08 Jul 2014

While many youths are running around looking for a job, Ms Akanyang Motsholathobolo has decided not to waste her talent but use it to put food on the table.

She is one hardworking lady who is so determined to better the life of her children by starting a business project and named the company Ritzn Beauty. 



It is currently operating at her compound and was formed in November 2010. She specialies in using paper maché, sand grit, water and glue to make products such as fruit bowls, jewellery boxes, flower pots, vases, paper bins and photo frames. 



The business woman, who is from Maun, was trained at Ngamiland Rural Training Centre in 2009 on a food processing course. 

She was taught how to process meat and use fruits to make different jams. After completion, she started making jams to sell around the village. 



Ms Motsholathobolo approached the Department of Social Welfare but they could not assist her as the jam machine is very expensive. 

 Just when she was about to give up, she saw an elderly woman making flower pots in Maun using paper maché and that was the beginning of Ritz Beauty.



She relocated to Tutume in 2010 after registering her business and started making her products and approached the Social and Community Development (S&CD) Department in Tutume, who assisted her with different types of scrap papers to use. 



Later on, they bought her a shredding machine amounting to P5 930 as the production was growing and more paper was needed. 

 They also trained her in bookkeeping, which enabled her to manage the business accordingly and she records her sales daily and has managed to open a bank account to save her business profits. 



She engaged one employee whom she taught to make different products and last year they parted ways.

 Her craft-works are sold to individuals, craft centres, hotels, lodges, companies and hospitals and sold at an affordable price. 



She has also made cards, posters and pamphlets to place in different offices around the village and gives out to people in other surrounding villages and plans to create a website to advertise her products to the international market.



Ms Motsholathobolo’s work is well known in the country as she has entered so many competitions and shows. 

In 2009 and 2010, she entered the then Department of Women Affairs completion but did not win, however this did not stop her as she tried her luck at Botswana Consumer Fair in 2012 and got P10 0000 as prize money. 



Her vase took first prize at Serowe show in 2012 and she went to Tutume Agriculture Fair and three of her products took first price each in 2013. 

 The S&CD took her products to Jamataka early this year and they managed to sell all her products. 



This helped her as she got many orders from customers to make more products and Radio Botswana station also contacted her and interviewed her on their programme called “Lentswe la monana”.

At the moment, she has entered the Arts and Culture Constituency Competition done by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and her products made it to the next level and judging will be done in Serowe. 

 Ms Motsholathobolo also gets orders to decorate at weddings with her products and they buy them afterwards.



When talking about her relationship with the S&CD office, she said they visit her once a month to record her progress, bring her papers, assist where possible and map a way forward to making the business a success. 



She pays P10 for a business license every two years at Commercial Affairs Unit and P18 at Public Health Department for them to collect rubbish at her workshop.



Her business, just like any meets challenges and her main one is people who take her products promising to pay later but take too long to do with some ending up not paying. 



She does not have transport to take her products to her loyal customers back in Maun and the other challenge is that a lot of shows take place during mid-month when people are broke and she does not sell as many products as she wished to.



The determined lady is of many talents as she has managed to make a garden in her backyard where she grows vegetables and sells to her neighbours. 



She said that she plans to make a bigger garden in future to produce more vegetables and encouraged other people to use their talents and skills to make a living and better their lives instead of relying on the government at all times.
 ENDS