Carol Gondwe, a passionate and ambitious Lilongwe-based entrepreneur, is making waves in the local business sector through her growing detergent-making venture under the brand KarlG Investment.
With a deep-rooted love for chemicals that began at a young age, Carol has realised her childhood dream of owning a company into a reality.
Her passion for business deepened when she began studying accounting, an experience she says made learning about entrepreneurship both exciting and fulfilling.
“Accounting gave me a strong foundation in business. It made the idea of running my own company feel possible and purposeful,” she said.
Through KarlG Investment, Carol now manufactures and sells a wide range of products, including detergents, petroleum jelly, and glycerin—offering versatile solutions to everyday hygiene needs.
Currently producing over 30 different products, she focuses on those most familiar and accessible to customers, ensuring her brand remains recognisable and trusted.
Despite limited capital—both financial and human—Carol maintains a positive and strategic outlook on the competitive landscape.
“I take competition as an advantage to level up and think outside the box,” she explained.
Her dedication to quality has earned her a loyal customer base. One such customer, Lucia Basikolo, shared her appreciation saying: “I like everything about Carol’s products I’m always impressed with them.”
In addition to running her business, Carol is committed to empowering others. She resumed her detergent-making training sessions after a two-year academic break and continues to share her skills with aspiring entrepreneurs.
One of her trainees, Georgina Gondwe, acknowledged Carol’s work, saying if it was not for her, she would not have built her own business.
“I appreciate Carol’s work. Because of her training, I’m now able to make money and support myself,” said Gondwe.
Carol encourages fellow young people to embrace self-employment and innovation.
“As a youth and a proud Malawian, I encourage fellow youths not to rely solely on government for jobs. We can create jobs for ourselves and even employ others,” she said.
With a lean team of only two employees, KarlG Investment has achieved remarkable success in training 60 individuals.
Looking ahead, Carol envisions opening multiple outlets under KarlG Investment to increase her reach and make her products more accessible nationwide.
Her story is not only one of hard work and resilience but also a powerful example of youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship in Malawi.
