- Title: Another look at the small, unique businesses that stood out in 2019.
- Date: 27th December 2019
- Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AFRICAN DOLLS ON DISPLAY GIRL SHOPPING FOR DOLL OUTFIT TODDLER KISSING DOLL VARIOUS OF DOLLS BEING PACKED IN BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-OWNER, SIBAHLE COLLECTION, KHULILE VILAKAZI-OFOSU, SAYING: "We felt if we created a doll that will be representative of an African child, for the child to grow up knowing that - I am beautiful. I am pretty. To associate prettiness and beauty with themselves, rather than looking outside for external validation factors to who they are." NYAKINAMA, NORTHERN PROVINCE, RWANDA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMEN WORKING IN BOTANICAL GARDEN VARIOUS OF WORKERS PUTTING PASTE INTO MOULDS VARIOUS OF WORKERS PACKAGING SOAPS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, UBURANGA, CEPHAS NSHIMYUMUREMYI, SAYING: "We make sure that the products we are producing is for Africa especially and they are natural. The other products they have some chemicals and these chemicals should destroy the skin." LAGOS, NIGERIA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FUNMI CUTTING AND SHAPING USED BOX WITH SCISSORS VARIOUS OF PAPER FLOWERS VARIOUS OF BABY PHOTOSHOOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENTREPRENEUR, FUNMI ADUBI, SAYING: "Nigerians are actually adapting to it like whenever they see my flowers they are like wow is this really paper, can I touch it, what materials do you use, how did you do this? And that's why I train people to make them know that they can actually make something beautiful out of just papers and yeah for event planners a lot of them are fascinated with the fact that you can actually use them for events it's something new. So it's really helping their business too, because when they use it for one client another client says oh I love what you do with those flowers and I want you to use it for my event and it goes on and on like that." ACCRA, GHANA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ENTREPRENEUR, JEFFREY YEBOAH AND HIS ASSISTANT MAKING COFFEE TABLE FROM USED CAR TYRE YEBOAH USING GLUE TO FIX ROPE ON TABLE TOP VARIOUS OF YEBOAH PLACING CLOTH ON BOARD VARIOUS YEBOAH FIXING BOARD ON TYRE VARIOUS OF FINISHED COFFEE TABLES (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEFFREY YEBOAH, SAYING: "The vision for this business is big, it's wide, so I look at the broader picture, not what I am facing now. Sometimes I wake up with no money at all in my packet, I have used every money to buy ropes and since I am training people, there are some materials that we do that I will never sell them because I mean, I was just training people with it and all that. So at the end of the day I will not get anything but nothing stops me." VARIOUS OF CUSTOMER LOOKING AT PICTURES OF FURNITURE ON MOBILE PHONE
- Embargoed: 10th January 2020 11:46
- Keywords: Dolls Entrepreneurs furniture paper craft recycling soap
- Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / NYAKINAMA, NORTHERN PROVINCE, RWANDA / LAGOS, NIGERIA / ACCRA, GHANA
- City: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / NYAKINAMA, NORTHERN PROVINCE, RWANDA / LAGOS, NIGERIA / ACCRA, GHANA
- Country: Various
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBR4KLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A South African start-up created a new range of African dolls hoping to empower African girls and capitalize on growing demand for the toys on the continent.
The dolls are made in a variety of skin tones and hair textures, scented with other aromas like vanilla and sell for a minimum of 31 US dollars - attracting buyers from various parts of Europe, America and Africa.
"We felt if we created a doll that will be representative of an African child, for the child to grow up knowing that - I am beautiful. I am pretty. To associate prettiness and beauty with themselves, rather than looking outside for external validation factors to who they are," said start-up co-owner Khulile Ofosu.
Aloe Vera, capucine and capsule - these medicinal plants are the key ingredients for Rwandan entrepreneur Cephas Nshimyumuremyi's line of cosmetics known as Uburanga.
The herbs and plants are dried, crushed and mixed with a variety of substances including oil and water to create soap.
"We make sure that the products we are producing is for Africa especially and they are natural. The other products they have some chemicals and these chemicals should destroy the skin," said Nshimyumuremyi.
In West Africa - Funmi Adubi is leading a class session at an art studio in Lagos, Nigeria, where she trains students on paper craft, showing them how to shape flowers and other decorative items from recycled paper.
The 29-year-old sells her products to event companies and individual clients. She also uses social media to market her work.
"Nigerians are actually adapting to it like whenever they see my flowers they are like wow is this really paper, can I touch it, what materials do you use, how did you do this? And that's why I train people to make them know that they can actually make something beautiful out of just papers and yeah for event planners a lot of them are fascinated with the fact that you can actually use them for events it's something new. So it's really helping their business too, because when they use it for one client another client says oh I love what you do with those flowers and I want you to use it for my event and it goes on and on like that," she said.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Yeboah makes a coffee table out of recycled tyres at his workshop in Accra, Ghana.
Yeboah taught himself how to make side tables, coffee tables and arm chairs. Yeboah's company, Ripples Interior, employs two workers and uses recycled tyres, glass, fabric and various colored ropes to bring out his designs.
"The vision for this business is big, it's wide, so I look at the broader picture, not what I am facing now. Sometimes I wake up with no money at all in my packet, I have used every money to buy ropes and since I am training people, there are some materials that we do that I will never sell them because I mean, I was just training people with it and all that. So at the end of the day I will not get anything but nothing stops me," said Yeboah.
He advertises his work on social media and also gets referrals from other customers where Clients can order custom-made designs ranging from 30 to 250 US dollars depending on the size and design. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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