Onesmus Embula

WINDHOEK – The humble, 28-years-old, Emilia Ingashiningwa Thomas plaits hair every day after work and during weekends. 

She is stiff scared of poverty, hence her dedication to wig business, a commitment she balances between her eight to five full time job. Thomas says she never stops plaiting hair, specifically wigs, compared to how others would stop hustling when they see a pay slip, stating that is not her. “I love doing hair. I have been doing hair ever since I was young, but back then it was just for soap or washing powder. However, things changed when I went to high school that is when I started charging my hostel mates in order to buy body lotion and taxi fare to go back home for out weekends,” she explains.

Adding that when she went to high school in Ongha, she started doing hair for money, charging between N$3 to N$5, until she moved to Windhoek in 2009 to further her studies, that is when she realised her full business potential. “I was staying with my cousin, Albertina, that time we were both students and we started selling almost anything like ice-blocks, popcorns and sweets at varsity. During my final year, I opened a salon where I was plaiting and started selling Brazilian hair during spare time from school and weekends,” she states.

Thomas holds an honours degree in Finance Management, which she obtained in 2014. She is now thrilled to be a renowned wig maker in the country. “I have established clients from all over the country. Sometimes, I also ship wigs to South Africa and Canada,” she notes. Particularly her past experience motivates her every single day. “I grew up in Onekwaya west, in northern part of the country. I was born in a house full of people, meaning I had to cook porridge for more than 15 people at a tender age of nine. Most of us went through hardships when we were young, which gratefully made us strong. So, that drives me to work hard for my family,” she says.

Thomas adds that she has love and passion for business. “I work in a financial institution, and the truth is that I love trading. My parents wanted me to pursue nursing or teaching profession but I chose to go for commerce. I studied accounting and finance at the University of Namibia and that is how I end up in this industry.” She encourages her peers that a pay slip is not a solution to financial freedom. “It is fine to be employed but you cannot just rely entirely on your salary, trust me. What if you lose your job,” she questions. 

“Money is just money, whether you are selling sweets, chips, kapana or real estates, the aim is to get money and nothing else. So grab any decent opportunity you get and be motivated to create employment for other fellow youth,” she urged.