06 Apr 2021

The alluring fragrance, music and relaxing atmosphere of MyGift and Lyf Creations Beauty Spa could be a winner had there been no COVID-19.

The pink and black themed spar, situated at Magopane Ward in Ramotswa, is crafted to lure clients to a pleasant indulgence of body care treatment such as manicure, pedicure and facials.

Unfortunately, the efforts are going to waste.

“We are just surviving. Things are slowly improving but not to the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms Mphoyame Nkau, whose business pickup has been sluggish.

A beneficiary of the Department of Gender Affairs grant in 2017, MyGift and Lyf Creations Beauty Spa is one of those that have kept grinding for survival.

From the initial lockdown to the ongoing restrictions, the 34-year -old Ramotswa born will not give up.

“I cannot just seat and do nothing,” said Ms Nkau as she recalled the turbulent times the business has gone through just like many others during COVID-19 restrictions.

As clients reduced drastically, she said it gave her an opportunity to reflect on her business model and study to advance her career.

“I realised that we need sport therapists because even top teams in this country do not have sport therapists,” she said.

She believes that relaxing athletes before and after games gives them peace of mind and calms them.

This, she reckons, will help put them on the same level with their international counterparts

“Players only see therapists when they are injured or rehabilitated,” she said and points out that she was currently studying to be a certified sport therapist.

In her view, there is need for athletes to be indulged in pre-event and post event massage.

She said a sport therapist would help athletes guard against certain injuries, adding that currently athletes only trained and rested.

Ms Nkau has already approached Youth Development Fund (YDF) for further funding to expand.

She cautioned that therapy should never be associated with lavish lifestyle.

Ms Nkau, who studied beauty therapy at Shahnaz Herbal Institute of Beauty Therapy in 2014, believes there was need to change perception about therapy in Botswana.

She said there was need to allow people who had studied therapy to pamper clients with body and skin care services.

 

“This is a risky job, one needs to have knowledge to perform this,” she said and explained that clients often came to her with botched skins from amateurs. ENDS