24 Jan 2017

The late American heavy weight rapper, Tupac Shakur in his famous lyrics once said even when the road is high, never give up, just keep your head up.

These words resonate well with Kesetse Thohi’s road to business.

He had to toil before realising her business ambitious.

Bleak future looked inevitable after she failed her Junior Certificate at Motaung Junior Secondary School a few years ago.

As if that was not enough, 32-year-old Kesetse’s efforts to find a job hit a snag after obtaining a hair dressing certificate at LKM Vocational Centre in 2008.

A gutsy fighter she is, that did not stop her from pursuing her passion.

“I came back home and sold hair products to pass time,” she recalls with a tinge of sadness in her face.

The demand for those products overwhelmed her and that was when she realised that she needs to up her game in the form of establishing something bigger.

Eventually, she approached Youth Development Fund under the then Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture for funding but unfortunately her proposal was rejected.

Her burning desire and the passion she had for business, kept her going as she lodged an appeal and ultimately won the case.

She was then funded to the tune of P87 000 to open Kesetse’s Hair Care Boutique.

Ms Thohi  used the money to buy stock, pay rent and utilities.

Her business was initially located in the vicinity of a bar.

That did not sit well with her customers as they often complained that the environment was not conducive.

She then decided to move her business to a far much conducive environment; Kang Market complex.

“I used some of the money I invested to purchase P55 000 state of art shelter,’’ she says with a smile.
When talking about profits, one cannot fail to notice the beam on her face, reasonably so because she tells how she makes a considerable sum of money in a month.

She explains that apart from sustaining herself and her family, the profit from her business has enabled her to purchase a commercial plot.

However, her road to success has not come without minor challenges and  Ms Thohi explains that due to shortage of stock and exorbitant prices in Botswana, she is forced to often go as far as South Africa to buy stock.

“To defy this challenge, I make sure that I buy in bulk so that it lasts for a long time,’’ she says.

The little hiccups have not deterred her from appreciating what government had done for her and many others to improve their standard of living.

She praised YDF for giving her the golden opportunity to venture into a business of her dreams and likened it to a Good Samaritan, who came at the right time and helped.

She also plans to establish a hair salon and supplement her funding by applying for a CEDA loan to build multi-residential houses for rent.

She advises aspiring hair dealers to get in business out of passion not for money or copying someone’s idea, as passion lasts longer compared to the thirst for money. She further challenges the youth to remain focused and determined at all times in order for them to realise their dreams. BOPA