Single Mother Used R3000 to Start Detergent Business She Runs From Home

• A single mom-of-one, originally from Limpopo, is making big moves with her detergent business
• Fancy Monama, who studied industrial engineering at university, started her entrepreneurial journey in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since
• The 35-year-old has also worked for a non-profit company to provide training to other women who were interested in making detergents

A doting mother-of-one, who is originally from Limpopo and currently resides in Pretoria, is working hard to provide a good life for herself and her child.

Fancy Monama runs a very successful business called Bluu Detergents and manufactures cleaning products and self-care items at home.

Briefly News had the pleasure of chatting to the hard-working woman as she reflected on her inspiration behind starting the company and her plans for the future.

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The entrepreneur grew up with a single mother

Fancy, who matriculated from Hoërskool Piet Potgieter in Mokopane in 2005, explains that she grew up with her mother, and finances weren’t always easy to navigate:

“I was raised by a single mother as my dad passed when I was nine. My childhood was no different from most black homes.

"We didn't have much, but we never slept hungry. I was raised by a loving parent who sacrificed a lot for me to get a good education.”

After matriculating, the young woman wasn’t sure about what she wanted to study. She just knew that she wanted to be successful and make something of her life:

“I studied industrial engineering at Vaal University of Technology, completing my diploma in 2010, and graduated with my Bachelor of Technology in 2014.

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“I went to varsity not knowing what I wanted to do. I was thrown into industrial engineering but fell in love with it soon after. It is one of the most versatile careers available and constantly challenges the mind.”

After gaining experience as an industrial engineer, Fancy decided to start her own business, and in September 2020, Bluu Detergents was born.

The entrepreneur notes that it had always been her dream to produce a product of her own, but she didn’t know how to go about it:

“As an industrial engineer for over 8 years, I worked in different production plants. I knew that I wanted to own a production plant one day, though, at that time, I had no idea what I would be producing.”

In a previous interview with Sowetan LIVE, Fancy noted that she decided to produce detergents because of how versatile the products are and because everyone uses them, regardless of race or social class.

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The innovative woman then found someone to show her the ropes and also learned about producing detergents through self-study and YouTube:

“I approached someone in the same business and asked them to mentor me. Everything else after that I learned on my own.”

Fancy started her business with R3000 from her savings account and stretched the money to produce her first products.

The hard worker says that one of the best moments of her career was seeing her products on the shelves with other well-known brands.

The mom-of-one produces and retails a wide variety of cleaning and self-care products, including dishwashing liquid, cream cleaner, washing powder, pine gel, thick bleach, bleach, fabric softener, bubble bath, body wash, and petroleum jelly.

Fancy supplies local supermarkets in Atteridgeville in Pretoria, where she lives, and sells the products in her own supermarket, that she started in February 2020. Her store employs three women.

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The businesswoman also empowers young ladies by teaching them her craft to help them make something of themselves:

“I've worked with an NGO and provided training to ten young women on detergent making.”

Fancy produces her products from home but hopes to one day have her own production plant:

“I also want to employ young professionals and have the opportunity to put my industrial engineering skills to work.”

The 35-year-old believes that female entrepreneurs are not always taken seriously within the various industries they operate in:

“Often, we are not given the respect we deserve. On top of entrepreneurship being tough, it’s even more difficult when you constantly have to prove yourself.”

The go-getter advises women who want to become entrepreneurs to fight for their dreams:

“Do it. Do it scared. Do it with no funding. Do it now.”

Single mom of 1 from Limpopo manufactures washing powder, proudly slays as entrepreneur & graphic designer

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Briefly News also wrote about a young entrepreneur from Limpopo who manufactures washing powder.

The 25-year-old single mom saved money from her small stipend as a digital communications intern to start the business. Nandi Hlungwani balances her job with her side-hustle as a graphic designer, running the washing powder business after hours and on weekends.

Source: Briefly News