Black Narratives: How War-Torn Mozambique Birthed This CEO and Social Entrepreneur

One Entrepreneur's Journey From Mozambique to Hull, Changing The Region For Good

Simi Coker
Aalegra Partners

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Introduction:

Stability and chaos are both necessary ingredients for personal and professional growth. Healthy balances of both help to create strong members of society, and in cases where there are imbalances, it may disrupt a person’s prospects for happiness and self-sufficiency.

The aftermath of the Mozambican Civil War coloured Antonio’s childhood and laid the foreground for his rise to prominence as a Co-Founder, changing the technology landscape in Hull, United Kingdom.

Antonio Tombanane is the Co-Founder of TechWeek Humber, an annual exhibition of the most innovative technology products designed to address Hull’s employment challenge, and MD of GB Recruitment, a niche recruiting firm placing professionals in leading technology roles in the Hull region.

I sat with Antonio to listen to his story and the value he gained from growing up in Mozambique and moving to the UK.

Antonio’s Story:

Antonio was born and raised in Mozambique during the Civil War.

His father travelled for work, as a diplomat, and often brought the family with him.

Antonio recalled moments of his adolescent years:

“Sometimes we wouldn’t have electricity or running water for 5 or 6 days at a time, and we’d have to sleep hearing gunshots. The fear of death motivates you to live life to the fullest. I didn’t think that at the time, but I understand my emotions better now and appreciate everything that my family provided for my sisters and I”.

His mother and two sisters relished the family trips and learnt Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and English on their travels. I know, right?

Mozambique — East Africa

At 18, he decided to move to London and complete his studies in Business Administration and start his career.

Finding work wasn’t difficult, Antonio mentioned, because of his natural charm and fluency in 4 languages. Starting in retail selling women’s clothes, Antonio flourished in Sales and started selling SME’s and large corporations’ products and services.

After a few years of the hustle and bustle in London, he looked for other growth opportunities with a closer community, mirroring the town-like structure of his home in Mozambique.

Antonio made a move to Hull in the early 10’s seeking to drive social and cultural change in the technology sector.

Taking his Sales expertise, he formed strong relationships with local governing bodies and corporations, identifying the regions root problem in tech.

Humber is traditionally known for its heavy manufacturing infrastructure though there is a rising demand for technology roles in the region due to large corporations setting up offices.

Residents in need of work lack the technical skills required for these roles, and those with the necessary skill set often leave to find jobs in cities like London, Leeds or Manchester.

Tech Week Humber — Logo

Antonio set out to address the challenge from multiple angles, and Founded Tech Week Humber and joined GB Recruitment with his business partner and friend Jo Fleming.

Tech Week Humber exposes the region to the innovation that surrounds it and educates residents about the potential that lay latent in the town. Reaching 1.5million people during Covid-19 with speakers from Google, IBM, Microsoft and local tech companies such as Moodbeam and KCOM. The event will return this year in November with even more support from the Humber community organisations.

GB Recruitment aims to help professionals find meaningful careers in the technology sector by focusing on each candidate’s strengths and positioning them within an organisation where they can provide the most value.

GB Recruitment — Logo

Together, the two initiatives have helped Hull understand its true potential and begin building its brand as a technology leader.

From the humble beginnings of Mozambique to building socially impactful businesses, Antonio has been recognised for his contributions. He is sharing insights on his journey and upcoming projects through the Forbes Business Council.

Seeking to use his platform to voice the challenges of being a CEO and Founder and how to maintain a work-life balance, you can hear more from Antonio here.

The Value of The Struggle:

Growing in an environment where poverty is prevalent forces you to be more resourceful than your peers.

Other founders and CEO’s have claimed the same thing, stating that the average citizen will take opportunities for granted that an immigrant will not overlook.

Operating where opportunities are scarce means that when they arise, you’re more likely to take it with both hands, even if you think you’re not ready. The idea is that it’s better to take it and fail by your hand than to let it pass you by and never know what you could have made of your time and energy.

That includes immaterial objects like a sense of community.

After moving to Hull, Antonio grew fond of the locals and seized the opportunity of being embraced as a chance to invest and give to the community.

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash

Antonio:

“The people were so warm and loving that I fell in love with the community. I knew when I began to understand the problem around digital skills being scarce across the region, I had to do something. We’re known for our heavy manufacturing industries, but our population have a wealth of skills that can be nurtured in technology sectors and I knew I had the skillset to utilise that for the benefit of the community”.

I think Antonio’s struggle in Mozambique and his journey to the UK prepared him to see Hull as an opportunity for change.

The chance to leave London, to feel at home in a tight-knit community and find an opportunity to create better lives for others seems to have come from experiences in his early childhood and young adult years.

Takeaways:

Antonio Tombanane is the Founder and CEO of TechWeek Humber and MD of GB Recruitment who journeyed from Mozambique to find new business and career opportunities.

The struggle can be positive and help change your perspective in life. Have a try and reflect on times where you’ve had less, and look for opportunities where you can give more.

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Simi Coker
Aalegra Partners

investor/operator with 5+ enterprise saas experience. documenting the process