KwaMakhutha businesswoman urges youth to build a strong foundation
“I want other youngsters to learn from my story. Believe in yourself. Nothing is easy, but if you are willing to work hard and you can plot your journey, you will reach your destination." - Mbali Njapha.
A young KwaMakhutha businesswoman is on a mission to encourage youth to believe in themselves and forge their own futures after achieving success in her life. Mbali Njapha, 20, matriculated at Masakhane High School in 2017 and like many of her peers did not know what her future held. “I knew that I wanted to do something different. I was into make-up, but not fully, just doing my own. People at my church started asking me to do their make-up and I saved all the money I was paid.”
With her savings, Mbali bought what she needed to set up her one-man business in her bedroom at her parents’ house. Through her contacts at church, she was hired to do the make-up at her first wedding at Lotus Park in February. “I had to do make-up for six women in two-and-a-half hours in the February heat. It wasn’t easy and I was nervous doing my first wedding, but it helped that I knew the people.”
The wedding went off without a hitch and the bridal party looked splendid thanks to Mbali’s talent. One of the guests was so impressed, she hired Mbali to do her wedding and the young businesswoman was off and running. Word of her talent quickly spread through KwaMakhutha and she has built up a steady stream of clients.
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On 8 June she hosted a wedding expo at Amanzimtoti Bird Park to showcase her make-up skills and roped in her friends to pose as models. She also markets her business on Facebook, Instagram and has her own website.
“I want other youngsters to learn from my story. Believe in yourself. Nothing is easy, but if you are willing to work hard and you can plot your journey, you will reach your destination. Education is very important, but there is a misconception in my area that if you don’t have matric, you will never succeed. You can still make a success of yourself without a matric, but you must be willing to work hard.”
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