The story of Mr Nyasha Machakaire is one of steady ascent, shaped by discipline, academic rigour and a sharp instinct for opportunity. From the classrooms of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo to the high-stakes world of multi-million-dollar deal-making in South Africa, his journey reflects both personal ambition and institutional influence.

Serving as Chief Executive of Colny Group, a specialised group focusing on value added processes of the economy, Mr Machakaire (NM) sits at the centre of corporate strategy, overseeing complex investment portfolios and cross-border financial transactions.

With more than 15 years in corporate and investment banking, his career spans treasury trading floors, asset management desks and private equity boardrooms.

Behind the numbers and transactions lies a story rooted in Zimbabwe’s evolving financial sector of the early 2000s — a period that ignited his passion for finance. Today, as part of teams closing deals worth over R10 billion, Machakaire credits his academic grounding at NUST as a critical launchpad.

In a wide-ranging conversation with NUST Alumni Relations Manager Makhosi Sibanda (MS), Mr Machakaire (NM) reflects on his journey, the lessons from global finance, and why alumni networks may hold the key to the university’s future relevance.

What emerges is not just a career profile, but a broader narrative about education, opportunity, and the power of networks in shaping industries and nations.

MS: Can you briefly describe your journey since graduating from NUST and how your career has evolved over the years?

NM: I graduated at NUST in 2007 with a BComm Finance (Hons) and joined an investment bank Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG) which later rebranded Allied Bank in 2008 as a graduate trainee for a 2-year well-structured programme with the bank. That experience helped shape my investment banking skills to this date. I went through training in all facets of the investment banking concern. During my time at the bank, I evolved into an investment analyst and later a fund manager in the asset managers division. I later joined the treasury division as a dealer where I learned extensive fixed income instruments and foreign exchange trading experience, a position that I held until the time I left the bank.

Academically, during the time with the bank, I enrolled again with NUST to study a Master of Science in Finance and Investment in 2012 on a block release basis and graduated with a merit in MSc Finance and Investment in 2014. Further to the MSc, I have attained various other accreditations and certifications from various institutions including a Certificate of Investment Foundations, CFA Institute and the various regulatory certifications to practice as a Key Individual and registered representation in South Africa financial services sector.

In 2016, I moved to South Africa and ventured into the Corporate Finance/ private equity space focusing of capital raising initiatives, deal structuring for greenfield and brownfield projects both debt finance and equity finance. During this time, I involved myself in multi million rand and USD infrastructure projects across various sectors regionally and globally. Eventually, I got myself having interests to invest across some specific sectors from the knowledge earned during this stint.

MS: What inspired you to pursue a career in investment banking, corporate finance, and private equity?

NM: The diverse opportunities that Finance as a field of study brings inspired me. I believe that everything we do in this life revolves around finance from funding and expected returns, risk management and informed decision making which requires financial literacy was a key driver in me taking the finance route. Every discipline requires finance involvement to roll. Further, at the time I enrolled at NUST in 2003, Finance was at its peak in Zimbabwe with so many asset management firms with exciting products that inspired me to be a part of the exciting industry. That cemented my decision to join the university.

MS: Which experiences at NUST played the most significant role in shaping your professional path?

NM: The seminars from industry players that would be tailor-made to commerce students and finance students built in us the zeal to contribute to the industry. Secondly, the industrial attachment which allows students to interact and have a foundation of the workspace ahead of completion of their studies was an experience I believe helped to shape me professionally. Additionally, the well-structured course structure from the department which resonates with the industry also puts an icing in shaping finance students including myself. Looking back, these experiences solidified my career path.

MS: Could you share a few highlights or milestones from your career that you are particularly proud of?

NM: Being part of multi-billion transactions deal team that has closed numerous transactions over R10 billion rands with deal milestones is a remarkable achievement in the finance space that makes every finance professional proud of themselves.

MS: What motivated you to invest and build ventures in sectors such as fuel, supply chain, and healthcare?

NM: The experience earned during my corporate finance career and for fuel was mainly driven by the trading experience as this is another facet of commodity trading in petroleum products.

MS: In your view, what role should alumni play in supporting the growth and development of NUST?

NM: The Alumni should foster and continuously invest in research and development to understand and find out what graduates from NUST are doing and encourage them to share their views and opinions in building NUST to a flagship university. Most graduates pursue their post graduate studies in other universities across the globe which helps bring new ideas to NUST and also tap into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make NUST a modern world and world class flagship university.

MS: What advice would you give to current NUST students and young graduates who aspire to build careers in finance and investment?

NM: Finance is a great area of study with extensive diversity which makes it a good choice of field to study. Finance does not only require your ability to understand concepts but a great passion of it to succeed in the professional space.

MS: How do you see the NUST Alumni network contributing to national and regional development?

NM: The NUST Alumni is a powerful network with former students holding influential positions and businesses that can positively impact the university in delivering its programmes in an industry aligned structure to have well suited graduates who can fit into the industry. Research and findings help students to build a culture suited for the industry and mentorships through seminars and global connections with the rest of the network. Alumni in business can also help the work-related training/industrial attachments by creating synergies with universities through offering such training when students are due for industrial attachment. Alumni contributing towards students’ career understanding as most students generally enrol at universities driven by their A Level results without a clear understanding of the career and passion.

MS: Looking ahead, what impact would you like to make through your involvement with the NUST Alumni community?

NM: Mentorship of aspiring finance students and other students with a business mindset who understand that the globe now focuses more on entrepreneurial ability underpinned with knowledge and skills earned at university more that an employee mindset. I also hope and aim to help the NUST Alumni community raise funding for some of the university key infrastructure projects in collaboration with the private sector given my experience in capital raising initiatives and project development.