How Thembisa business lady brings a life of luxury to ekasi

By Nyameko Hopa

For most people living in the townships, a life of luxury is usually out of reach. To them, pampering services usually found in upmarket areas are only for the rich and famous. Thanks to Lebogang Leso, now Thembisa residents can upscale their grooming without breaking the bank balance.

The 28-years-old entrepreneur has a bespoke boutique salon and beauty bar that offers hair, nails, lashes and brows, wig laundry, and makeup services. Before starting the business, Lebogang completed her Bcom Financial Sciences degree at the University of Pretoria in 2016. “I am currently studying towards obtaining my Honors in Internal Auditing. I am a risk, control, and governance specialist by profession,” she told The Olifants News.

Located in Hospital View, Leso’s business, Amahle Beauty Bar, targets clients from all walks of life. From women who love beautifying themselves to men and kids.

“I was inspired by my daughter to start my business, and hence I decided to name it after her. The name “Amahle” comes from my daughter’s name “Mazwamahle” which means beautiful words as well as “the chosen one” in more traditional and deeper isiZulu terms. I believe she was the chosen one to make me realize one of my many purposes in life. To make the world a better place by making people feel good about themselves, one person at a time,” she said.

 According to Leso, her business started as a mobile salon. It later expanded into the virgin hair industry by making and selling hair and wigs. ” When I started Amahle Beauty, I had just dropped out of my Honors due to postpartum depression after giving birth to my daughter, and I was working in an internship unrelated to my studies which paid R5000 per month.

Leso realised the salary wasn’t enough for her because, as she aptly puts it: ‘She has always been a hustler and loved money.’ She knew that people take you more seriously when they know you did something professionally; however, you also need to have a personal passion and talent. She decided to pursue one of her passions: makeup.

“I took a random chance one morning in the Bryanston office and applied for a loan to fund my makeup course and purchase a starter kit, with temporary employment and a gross income of R5000, and by the grace of God, I received it. As soon as I had graduated, I registered my company and started trading immediately. To this day, I still wonder how the bank gave an intern with no credit history a loan of R15,000 but yet again, they didn’t make a mistake.”

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to push even harder when it feels like they have no other choice but to quit. “That’s only evidence that the breakthrough is near. I’d also advise them to save time and money by studying and learning from other people’s mistakes. They should also not be afraid to make mistakes of their own or lose money of their own in the process. Ultimately, it really does take money to make money,” she added.