Skin problems drive youthful entrepreneur

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
FOR Ms Francisca Juliet Karavayi of Sigola in Umzingwane district, Matabeleland South province, it was a struggle with acne in her early teenage life that ultimately paved the way for her entrepreneurial success.

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells.

It causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples and the condition is most common among teenagers and young adults.

Anything and everything Ms Karavayi tried did not work until she decided to “take the matters into her own hands” by thoroughly researching on the internet the root cause of her ailment

Today, at 23, the youthful entrepreneur is a proud owner of African Glow Skincare Solutions, a company that manufactures skincare products.

“When I reached my teens, I struggled with acne and it really irritated me a lot.

On my road to a solution, I found myself fascinated by the clinical conclusions of these far-too-common skin issues,” she said.

“I continued discovering what science said could or couldn’t work for skin and decided to go to the internet to research on how skincare lotions are produced.”

Through online research, Ms Karavayi came up with the idea of creating her own skin care line that has now four formulated products.

She produces shea butter, the African black soap, Vitamin C face and body lotion and cleanser.

“These days we are so lucky we have internet and a lot of things are readily available on social media where we can learn although it is still critical to go to a formal school.

I have been learning via YouTube,” she said.

“To this day, I am amazed at where my passion for skin care has taken me.

My passion is about wanting to help women to have the best skin,” said Ms Karavayi.

Developing her skin care company came naturally even with the inevitable bumps on the road, thanks to her attitude.

The tenacious youthful entrepreneur has created strong waves in the business community thus laying a solid foundation of limitless creativity in the field of beauty.

Her mother, a vendor, inspired her to start her own business.

To pursue her dream, Ms Karavayi worked for only five months as a waitress at a restaurant in Johannesburg, South Africa to raise capital.

African Glow Skincare Solutions produces organic and high-quality skin care products that are sold online to both individuals and companies through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Ms Karavayi has secured stable markets in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

“I started off as a waitress in South Africa where I worked for about five months before I decided to quit my job after raising enough money to establish my skincare brand.

I founded African Glow Skincare Solutions in August last year,” she said.

Ms Karavayi started with only two products; the shea butter and the Africa black soap, which she produced using a two-plate stove.

In December last year, she launched the Vitamin C face and body lotion and cleanser.

“These two products don’t have harsh chemicals because they are made of natural ingredients such as organic aloe vera, jojoba oil, green tea among others.

Vitamin C has a number of benefits that includes reducing fine lines and wrinkles, it also helps get rid of acne, dark spots, sun spots and rejuvenate a dry skin,” said Ms Karavayi.

She said it also moisturises and rejuvenates the skin, leaving it flawless and glowing.

Shea butter helps fight the effects of aging and repairs rough and damaged skin.

Last month, African Glow Skincare Solutions launched another product, a drying lotion brand specifically designed for people struggling with acne.

“It is also made up of natural ingredients and has calamine and camphor in it.

It acts as treatment for acne whereby you apply it at night and then wash your face the following morning,” said Ms Karavayi.

She said she has distributed her products to a number of people and they have given her positive feedback.

“I am still working on getting my products into pharmacies,” said Ms Karavayi who said she is working on natural avocado oil.

She said she had to do her own online research and experiment and loved the outcome.

“I am using avocado oil so that I see the benefits after which I can start implementing that idea,” said Ms Karavayi.

She said she is in the process of recruiting distributors and sales representatives for her products.

The products, which have been dermatologically tested, are produced in South Africa where the company is registered.

“My products are selling mostly in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana and I am getting a lot of customers, which is why I decided to return home to grow my business.

I injected an initial capital of R20 000 and the most expensive thing is packaging,”said Ms Karavayi.

The lotion is going for US$15 while the market price for the other two products is US$10.

Ms Karavayi said her long-term vision is to establish a factory in Bulawayo to create more jobs for the youths and women.

The inspiration to start came from her own personal struggles as a young girl.

“My mother was a street vendor and would wake us up as early as 4am to go to the market.

From a young age, I started selling in the streets and that is how I developed a passion to be an entrepreneur,” she said.

From the age of nine years, Ms Karavayi started taking care of herself through selling on the streets.

“My mother would travel to Botswana leaving us alone and we would sell sweets, biscuits and chips.

When you start venturing into the business of selling at a young age, you somehow tend to understand better these dynamics as you grow up,” she said.

Ms Karavayi attended Imbizo Primary School and Induna High School in Bulawayo.

After completing her A-level studies in 2016, her parents failed to raise money for her to proceed to university.

– @mashnets