Local girl opens a beauty spa

Not spending the festive season with her family and friends for the past two years motivated Khetiwe Mvubu to open her own beauty spa in her hometown of Spruitview so that she can be close to her loved ones.

The ambitious 24-year-old woman, who is one of the few to have overcome the negativity around opening a beauty spa in the township, has all the ideas and desires to take her business to the top. Regardless of the stigma surrounding her type of business being operated in a township, she did it anyway!

Khetiwe owns Olive Beauty Spa, which is situated at Stiba Guest House. The beauty spa’s goal is to relieve the day-to-day stresses of the hustle and bustle of our busy, technology-driven lives.

“When I opened this business people thought I was crazy. I would get comments like ‘who’s going to come to the spa? These things are associated with white people, not black people’. The reason I opened my business in the township is that I want to bring this good lifestyle to the township; enable people to experience and explore new things,” Khetiwe said.

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The young business women grew up in Durban before moving to Spruitview. She attended Dawn Park Primary and matriculated from Sunward Park High School in 2012. She then studied Human Resources at various colleges but ended dropping out when she discovered her passion for beauty.

“I knew that studying Human Resources wasn’t my calling as I did not give my exams and assignments my 100 percent attention. I then realised that I love being beautiful and I love making other people beautiful and, eventually, it clicked that I needed to study towards being a beauty therapist. I was also pushed by my friend, Thandeka Mweli, to open this business as she’s in the same industry. I received a lot of support from her. When I felt like giving up she was there to push me and encourage me to carry on,” Khetiwe said.

She studied at Hydro International College where she obtained a diploma in beauty and nail technology.

The challenges Khetiwe faced when opening her beauty spa were financial issues and a slow response from the public.

“My business is slowly growing and I thank God who made it possible for me to achieve my dream because being my own boss has been in my head since I was little. I am enjoying every second of it! Even though there’s still some challenges, I know I will overcome them. The support from my friends and family has been phenomenal.”

Khetiwe explained that being in the beauty industry, you have to play and look the part because your image comes first before people can trust you with their beauty needs. Khetiwe encourages men to also visit the spa, as beauty treatments are not only for women.

Her mission is to get a bigger premises from which to run her business and create employment for other young people.

Services available at the beauty spa include full body massages, facials, makeup, pedicures and manicure, as well as a mobile spa.

Kathorus MAIL Journalist Ntombikayise Sibeko spent a day at the beauty spa being pampered by Khetiwe. This is what she had to say about the experience:

“It was my first visit to a beauty spa so it was really an experience I’ll never forget. All I did was lay down, close my eyes and relax while I was treated to a full body massage and a facial. For the body massage Khetiwe used grapeseed and essential oils. Soothing music was playing in the background which also helped me relax.

Khetiwe advises young people to not be scared of opening their own businesses when they have a vision, as it is that vision that will take them far in life.

“When you want to open a business you can start with something small and eventually you will grow and expand. Starting a business from scratch is no child’s play as we stress and lose weight but at the end of the day it works out,” she said.

Those willing to invest in Khetiwe’s business in order to grow it, can contact her on khethiwemvubu@gmail.com or call her on 079 194 7125.

Follow Olive Beauty Spa on facebook and instagram/Olive Beauty Spa.