Stephen Ngei: A paraffin and mitumba seller who rode his bicycle to the Billionaires’ Squad.

Many people think becoming a millionaire appears to be an unattainable goal, it is far more frequent than you may believe. Not knowing an appropriate mindset can assist one in achieving financial success.

Mr Stephen Ngei has evolved from a hawker of household products to an automobile dealer in Makueni County and across the country.
Mr Ngei, the head of Makindu Motors Limited, a motorbike and car assembly and distribution firm, has gone from a KES 1,000 businessman to a multimillionaire by riding his bike.

Humble Beginnings

He started as a paraffin seller and often sold low-cost secondhand innerwear to ladies at bars and other gathering areas where he knew there would be a ready market.
“With packages of garments and jewellery slung to my shoulders, I’d wander into pubs in Makindu town and other tiny retail centres along the Nairobi-Mombasa route.” Mr Ngei adds, “The barmaids and revellers were eager buyers for my items, and my business increased faster than I had expected.”

Upward Trajectory

Mr Ngei eventually delved into peddling second-hand bicycles and other junk products, primarily to teachers, after earning large revenue from the hawking business.
According to him, the firm primarily targeted the rural populace, particularly teachers, who were the only group of government workers in rural regions who could acquire loans at the time.

Mr Ngei claims that importing finished bikes from Dubai was difficult since some of them arrived wrecked, resulting in significant losses for the firm.
The company’s breakthrough came soon after, during a Chinese trade expo in Nairobi that showcased Chinese new and low-maintenance motorbikes.
Following the trade show, Makindu Motors Limited, through its owner, secured a SkyGo motorbike dealership in Kenya.

The best aspect of the agreement was that the business would import the cycles in spare parts and set up an assembly facility in Makindu, Kenya, with the support of the Chinese manufacturer.

Mr Ngei claims that this has decreased the company’s losses from damaged bikes and motorbike theft, which had jeopardized the company’s financial performance, particularly with the Dubai agreement.

Since then, the business has obtained three more deals in Kenya to market Chinese-made bikes and automobiles.
Ya-Maana and Flyboy motorcycles, as well as JAC light vehicles, sedans, and farm machinery, are all assembled in the Makindu factory.

As per the firm’s chief executive, a KES150 million region car park that will act as a showroom would be built at the Makindu assembly facility.

Business Success

The success of the company, according to Mr Ngei, is due to a mix of elements. They include a well-defined CSR philosophy, extensive promotional methods, endurance, and personal accountability.

Apart from financing needy children’s education, the firm participates in the protection of the environment by planting trees, conducting educational investing seminars for the local community, and assisting clients with automobile registration.

Final Thoughts

Mr Ngei’s journey to this point has not been without bumps. If someone has had an entrepreneurial spirit since they were a youngster, it’s a good indication that they’ve always been looking for new methods to generate money.