Q&A with Anthony Natif, the brilliant oncology pharmacist who at 27 years founded, Guardian Health, now Uganda’s largest pharmacy chain worth over USD10 million Anthony Natif is a Ugandan Oncology Pharmacist— a special kind of pharmacist specialising in cancer treatment. He graduated in Pharmacy from Makerere University and got his Master’s Degree in Public Health (Leadership, Policy& Management) from the University of Washington. He received his training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington and briefly worked at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance before returning home to take a job at Uganda’s Cancer Institute as the Head of Cancer Pharmacy services as well as Head of Finance and Administration.

After just about two years, he left to fully work for Guardian Health Limited, a pharmacy business he had started while at the University of Washington with an initial capital of USD50,000. In 2017, Guardian Health got a majority stake equity investment from Ascent Capital, a for-Africa private equity investor. Five years later, Anthony Natif, in an interview with CEO East Africa’s Muhereza Kyamutetera shares his triumphs and lessons.

For starters, what inspired you to start Guardian Health Limited and more importantly return home, when you could have stayed in the States where many African young men and women believe the grass is greener?
I started GHL back in November 2012 when I was in graduate school in Washington State, USA. I had a keen interest in public health and wanted to make tangible improvements in the lives of people back home on the African continent. I was disturbed by statistics that showed that almost 300,000 malaria deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa could be prevented if only we stopped the sale of counterfeit drugs. More than 40% of counterfeit medicine seizures are on the continent and by some estimates, at least 30% of medicines sold in this part of the world are either falsified or substandard and that’s not to talk about ability or inability, that is, of our people to afford good quality medicines. I could have remained in an air-conditioned office and pumped out research papers highlighting the problem like lots of folks in my position would. I chose instead to roll my sleeves and do something about it; get my hands dirty, if you will. I believe that well harnessed private enterprise can play a pivotal role in addressing seemingly intractable societal problems.

Looking back, it is now 5 years since Ascent Capital invested in Guardian Health, would you say the business has changed for the better?  

Probably, no founder can tell you they’re 100% happy with their partners. There’s always something that you feel could be done better whether it’s by you, the founder or by your partners. But I feel it’s important to look at the bigger picture and if that’s aligned with your initial goal for the company then those wins can make the losses less painful.

That being said, this company has benefited from appreciating the importance of having proper, functional systems in place. Most single founder companies find it difficultly to evolve into a well-run corporate entity. There are always teething pains and I feel we’ve worked a lot to move the company from just being a subsistence entity running on the whims of the founder to a corporate entity with aspirations for the best corporate governance in its class.

I won’t belabour the growth question because this much is clear for anyone to see. We have moved from serving a handful of clients in the Kabalagala-Muyenga area to now serving folks all over the country. We are a respected national brand and I doubt this could have happened without great input from our partners.

Like you said earlier, you had a larger corporate purpose of leveraging the power of the private sector to solve some of the healthcare challenges facing your folks back at home. Are you happy with how this purpose is being achieved? 

It’s gratifying to see that a business I started with USD50,000 has grown to serve millions of people and is the only retail pharmacy chain in Uganda that can rightfully claim to have a national footprint. Listening to feedback from our clients and stakeholders all over the country makes me proud of the excellent job that the team has done. I know, of course, we aren’t where we really want to be, but we are well on our way and nothing can stop us from reaching every nook and cranny of this region with our services.

We have a young team that has grown into their roles and have bought into the bigger vision of the company. We are all about access to good quality, cost-effective pharmaceutical services. We believe that people are recognizing us as their neighbourhood pharmacy of choice; health partners, if you will, and that’s such a beautiful thing to witness.

You have elaborated on some of the challenges that you faced in the earlier days; issues, that I believe right now, there are thousands of Ugandan startups and SMEs going through and several more yet-to-start will go through. What are some of the key lessons that you have learnt to date that you think other founders elsewhere can learn from?  

Being a founder is a very lonely, emotionally debilitating experience and oftentimes, only you will know this. It’s okay. It’s the price. But find ways to let off this pain and frustration. Find a balance. It’s for the good of your mental health. Be unapologetic about protecting your emotional space.
Founders need to recognize the importance of putting their aspirations below the dreams and vision of the company. The collective is more important than you, the individual. Choosing to hold onto a small dream because it gives you the illusion of power might not be the best way you serve your company and its objectives.

Choosing who to partner with shouldn’t just be down to who is cutting the cheque. That partnership will most likely live or die by other intangibles that have very little to do with money. I’d encourage founders to think about this before they jump in bed with anyone flashing a chequebook. Do your own due diligence as they do theirs. It’ll save you numerous headaches. The importance of finding alignment at the get-go can’t be over emphasized.

Lastly, separate yourself from your company. You are two different entities anyways. Recognize this and set boundaries.

Looking ahead, where do you see Guardian Health in the medium to long term? What next?

I want to see a time when we branch out into the larger East African region and a time when this company is listed on the stock exchange.  I want to see our people own a part of a company that’s providing solutions to their daily healthcare challenges. They’ve built us to what we are today, it will please me to no end to see them tap into the rewards of their support. I’m happy that we are at a point when the company will be able to grow beyond its founder. That’s the holy grail; to dream up something, start it, nurture it and then let it fly. Guardian is going to fly and continue impacting people’s lives long after we are all gone. That’s major!