Anthony Natif: Meet the visionary pharmaceutical entrepreneur

Most Ugandans start to establish themselves when they clock 40 years but for 38-year-old ANTHONY NATIF, he is already leading Guardian Health Pharmacy, a multi-million-dollar pharmacy chain in Uganda, as its founder and director.

Harnessing technology, Natif has improved the last-mile access to medicine for urban dwellers. As Samuel Muhindo writes, his rise to the top has been premised on sacrifice, partnerships, and hope.

In the leafy Kampala suburb of Muyenga, Natif is experimenting with another business: building short-stay homes for discerning travellers. In a neighbourhood obsessed with contemporary design, he has diligently designed his home with a heavy dose of antiques that he collects on his travels.

He wants to do this in various parts of Uganda to compete with traditional hotels and lodges.

“I am an avid traveller and mountain hiker. I collect most of these lamps, furniture, and the rest when I am either on the road or hiking the mountains”.

At a glance, the furniture and lighting are older than the occupant.

“I am into designing and fitting out my own houses. A home should give you the vibe of a home”.

He hopes that the homes he is constructing will allow travellers to opt to stay with him instead of the usual luxury hotels.

“Travelers are tired of seeing the same things in luxury hotels. They want authenticity—originality, if you will. They now want to stay with the local people and see how we live. I hope that my homes provide a touch of luxury while honouring our history and culture. At my homes, travellers will be able to experience more of Uganda and our tourism potential than from the hotels”

EARLY DAYS

Natif grew up in Seeta, Mukono district, with his grandmother and father, Abner Natif, a retired teacher. He attended Seeta Church of Uganda PS and Namilyango College for both ordinary and advanced levels.

He proceeded to Makerere University, where he did a degree in pharmacy, and the University of Washington for a master’s degree in public health.

“I am among the last born children in a family of about 25 children. My father served as a district education officer across the country. It was during these postings that he met our mothers. Most of us grew up with our grandmother. I did not get to meet my mother, but my grandmother performed the role. She guided most of my decisions”.

When Natif senior applied for an early retirement, the family’s finances suffered.

“As a Cambridge-trained teacher, he could have risen in our education system, but he chose to retire. Our finances were squeezed, so my grandmother encouraged me to work to make ends meet. We had no piped water in Seeta, and we lived near the well, so it was easy for me to make money by fetching water for the urban dwellers there. I worked as a cashier in a local cinema, selling anything I could get my hands on. By the time I joined Namilyango for my senior year, my savings had accumulated to about Shs 100,000. My granny, who was my banker, gave me part of the money, which I used to buy a few things”.

At Namilyango, Natif operated a money-lending business in the school.

“Since the visitation day at school was after a month, I would lend the rich kids money and expect double the amount on VD. My grandmother kept all the profits till I was six”.

As a bright student in class, Natif studied on scholarships placed aside for bright children.

“I had no option but to be the best in class, or I would be sent away from school for lack of fees. My grandmother advised me to join Namilyango College. In hindsight, she knew that I would study for free. I scored four aggregates at P.7, nine at S.4, and 24 points at S.6. I later proceeded to Makerere on government scholarships.” Natif said

“For most of us, education remains the only reasonable gateway into an almost equal world with children born out of affluence. Without Namilyango, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. I have a lifetime commitment to paying it forward,” he added.

Natif recently committed to donate half a billion shillings towards the Namilyango College endowment fund. This money, according to him, will help more financially constrained children complete their education.

“As a beneficiary of the generosity of Namilyango, it was my role to pay it forward. The first gift was Shs 100 million. The other 400 million was given in honour of my grandmother and will be paid over 12 years. This is to challenge my 12-year-old daughter, Ruby, to always pay acts of kindness forward”.

PHARMACY

In his second year at Makerere, Natif ’s act of kindness introduced to celebrated pharmacist Professor Ogwang Engeu. Prof Ogwang is credited for developing Covidex, a herbal medicine for treatment of Covid-19.

“Professor Ogwang had come to University Hall Makerere for a Bible discussion with a student. Since he couldn’t find the student he had come to meet, I took Ogwang to my room. I then looked for a student. While sitting in my room, Ogwang saw my discussion notes. Initially, he thought that I was studying chemistry, only for me to tell him that I was studying pharmacy. It was then that he told me he was a pharmacist. He had just opened up his Genesis pharmacy in Kyebando. That is how I got my first job”.

He later joined Vine Pharmacy, owned by Pastor Grace Munyirwa.

He added, “Professor Ogwang approved of my decision to move to Vine. Munyirwa taught me everything that I know about retail pharmacy. He took a bet on me and allowed me to flourish as a young man. It was from him that I learned that it works to empower young people. We eventually became friends. That is how I learned how to raise capital”.

“He allowed me to own pharmacies under Vine. One in Ntinda and another in Kabalagala. Grace visited me in the United States in 2012. He offered me a deal to buy out my interests in those two pharmacies, which I took. That’s what sparked the start of Guardian Natif said.

UGANDA CANCER INSTITUTE (UCI)

During his research on adherence to antiretrovirals among young adults at several adolescent HIV treatment centres around Kampala, Natif established that some kids would get cancer as a result of uncontrolled HIV.

The risk for some people can be more than 400 times “I went to the Uganda Cancer Institute to meet Dr. Jackson Orem, the executive director of the Uganda Cancer Institute. He was seeing approximately 400 patients a week. I was moved by the dedication he and his few staff had towards improving cancer patient outcomes in East Africa. I decided to donate my time to help with this. I worked with the UCI for free from 2007 to 2011. I was the first pharmacist to work there since the 1970s. I set up their first pharmacy. I helped write the essential cancer drug list for Uganda, etc. People working at the UCI daily are national heroes”.

Although there was no money from the UCI, his time there allowed him to meet Corey Casper, a world-renowned researcher on cancer. Corey helped train several doctors at UCI through a collaboration between the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

“Corey took me to study at the University of Washington, where I did a specialization in HIV-associated cancer. I then did a master’s degree at the same university. It is at this university where I learned how to think and question things without fear of reprisal”.

Around 2013, equipped with $50,000, Natif opened the doors of Guardian Pharmacy to clients in Kabalagala. Since then, the business now boasts approximately 21 pharmacies spread out in major city centres in Uganda. For the success of the business, Natif credits his partners for accepting to journey with him.

“This has been a journey with partners. At some point, we grew so fast that we ran out of money. We raised funds through private equity. We are the largest retailer and the most widely spread nationally. When growing a company, you might think that financing is the problem. But you have other problems that come with growth, like scaling, growing company culture, building controls, etc. My partners helped create a corporate structure to manage the business. Founders should be comfortable with having a board that can even fire them from their own company if they mess up in place”.

On why he considers young people in managing Guardian, Natif insisted that when well mentored, young people could do well in any position.

“People like Corey and Munyirwa took a bet on me as a young person. It is our role to mentor them, guide them, and grow them through their mistakes.”

As a tourism enthusiast, Natif is proactively committing some of his resources to the establishment of luxury lodges in Uganda’s pristine tourism destinations like the Rwenzori Mountains and Elgon.

samuelmhindo@gmail.com