Tatenda Mungofa
Tatenda Mungofa is a Zimbabwean born entrepreneur based in South Africa. He started a car designing company called Mureza Automotive Company in South Africa together with other co-owners, Ms Pheladi Chiloane and Ms Thulisa Sosibo.
Background
Tatenda Mungofa was born in Harare to Mr Jealous Mungofa and Rosa Tayo. He grew up in Warren Park.[1]
Education
Tatenda Mungofa did his primary education at Alfred Beit Primary School, secondary education at Mavhudzi High School and finally his A-level at Fletcher High School.[1]
Career Before Mureza Auto Co.
Between 2007 and 2010 Mungofa tried to secure a job with any of the car manufacturers in the world. He applied to design colleges and car manufacturing companies with no luck. At one point, Tatenda Mungofa said he went for an interview at Toyota Zimbabwe for an apprenticeship and failed.
In 2012 Mungofa participated in an international car design competition where he came third. The ceremony was in Croatia and unfortunately, he could not travel. He said it was then that he realised that if ever he wanted to be involved in the design and manufacturing of cars he would need to do it on his own.[1]
Mureza Auto Co.
Mungofa is the Chief Executive Officer of South African automotive company Mureza Auto Company. He came up with the name Mureza which is a Shona name for a flag.[2]
He registered Mureza Auto Co in Zimbabwe in 2011 with the help of Christopher Muchechemera whose connections Mungofa said in an interview were instrumental for him to manufacture the first Mureza vehicle.[1]
Cars
- Prim8
Mureza's first car, the Prim8 (pronounced PRI-MATE), has 1.5L and 1.3L petrol engines. It is on Mureza's X200 platform which will also carry their first EV. The Prim8 has hatchback and sedan body shapes.[1]
Mureza car doors open
Mureza Prim8
Mureza Prim8 backview
Mureza Prim8
Plans For The Future
In an interview in March 2021, Tatenda Mungofa said Mureza Auto Co. was planning on launching a half-ton pick-up which will be called T-One. He said it would share many components with the Prim8 and would be sitting on their X200-C platform. He said a panel van version would also be offered on this model range.
He mentioned a flagship TUSKER pick up range, PrimX SUV, Athlete and DIAMOND. The Athlete according to Mungofa would be the most affordable EV on Mureza's lineup with a range of 800km per charge and aiming for a price range between US$5,000 up to US$8,000.[1]
Factory
He also said Mureza was planning on building Africa’s first GIGAFACTORY. Tatenda Mungofa said Mureza had already secured 100 hectares to start building the factory. He said an industrial park would be built alongside the proposed factory to accommodate Mureza Auto Co's suppliers and service providers.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Caroline Chiimba, Mureza Prim8: The Sky is not the limit for Zimbabwean Car manufacturer Tatenda Mungofa, The Entrepreneurial Magazine, Published: March 5, 2021, Retrieved: July 21, 2021
- ↑ Philomina, [1], Zim Trending, Published: 14 December, 2019, Accessed: 7 December, 2020
