Street Manicure Business Blossoms In Francistown
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday November 28, 2016 18:00
The street manicure business started in Gaborone around 2012 and became congested as more youths started to venture into it. Some then decided to depart to Francistown for greener pastures. Most of these beauticians are graduates from different technical colleges, but as for others they gained experience from friends and their previous occupations.
Due to financial constraints they could not afford to rent a place or to open their own nail salons, but decided to use stalls to seek customers around Galo and Nswazwi malls. This is until the council relocated them as promised. One of the beauticians, Pelonomi Keosebile, 32, told Business Monitor, she was the first one to kickstart this sort of business in Francistown after being motivated by friends. She said that working in an open area has its own pros and cons, but in life one cannot expect everything to be perfect. “So there are days in which we struggle a lot with fewer customers, but at least I will not go back home empty-handed. I am able to sustain my family’s daily needs,” she said.
She added that weekends and the festive seasons make her business blossom.
Keosebile said that one other thing that contributes to the success of her business is her customer care and prices that beat normal salon standards. Botho Masilo, a beauty therapist who is among the women running manicure stalls echoed Keosebile’s sentiments.
She said that nobody can suffer in life whilst having both of his or her hands.
Masilo indicated that she is a beauty therapy graduate from the Gaborone Technical College who has been unemployed since she graduated.
Unemployment pushed her to open up her own business and urged all the youths at home to pursue course in vocational schools so that they could be creative and innovative enough to avoid being dependent on government for jobs.
She explained that more youths are involved in bad practices such as drinking and clubbing where they end up resorting to prostitution as their means of survival. She further said that her business involved other beauty services such as facial makeup and massages, among others.
“Customers book for the relevant services and I then assist them at their respective homes.” Tuna Leteemane, another beauticians, said that the business is very profitable even though there are competitors.
She identified their toughest competitors as different salons located in the town centre, which employ people who have professional background in manicure services.
Lartie Rramonna, who completed her Acrylic Nail Gel and Tips course at Planet Nail South Africa said she started the business last November due to unemployment and manicures were not common in Botswana. “Youths should not be ashamed of being involved in outdoor businesses because you can make more money than people in the offices.
You just have to use your brains to make it a success,” Rramonna said, as she proudly offered her customer a seat.