Efraim Ranjeni
Ramouna Shipunda
Fashion designer Selma Shapwa says entrepreneurs are dreamers and they dream big. Proof of this is the wide variety of designs she dreams up and then produces for her clients daily.
“As you have seen from our Instagram page, our collection contains mostly unique designs that people have never seen before. We love creating and enjoy creating,” she expressed with joy. Shapwa started designing her own clothes as a hobby but as time flew by, it became a full-time job.
Now a sought-after designer for seven years, the 26-year-old Shapwa from the Ohangwena region runs her business under Kaselly Designs CC and is based in Windhoek. They specialise in modern women’s and girls’ garments.
Shapwa noted that she would have loved to have entered the industry earlier than she did, saying as a young girl growing up in a deep rural village of Okongo, she was limited in terms of harnessing and nurturing her design talent.
“This is because in rural towns, there are no fabrics and if there are any, it lacks good quality, and that is the biggest challenge there,” she told Youth Corner.
Nevertheless, Kaselly Designs has since made substantial achievements, having won two awards last year.
“We won the Nedbank Social Media Competition as the Women-led Business, and Scream All Youth Awards-Nigeria’s Fashion Brand of the Year. I am super proud of this,” said Shapwa.
The big plan is to grow the business beyond Windhoek and branch out across the country.
“This will be an effective and brilliant idea because our clients are people from all corners of the country and the youth occupy the biggest pie of our client portion,” she said with pride.
Shapwa noted the struggle her business experienced during the height of Covid-19 when movement was restricted and businesses closed, saying she is happy the pandemic has subsided.
“Coronavirus lockdowns were the most devastating to our business after everything was shut; even fabric shops were closed and impacted negatively on our business. Its ultimate reopening is something I thank God for.”
She plans on increasing the number of her employees because her customer base is growing annually.
But her wish is that government assist designers financially to be able to operate from bigger workshops that will, in turn, enable them to create more employment.
Shapwa stated that business is a challenging arena, and with her fiancé by her side, she is coping well, adding that he is her emotional support system at all times.
“It’s common knowledge that business is stressful but I believe that if one has someone besides him or her, particularly a loving partner, things will be easier.”