Angela Mutethya is disrupting Kenya’s construction industry with locally made, high quality materials through her company’s dry-powder products used for integral water proofing, as tile adhesives, tile grout, and skimming fillers.
Angela’s focus is on creating reliable and high-performance products that match or surpass imported brands, positioning Mzito Africa—where she is co-founder and CEO—as a proudly Kenyan brand built on quality, functionality, and thoughtful design.
She studied Actuarial Science at JKUAT before quitting while in her final year to study Marketing at Kenyatta University. She figured that the course did not align with her goal of becoming an entrepreneur.
She opened her first fashion business at 16, inspired by her grandmother who used to tailor clothes for relatives. Poor foundational structures, lack of capital and poor strategy folded the business in 2016.
" Learn constantly. Build with purpose. Uplift people."
“Things don’t go wrong, they start wrong,” she says.
Angela believes that her efforts in the industry will help in eliminating fake and substandard products, bridge the quality gap in construction, and demystify manufacturing.
With no formal training in construction, her belief is that when one has a vision, a formal training should not stand in the way. “I have hired some of the best people in the industry. I carry the vision while they know what to do in the process.” You don’t need to have basic training to start a business, she says.
Angela draws her strength from her grandmother, her father’s unwavering support and her journey as a mother. She learns by doing, embracing imperfections, and letting purpose guide her path.
“Start right. Think boldly. Learn constantly. Build with purpose. Uplift people.”
–Ndugu Abisai