Startup Story
Silvia Ferreira is the founder of Cosini Lda, a construction, real estate and industrial solutions company started in Mozambique in 2020 and with a workforce of 12. She is the winner of the Access bank 2022 award for the biggest Female Entrepreneurship project in Mozambique. She has an MBA in supply chain from Vlerick Business School in Belgium.
LoA spoke to Silvia Ferreira about finding her purpose in life and working towards fulfilling her big vision of creating impact through construction.
What does your company do?
Cosini is a multi-service company focused on construction, real estate and industrial solutions. We are prepared to respond to all stages of the implementation of small, medium and large projects. Our services help to strengthen our customers' efficiency by offering quality services that are affordable, reliable and in line with international standards.
“Our services help to strengthen our customers' efficiency by offering quality services that are affordable, reliable and in line with international standards.”
What inspired you to start your company?
The idea to open the company came in 2016. Focused on the fashion industry, with the dream of dressing people better, we started sales of clothing solutions where the customer did not need to travel and we delivered the solution in the size and for the desired occasion. With the recent transformations in the world due to the pandemic and the need to adjust lifestyles, we see a strong migration of a large part of household income expenditure from short-term consumer goods to long-term investments, with civil construction one of the biggest beneficiaries of such movement.
What was an idea of improving people's living conditions by dressing them better, has become the quest to offer solutions for better housing conditions in our communities. We started this journey building a family home, knowing little that it was the beginning of a path to serve more people. It was at that moment that our purpose became clearer and we found our space in the industry.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
What makes Cosini special is its ability to prove that it is possible to significantly improve housing conditions with less resources than one thinks. With our Baraçarana block, which is made with 90% sand, 10% cement, and water, the cost of construction is reduced by approximately 30%.
“We started this journey building a family home, knowing little that it was the beginning of a path to serve more people. It was at that moment that our purpose became clearer and we found our space in the industry.”
Tell us a little about your team
Our multi-sectoral team is committed to delivering simple, fast and secure solutions. We have a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals, with years of experience in the construction industry. Our team is committed to providing our customers with the highest quality workmanship and customer service. We strive to ensure that each project is completed on time, within budget and to our clients' satisfaction. Our team works hard to ensure that each project is completed safely and with the utmost attention to detail. We take great pride in our work and always strive to exceed our customers' expectations.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I started my entrepreneurial journey when I opened my first clothing company Cabi di Chic, and after that I entered the construction sector where I started Cosini.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We see our company's vision as a reflection of where we want to go as people, we want to be able to provide more people with the opportunity to enjoy better housing conditions. Even with limited financial resources. When we think about resources, we need to see beyond monetary values and think about what we have in abundance in nature, in the backyard, in our family that can be transformed into value, comfort, well-being, aesthetics and functionality. And indeed we can do more with less.
“Our team works hard to ensure that each project is completed safely and with the utmost attention to detail. We take great pride in our work and always strive to exceed our customers' expectations.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Changing the world one brick at a time.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
There are those who say that if advice is good, it would be sold. I prefer to leave some principles that can help other women who walk the path of entrepreneurship.
First we need to discover our purpose. Purpose is like a fingerprint, it's unique for each person. Try to find the answer to why you do what you do, it's a simple exercise that can help you realize what legacy you intend to leave.
Expect challenges, they are certain to come. If you have taken the previous step it will be a matter of equation whether what moves you is stronger than what tries to stop you.
Seek help before giving up, because your good or bad experience has value, if you haven't won yet, at least remember that you've learned.
Contact or follow Cosini
Email: jmacuacua23@gmail.com
Website: http://www.cosini.co.mz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072666892036&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cosini_lda?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
YouTube: https://youtu.be/hjCYPnWTLLY
Why LoA loves it…
Many women entrepreneurs are motivated to make a difference to other people’s lives through their businesses, and that is certainly the case with Silvia Ferreira. She is helping people to build their lives through the construction of affordable homes. At a time when access to affordable, quality housing is a real challenge, Silvia is playing her part through innovation, a big impact driven vision, and a business model that works. Inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa