Hammanskraal 3-Time Graduate Amped About Cosmetology Qualification and Finding Passion After Tragedy

• A beautician in Hammanskraal with a love for education is relishing her latest academic feat
• Not only is Unique Boikgantsho Maimela a three-time graduate, but she also has a beauty salon
• The 30-year-old shares with Briefly News how she overcame tragedy to thrive as a businesswoman in the beauty industry

When three-time graduate, Unique Boikgantsho Maimela from Hammanskraal's grandmother tragically passed away in 2019, the young woman struggled to process the heartbreak she felt.

Now, years later, despite the pain of the loss, the hard-working woman has found her bigger purpose in life: to thrive as a beautician.

Unique recently obtained her cosmetology qualification from The Beauty Academy and posted about the win on Facebook.

Briefly News caught up with the 30-year-old, who shared how she got into the beauty industry.

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The Hammanskraal beautician has a qualification from Unisa

In addition to holding her beauty qualification, Unique also has a Bachelor of Psychology from the Midrand Graduate Institute and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, which she obtained cum laude from Unisa.

While she initially wanted to be a teacher, the perseverant woman instead found her destiny in cosmetology:

“This qualification means the most to me because it’s the one that’s actually working for me. What I mean is, I have two other qualifications but somehow those doors haven’t opened up for me.

“It’s the beauty industry that is calling my name. For the longest time, I wanted to refuse this calling, but I finally decided to surrender to God’s will. After all, it is He who gives us these gifts.”

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Despite being a self-taught beautician and starting her business, called 'King Unique Beauty', because of her passion for education, Unique decided to obtain her cosmetology qualification:

“This year, I saw it fit to officially bag the makeup artistry qualification as it would come as a walk in the park for me. I pursued it because education is important. It's not enough to just be gifted, you must expand and exhaust yourself in whatever you’ve been called to do. So, this qualification makes me extremely happy.”

Tragedy led the young woman to the art of cosmetology

Unique explains that the fruits of her business were planted on the day of her grandmother’s funeral:

“A friend of mine was graduating in the morning. She asked me to do her makeup just to take my mind off things. Also, at that time, there weren’t so many makeup artists around, so I agreed to do her face. That was the first official face I did.

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“The following week, I received a phone call from her friend and she also wanted to get her makeup done. I officially became booked and busy. Not having much knowledge about makeup, I had to do a lot of research on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.”

Unique notes that her grandmother’s living room became the space where her business began:

“When people called me for house calls, I went there with a black plastic bag carrying my products inside. I couldn’t afford a makeup case yet. I saw it fit to formally register the business in 2021. Today I own a beauty salon. My grandmother would be very proud.”

Lamenting on how far she’s come, the businesswoman reflects on the progress she’s made thus far:

“I started the business with literally nothing. I even had to ask clients to bring their own foundations in the beginning until I could afford to buy a range of different foundations for different shades.

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“I practiced every day on myself, friends, and family. I was always eager to try out a look I saw on social media. Every payment from a client was used to buy quality products that would improve my skills.”

“I used social media to put my work out there. People need to see that they don’t have to go all the way to Pretoria or Sandton for a good face beat, it can be done here at home.”

Unique is a truly inspiring woman who followed her destiny and continues to use her salon to empower the youth. She currently employs eight people, and dreams of one day franchising her brand.

Hammanskraal beautician used almost R3500 to start business, offers nail treatments to 4 matrics

In another inspiring story, Briefly News previously wrote about a young woman in Hammanskraal who is doing her best to ensure the success of her beauty business.

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The entrepreneur used close to R3500 to start her enterprise and is determined to make a name for herself.

Source: Briefly News