BY PATRICIA SIBANDA
ZIMBABWEAN hair dresser Sonto Pooe, who is based in South Africa says she is on a mission to help Africans maintain their natural look.
Pooe told NewsDay Life & Style recently that her brand accommodated the African Child, adding that COVID-19 had not stopped her from competing with big players in the hairdressing industry.
“I manufacture my hair products using organic materials because I want to keep the natural look for people in Africa,” she said.
Pooe said women should be innovative, they should not copy other people’s brands, but should follow their passion.
“I find there tends to be a lot of copy and paste, people are not original, they can’t just think and follow their own light inside. They end up being frustrated because they get into things because other people are doing it and they really don’t have direction,” she said.
“Often people say the lady next door is now making money doing this and I am going to do that. You are not going to make money if you are not following your passion. Do that and do it very well then the business will create itself for you.”
Pooe, who encouraged women to pursue their dreams said her passion motivated her to start her own company in 2015 when she realised the gap in the hair products industry.
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“People actually buy your love and energy in passion hence that is what I have learnt in this hair industry. For me, it is fixed to the heart, love and passion for what I do. So follow your passion and the money will follow you,” she said.
The love and passion for her trade has not gone unnoticed as she has been rewarded for her efforts.
“In November I was awarded the Pick n’ Pay small supplier of the year just months after being listed by the giant retailer. It really shows that we really have been working hard,” she said.
“We will continue to grow and will not give up without a fight. Our market is mostly in southern Africa and the United States.”
Follow Patricia on Twitter @patriciasiband
