation Fund
2024 - Parceria social com a Eletricidade de Moçambique, para electrificar unidades sanitárias.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Make Xiphefu a reference brand in matters of auditing electrical consumption and reducing energy costs.
Improve gender inclusion in the workforce.
Create self-employment opportunities for young people, through our products and services.
We expand to other provinces.
Tornar a Xiphefu em uma marca de referência, em assuntos de auditoria de consumo elétrico e redução do custo de energia.
Melhorar a inclusão de género no quadro de pessoal.
Criar oportunidades de Auto-emprego para jovens, através dos nossos produtos e serviços.
Expandirmos para outras províncias.
“Our future aspiration is to make Xiphefu a reference brand in matters of auditing electrical consumption and reducing energy costs.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur, what gives me the most satisfaction is being able to have control of my time, and being able to prioritize what is really important and makes sense to me. In this way, even when faced with the various challenges that life as an entrepreneur brings with it, I don't feel like a victim of the system. I am doing what needs to be done, depending on the skills I acquire throughout my experiences.
Enquanto empreendedora, o que me dá mais satisfação é poder ter o controle do meu tempo, poder priorizar o que realmente é importante e faz sentido para mim. E desse jeito, mesmo perante os diversos desafios que a vida de empreendedor traz consigo, não me sinto uma vítima do sistema, mas, que estou a fazer o que precisa ser feito, consoante as capacidades que vou adquirindo ao longo das experiências.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Try to understand money, dream big, but be patient in taking small steps.
Procurem entender sobre o dinheiro, sonhe grande, mas tenha paciência em andar com passos pequenos.
Find out more:
E-mail: nilza.mazive@xiphefu.co.mz
Website: https://xiphefu.co.mz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/xiphefumoz/100090147107694/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xiphefu.moz?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D
YouTube ou Vimeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7pzxyYfNU&t=577s
Why LoA loves it….
At Lionesses of Africa, we love to see women entrepreneurs who find solutions to everyday problems and challenges, and for Nilza Mazive, that meant building a green energy business to help consumers reduce their costs. Not only that, but she is also working to improve gender inclusion in the workforce through her business, and creating self-employment opportunities for young people. Now that is impact in action! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa