From Mkhuhlu to the world, this is the best way to describe the journey of a local nail technician, the 34-year-old Praise Mabuza.

Miami, Milan, Paris, the Caribbean, Iceland, Greenland, Australia, Turkey, Thailand, Asia, America, Zanzibar are some of the countries she explored during her time on the various cruise ships.

Mabuza started her new life in 2010 on the Celebrity Cruise.

“When I first heard the name of the ship, I thought I will get to meet well-known celebrities such as Beyonce, but that was not the case. I am happy that I could meet different people from various countries. I worked on six-star cruisers, where most people were older and wanted to be pampered.

“My journey started when I was young, I used to visit people to style their hair and when I completed my matric, I went to beauty school. My father had hoped that I would study environmental science, but that is not me,” Mabuza said.

This strong go-getter, explorer, goal-driven woman and dreamer says she is the first person in her family to leave the country.

After travelling for about 10 years, she decided to come back to South Africa to share her knowledge with others and have a life in her home country.

“A friend of mine and I decided to start a business in Pretoria; however, Covid-19 hit and we had to close everything down. This was unfortunately an investment down the drain. My dream was shattered and I had to start from scratch. This is when my cousin told me about an opportunity at The Blue Gate as a nail technician, which is where I am currently working,” she said.

Mabuza’s biggest dream is to one day start a nail technician school in the rural areas, where she can train young women to do nails and teach them techniques on how to start their own business.

“I first thought of opening a spa, but after the experiences I had, I realised a spa needs someone who is hands-on which is tough, because one does not have time for anything. This is when I decided I had to get a professional beauty franchise so I can give back to the community by training young people. My plan is to sell these products and train people in township areas like Mkhuhlu,” Mabuza said.

“As I look around our country I see a lot of segregation, but there on the ship, people coming from different backgrounds and colour, do not matter. As a woman, I have learned how to take a stand, and to be independent.”

According to Mabuza, she discovered that the beauty industry is constantly revolving every day.

“I have learned how the Asian, European and American people do things, this has led me to grow on the path of beauty.