Memoirs of a WorkHerHolic:

The One with the Top Telecommunications Company

Vodafone came to Zambia with a bang! It was clear that they were serious about taking up the telecommunications space in Zambia and they didn’t leave out Social Media in their plan to paint Zambia red! A month before my end of year vacation while at Rhodes University , my Social Media started to flood with Vodafone – JUMP advertisements and I just knew I had to work there! The Post had just shut down and I had no intention of spending my vacation without work experience. So, the moment I landed back home, I had an application letter ready.

Like its name, my time at JUMP was like a sudden spring; promising endless opportunities. I was hired on the spot after a short, light-hearted conversation with the Editor – Mutale Nkonde Kapaso . I’ll never forget how she introduced me to the team by speaking about my accomplishments at the time… The whole time she spoke, I stood there in awe thinking to myself, “Oh wow! I really have done all these things!” I instantly knew that this would be an environment that would recognise my efforts; I was in the right place!

The JUMP team was young, vibrant and very accommodating of my overzealous self. Work was more fun than anything else. And the perks were promising too. Working as a JUMP Writer was similar to my work at The Post; the major difference was that my target market was the youth – unlike the nation-wide target at The Post. This meant that I could get away with using slang to coin catchy headlines. I moved with the trends and I loved it!

Vodafone was amazing in every way possible! But the greatest thing, that everyone who worked there could agree upon, was the food! Let’s just say: the breakfast, lunches, and endless tea-breaks were everything and a bag of chips (pun intended)!

I served as JUMP Writer for almost a year and a half. When I graduated from Rhodes University , I was promoted to the Marketing Department at Vodafone.

Like I said in my previous article, “no story was ever written alone”. While I could mention a plethora of people who influenced, helped, and encouraged me at the telecommunications company, my Vodafone story cannot go without mentioning Mukuka Mulenga . I cannot even explain to you how, after very few interactions, he noticed my potential and recommended me as an addition to the department. The rest is history?– I’ve been working in Marketing since – simply because one man believed in me.

I worked for Vodafone Zambia from 2016 until 2018 – shortly before the company shut down. In the two years that I worked there, I truly experienced professional liberty and continued to be exposed to people in the field of media. I was challenged to shift from my field of Journalism and explore a new one. I learnt a lot, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while I was at it. So, while Vodafone came with a bang, I was privileged to be part of their electric takeover of the telecommunications space in Zambia.