NSFAF refund fuels Nghimwenavali’s beauty business

At 23, Mirjam Nghimwenavali turned her Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) refund into a growing beauty and events business, establishing her own beauty spa, running a salon and providing services for weddings.

What started as an investment in her future while she was a student has grown into a business that offers facials, massages, foot spas, nail and eyelash services, as well as wedding breakfasts, barbecue meat, bridal setups and makeup.

For Nghimwenavali, entrepreneurship started long before she received student funding. At the age of eight or nine, she was already selling sweets to people living in the same flats her parents rented, moving from room to room to find customers.

“Doing business for me is something that comes naturally. From a very young age, I used to sell sweets to people who stayed in the same flats my parents rented at the time. I would go from room to room, and they would buy,” she said.

However, her experience as a student made her realise the importance of having an additional source of income. During her first student basic support period (SBS), she struggled financially while waiting for her refund and went without buying new clothes.

“It was not easy at all. When I got my first NSFAF refund, I knew I needed to use it wisely for the days when I would not be getting money,” she said.

When the refund finally came, Nghimwenavali decided to invest in a beauty business rather than use the money only to meet her immediate needs. The decision gave her an opportunity to build a source of income while continuing with her studies.

She financed the establishment of her business with the refund and began attracting customers by advertising her services on social media. Referrals from clients satisfied also helped her grow her customer base.

Great support from customers

“I attract customers by posting on all my social media platforms, and luckily for me, I have really amazing clients who also refer their friends and family to support me,” she said.

Today, her business has expanded to include her own beauty spa, where she offers facials, massages, and foot spa treatments. She also operates a salon where she rents chairs, while providing nail and eyelash services herself.

Beyond the beauty industry, Nghimwenavali has ventured into wedding-related services, including preparing wedding breakfasts, providing wedding kapana, setting up bridal spaces and doing makeup.

The expansion has allowed her to diversify her services rather than depend on one area of business. It also reflects her ambition to build a business that can continue growing alongside her professional career.

The income from her business has helped her become financially independent and reduced her reliance on family members for financial assistance.

“I became financially independent. I do not remember the last time I got money from my family for assistance,” she said.

Despite her entrepreneurial interests, Nghimwenavali did not initially plan to pursue teaching. She had wanted to study accounting or law but did not secure a place in either of her preferred fields, leading her to take up teaching instead.

She said she struggled to connect with the profession at first, partly because of difficult experiences with mentors during her teaching practice. However, her attitude began to change towards her final year, particularly during her last school-based studies placement at Ehafo Combined School.

The experience helped her appreciate the influence teachers have on children and strengthened her passion for the profession.

“I got to understand the impact teachers have on a Namibian child, and that made me more passionate about my career,” she said.

Having recently graduated, Nghimwenavali is looking for employment as a teacher while continuing to develop her business. She hopes to secure a teaching position for financial stability without giving up the entrepreneurial work she enjoys.

“Business makes me so happy, and I love business, so regardless of my teaching career, I will still continue with business,” she said.

Balancing her studies and business was not always easy, particularly when customers needed her attention during class hours. She said the experience required her to make difficult decisions and put in extra work whenever her business commitments affected her academic schedule.

“Balancing was hard. Sometimes the time you have clients might be the same time you have a class, and that is where you practice opportunity cost,” she said.

Her entrepreneurial journey has also come up with personal and financial challenges. Nghimwenavali said there were periods when she struggled emotionally, lost weight, and nearly gave up on her studies. She also experienced times when customers were scarce, making it difficult to keep the business going.

“My journey has not been easy. It has been a roller coaster of emotions and battles. There was a time when I was battling silent depression, I lost weight, I almost even gave up on school, and I experienced having no customers. I experienced it all,” she said.

Despite these setbacks, she said she has reached a better stage in both her personal life and business and remains determined to keep growing.

Nghimwenavali hopes to expand her business further and give it the recognition she envisions. As she pursues a teaching career, she intends to continue building her beauty and events services, which have grown from the initial investment she made with her student funding.

She encouraged students and aspiring entrepreneurs to build businesses around their interests and passions, saying it becomes easier to learn and improve when they enjoy what they do.

“My advice to students or anyone who wants to start a business is to invest mostly in things they are passionate about because it is easier for you to do the work well and learn faster,” she said.

She also encouraged students to start businesses while still studying, explaining that the time spent building a customer base can help establish a foundation for future growth.

“I advise you to start your business while you are still a student, because it gives you time to build a clientele. Clients feed you, so you need to treat them right,” she said.

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