KEETMANSHOOP - Coming from a poor background and with her quest and hunger for financial independence, Auguste Twapandula has become a notable name in the business circles in Keetmanshoop.

From humble beginnings selling clothes, spices and DSTV kits at Rosh Pinah, Twapandula has made a name for herself in the business industry at Keetmanshoop, and is now a full time businesswoman and owner of Twapa Group of Companies.
The 28-year-old narrated that after moving to Rosh Pinah in 2011, she decided to venture into business on a part time basis, while she worked at a retail shop and later moved to a cash loan company, experiences that would later shape her business ventures.

 “I worked in a retail shop where I was earning around N$700 per month, and then I got a job at a cash loan, keen to do business, I started selling clothes as there were not many shops in Rosh Pinah at the time, so I would buy in Mr Price at marked off prices and resell it, I also sold spices, and DSTV kits,” she said of her beginning.

Her journey took a turn when she got a job at the Neckartal Dam, and as she moved to Keetmanshoop in 2013, she quickly started her own cash loan business the following year, and she has since never looked back, and a few years down the line, she is now a proud owner of Twapa Group of Companies, which includes a boutique, events planning and catering, printing and electronic businesses. Twapa employs four permanent workers.

Twapandula says this has all been possible due to hard work and determination, and a will to learn new things, adding that this has all been possible from small savings, as she advised fellow women and those wanting to venture into business that starting small is the way to go.

“I started saving small when I was working, so when I started, I decided to use my savings instead of taking a loan, I advise anyone to start small with your own funds, so that you do not have to owe anyone or be pressured to pay anyone back,” she advises.

She says despite her success, things have not always been smooth for her as a woman, saying women are still not considered on par with men in terms of running a business, as many prefer to do business with men than women. She notes that the goal at the end of her work is what motivates her every day.

“Being a woman in business is difficult, most people think women are not capable of running businesses and people still prefer to do business with men than women, but one thing that drives me is the goal for financial freedom, I want to make money on my own terms and I want a stable life for my parents and siblings, and provide them with opportunities that I did not have when I was young,” she said.