{"id":77407,"date":"2026-04-21T18:04:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment"},"modified":"2026-04-21T18:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:26:18","slug":"no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment","title":{"rendered":"No Shortcuts to Success in Business Debt Repayment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. <\/strong><\/span>Sometime last week, we shared that our loan balance with Standard Bank had reduced to MK292,364,402.00, down from MK992,000,000.00 just two months ago, and as of today, 20 April, we have pushed it further down to MK239,764,905.00, meaning we have repaid about MK53 million within a short period\u2014clear proof that progress is possible, even under pressure, when discipline is applied.<\/b><\/p>\n

I am sharing this not to impress anyone, but to confront a serious weakness that continues to hold many Malawians back in business: the failure to repay loans and honor financial obligations, a habit that quietly destroys credibility, blocks growth, and kills long-term opportunity.<\/p>\n

The pattern is common and dangerous\u2014people secure financing from a bank for a specific business deal, they execute the contract, they get paid, and instead of channeling the money back through the same bank that made the deal possible, they divert the funds by changing banking details or collecting cheques and depositing them elsewhere, deliberately avoiding repayment while convincing themselves it is a clever business move.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be honest: that is not strategy, that is dishonesty, and no serious business can grow on that foundation.<\/p>\n

I learned this lesson through a real and difficult experience.<\/p>\n

In 2008, while in Blantyre, before I moved to Lilongwe, I partnered with a friend in a business supplying empty sacks to Admarc, and we secured a MK10 million loan from a commercial bank without collateral, purely on trust and persuasion, which at that time was a significant financial commitment and a strong vote of confidence in us.<\/p>\n

The bank facilitated the transaction by wiring money directly to a supplier in Tanzania, we delivered the goods to Admarc within a month, and everything seemed successful until the moment of truth arrived\u2014payment.<\/p>\n

After accounting for transport, logistics, and unexpected expenses, we discovered that the profit was almost nothing, and repaying the bank would leave us with virtually no cash, which is when the real test of character began.<\/p>\n

My partner, an accountant, proposed that we divert the funds into a newly opened account, use the money to run faster and more profitable deals, and repay the bank later, an idea that sounded logical on the surface but was fundamentally wrong.<\/p>\n

We argued at length, I resisted, but eventually he convinced me, although deep inside I was unsettled and knew we were crossing a line.<\/p>\n

On the day we went to collect the cheque in Limbe, I suggested we first go for lunch, and while he was focused on the menu, I excused myself, stepped outside, and made a call that changed everything\u2014I contacted the bank\u2019s Head of Credit and disclosed our plan to divert the funds, making it clear that I was not comfortable with what we were about to do.<\/p>\n

We agreed on a simple plan.<\/p>\n

When we arrived at Admarc, we found the bank official already present in the finance office, and in that moment, our plan collapsed instantly, forcing us to collect the cheque transparently and deposit it directly into the bank as required.<\/p>\n

That decision brought me immediate peace of mind, while my partner was shocked and frustrated, never knowing at the time that I had intervened, and he may only be realizing it now.<\/p>\n

I do not regret that decision, not even for a second, because it confirmed a principle that has guided me ever since:<\/p>\n

there are no shortcuts to success\u2014only the discipline to consistently do what is right.<\/p>\n

Now, some may question why Luthando Holdings still carries debt if we emphasize structure and discipline, and the answer lies in a real business setback rather than poor intent.<\/p>\n

Nearly a year ago, we received a letter of intent from a reputable institution to supply motorcycles worth approximately MK2.4 billion, and as part of their due diligence requirements, we were expected to demonstrate stock availability, which meant making significant upfront investments to secure inventory and position ourselves for execution.<\/p>\n

We complied fully, stocked heavily, and prepared to deliver, but before the contract could be finalized, another bidder who had quoted a lower price challenged the process, applied pressure on the financiers, and ultimately influenced the cancellation of the deal, leaving us with large volumes of stock across our shops and warehouses.<\/p>\n

That is why our showrooms are full today\u2014not because business is failing, but because a confirmed opportunity was withdrawn after we had already committed resources.<\/p>\n

Despite this setback, we remain operational, we continue selling the stock, and we are steadily repaying the loan, proving that resilience and discipline matter more than temporary losses.<\/p>\n

The lesson here is direct and unavoidable: If you borrow money, repay it. If someone finances your opportunity, respect that trust. If you want to grow, build on integrity, not manipulation.<\/p>\n

No number of motivational conferences will fix a mindset that avoids responsibility, because success is not built on speeches, it is built on daily decisions, especially the difficult ones where doing right costs you something.<\/p>\n

In business and in life, the formula is simple but demanding: choose what is right, act on it consistently, and accept the cost\u2014because that cost is the price of real success.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Malawi<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. Sometime last week, we shared that our loan balance with Standard Bank had reduced to MK292,364,402.00, down from MK992,000,000.00 just two months ago, and as of today, 20 April, we have pushed it further down to MK239,764,905.00, meaning we have repaid about MK53 million within a short period\u2014clear proof that progress is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":77406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-77407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-malawi"],"yoast_head":"\nNo Shortcuts to Success in Business Debt Repayment - Malawi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometime last week, we shared that our loan balance with Standard Bank had reduced to MK292,364,402.00, down from MK9 ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"No Shortcuts to Success in Business Debt Repayment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sometime last week, we shared that our loan balance with Standard Bank had reduced to MK292,364,402.00, down from MK9 ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Malawi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T18:04:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T18:26:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/sm_1776795724.509249.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"No Shortcuts to Success in Business Debt Repayment\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-21T18:04:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T18:26:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\"},\"wordCount\":881,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/sm_1776795724.509249.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Malawi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"economy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/no-shortcuts-to-success-in-business-debt-repayment\",\"name\":\"No Shortcuts to Success in Business Debt Repayment - 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