The renewed sense of optimism captured by the "Africa Rising" narrative is strongly linked to the changing economic prospects of the continent. Since the early 2000s, African economies have recorded promising economic growth rates year on year. It's true to say that the space for more viable commercial activity has widened in countries like Zambia. In 2013, former BBC World Service presenter Komla Dumor told an audience in London that "there comes a point in every professional's career when you realise that Africa is changing." Muchanga and her business partner Angelika, understood this. Their decision to start VALA sprang from timing, frustration, passion and opportunity:
"I had been making some stuff during my down time and had seen an opportunity to scale it up," she explained. "Angelika and I then saw that a lot of upcoming designers and creatives were in the same situation, with a potential market that they could not reach. They were mostly working in the confines of their homes. The idea of opening VALA arose as a response to seeing all the great work being done by local designers during a monthly Fashion Friday social we were hosting.. People were wearing so many amazing clothes and nobody knew where to get them. So we thought, why not have a space where people can buy local fashion from various designers all in one place? And so VALA was born."