There are those whose journeys begin with a map, a destination clearly outlined. And then there are others, pathmakers, who chart their own way through unmarked territory, building bridges from nothing but conviction and clarity of purpose. Imasiku Nyambe is one of the latter. His story isn’t just about starting companies or holding titles. It’s about an untamed curiosity, the courage to pivot when the world changes, and a commitment to building systems that leave people better than he found them.
In a world obsessed with polished success, Imasiku walks a different path, one grounded in humility, experimentation, and a deep reverence for mentorship and learning.
Roots of a Creator
“My name is Imasiku Nyambe, and I was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia,” he begins, his voice tinged with the quiet clarity of someone who has done a great deal of thinking. “I believe my story as an entrepreneur started when I was in high school.”
It wasn’t some flashy startup or investor pitch that marked the beginning. It was co-founding the David Kaunda National Technical High School Art Club and serving as its vice president. It was tinkering in the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) club in primary school. He remembers creating a project that won at the regional JETS fair, a teaching aid, developed with help from a supportive teacher.
“I do not know why I developed those interests, but if I could guess, I believe it has to be because of the support I received from my parents in allowing me to be creative,” he reflects. His father, an academic and university professor, and his mother, a businesswoman, formed the dual pillars of learning and enterprise that would later define his work.
The Search for a Career That Fits
Imasiku’s academic path was, in his own words, “straightforward from the outside, but marred with a lot of indecision.” He couldn’t see himself doing just one thing forever, neither could he see himself being stuck in an office. He wanted diversity—freedom.
So, he began with engineering, drawn by a love for creating. But disillusionment crept in, and so did academic struggles. “I eventually requested a transfer to the School of Humanities where I intended to pursue a degree in Business Administration,” he says. But once there, he got introduced to economics from a whole new perspective, a field that captivated him.
“Economics was more interesting and challenging than BA. I found BA more unidirectional and as something I could teach myself. Because if I was going to spend money on learning something, then it should be something that I need guidance to learn.”
He graduated with a degree in economics. Later this year, he will graduate with a master’s in the same field.
From Camera Lens to Digital Platforms
Alongside his academic pursuits, Imasiku was quietly building another skillset, creative media. “By the time I was finishing my undergraduate studies, I had taught myself photography and had been offering services to help me have a little bit of extra cash,” he recalls.
He learned Photoshop to boost his photography and grasp graphic design. Eventually, he co-founded Digikraft, a content creation and social media management company. But the COVID-19 pandemic brought Digikraft to a standstill. What came next, though, would become one of his most enduring ideas.
Imaka Learning: A Digital Bridge for Human Connection
“The lack of function of Digikraft led me to think of ways to leverage online platforms, and it was this that led to the idea behind Imaka Learning,” Imasiku explains. Originally conceived as a learning platform to connect teachers and learners, Imaka was born from the chaos of the pandemic.
“It was founded on the premise that people who can teach do not always have someone to teach, and people who want to learn do not always know where to find someone to teach them.”
The idea was sound but then came the AI wave. Generative AI changed how people accessed knowledge, and suddenly, human-to-human learning became a harder sell. “Most learners opted to ask AI the questions they had and were less interested in paying extra cash for tuition,” he admits.
Rather than give up, Imasiku pivoted. “I have had to pivot it from its initial intention to something that is less technologically innovative, but more socially innovative.”
“This is also important because AI has threatened the loss of many jobs, mentorship in writing and networking presents an opportunity for students to meet their potential employers and display high levels of competence at early stages of their careers,” he added.
Imaka became a mentorship platform, less about tech, more about people. It now runs a program focused on helping undergraduate students develop their writing and networking skills. “Imaka mainly flights a mentorship program among undergraduate students where it focuses on helping students develop their writing and networking skills,” he says.
Imaka Learning currently operates with a small but dedicated team of six, headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, and functioning online. The vision behind its founding was rooted in a simple yet powerful idea, that Zambians should not have to struggle to access knowledge. “I saw a future where Zambians didn’t have to struggle to learn anything they wanted to learn,” says Imasiku. “They could get that information first-hand from other Zambians who knew exactly what they needed and were in a position to offer it the instant it was required.”
It’s this approach that earned him an award as a “Leader of Tomorrow” at the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium for an essay on mentorship and doubling down on human to human interactions despite the rising reliance on AI. “AI remains a tool, a powerful one at that.”
Building Legacy at Home
While Imaka occupies his visionary mind, his hands are busy revitalizing his family’s businesses: Massi Investments Limited and City TV Station Limited, where he serves as Director, with the support from his siblings.
Massi Investments houses a digital skills college, Massi Computing College and a business hub, Massi Business Center. “City TV is a legacy media house that broadcasts on GOtv 24 and Top Star 111,” he notes.
Combined, these companies employ over thirty people, and though relatively small, he sees big potential. “Our main strategy is to target clients outside Zambia… but that calls for sorting out local quality control and maintenance first.”
Lessons from the Trenches
Like many entrepreneurs, Imasiku has tasted the bitterness of failure. “I have started three companies in the past, none of which I consider successful,” he shares. But that hasn’t stopped him.
“Knowing when to pivot can save you from a lot of heartache,” he says. That single decision, to shift Imaka’s focus, offered a second chance. “It also takes a lot for a product to be accepted in the market. That’s often a challenge.”
His most important insight? “It doesn’t matter how great your idea is, there is no shortage of ideas. Business is about sales. If you have no sales, you have no business.”
The Passion Project
Of all his current work, it’s the mentorship program under Imaka that stirs his deepest passion. “I believe it has the potential to change the lives of many young people,” he says. “Basically, they receive mentorship in writing and networking in the hopes of them being able to find their own industry mentors that will empower them to eventually become experts in their field of interest.”
There’s also a rural outreach project in the works, aimed at equipping rural teachers with digital skills.
Advice for the Aspiring
To entrepreneurs starting out with limited resources, Imasiku has this to say: “Don’t start a business if you need to be motivated to see it through. Get the best talent to help you build your dream. Sell the dream to them.”
Emerging trends excite him, especially the rapid evolution of AI. In media and education, he’s watching closely. “I’m excited to jump at the forefront of these new innovations and begin offering services that utilize them,” he says.
The Man Who Keeps Moving
Imasiku Nyambe doesn’t claim to have it all figured out. He doesn’t boast of overnight success or boundless profits. What he offers instead is something more valuable, a blueprint for building with integrity, for adapting with grace, and for creating spaces where others can rise alongside you.
His journey is still unfolding, one decision, one pivot, one mentorship session at a time. But if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that Imasiku is not just building businesses. He’s building people. And in that, his impact is already echoing far beyond Lusaka.
