At just 20 years old, Alvie Ashipala had a dream to earn an honest living doing what she loved. With only a few nail tools and a strong determination, she started a small nail decoration business from her home. Today, at 28, she is the proud owner of Alvie’s
Beauty Parlour, a growing beauty business located in Vambo location, Katutura.
Her journey has not been easy, but she has been determined to grow and put bread on the table.
“I just wanted to do something for myself. I started with what I had, even though it wasn’t much. But I believed it could become something bigger,” she said.
As her client base grew in number, so did her ambition. After years of working from home, she moved her business to a more decent space at the Vambo location. For the last eight years, she has offered services like nail treatments, foot spas, makeup, and soon plans to add eyelash extensions to her list.
She spent five of those years working from the open market, never giving up on her goal. Her services are not only high-quality but also affordable. A relaxing foot spa at her parlour costs as little as N$100, making beauty care accessible to many in her community.
In January this year, Ashipala applied for the Equipment Aid Scheme under the Katutura constituency. She recently received much-needed equipment to support her growing business.
The councillor of the Katutura East constituency Richard !Gaoseb handed over business equipment to 18 small business owners on Thursday.
The total value of the materials is N$265 750.
The materials were given to help small businesses in areas such as construction, nail technology, catering and auto mechanics.
The smallest support package was worth N$12 000, while the biggest reached N$20 000.
Two of the beneficiaries were people living with disabilities, showing the council’s commitment to supporting all members of the community.
Over the last five years (2021-2025), the Katutura East constituency has supported 62 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with materials worth over N$1.1 million.
In the past four years alone, 44 projects were funded with a combined value of approximately N$847 356.
“With this new equipment, I can finally do more. It means a lot to me because I really needed some of these things. I couldn’t afford them before, and now that I finally have them, the business can grow and everything can go well,” she said.
Though she currently operates as a solo entrepreneur, Ashipala has plans to expand her team soon. Her biggest challenge so far has been the growing competition in the area, with many others offering similar services. However, she remains hopeful.
“The loyal clients will keep coming,” she said confidently.