From Passion to Prosperity: How Anointing Lukola’s Beaded Bag Hobby Turned into Bespoke Business
- Anointing Lukola, a 27-year-old woman who owns Mayaka Accessories, is making waves in the beaded bag industry, and is one of the Briefly News' Young Money Makers
- Shortly after she started making bags as a side hobby, Anointing found success, which later became a business venture
- In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, Anointing said turning her hobby into an actual business was no easy feat
PAY ATTENTION: Let yourself be inspired by real people who go beyond the ordinary! Subscribe and watch our new shows on Briefly TV Life now!
Growing up in South Africa was an enriching experience for Anointing Lukola. Her childhood was marked by a comfortable life, surrounded by supportive parents who ensured she attended good schools. Born in Johannesburg, Anointing moved to Durban, where she grew up, and later relocated to Cape Town, where she furthered her studies.
Source: Original
The rise of a young entrepreneur
Speaking about her tertiary education, Anointing pursued a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Information Systems at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. However, during her second year, she realised that the field did not resonate with her passions:
"At first, I was afraid, but then I called my parents, and I was like, I don't think I like what I'm studying, and if I finish it, I know I'm gonna have to work in this field. So I wanted to drop out, and I honestly thought they would scold me or something, but they were like, okay, if you're not comfortable, then take some time to think about it."
PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!
This led her to take a gap year. Initially, she planned to study overseas but eventually enrolled at SAE Institute in Cape Town to pursue digital film production.
The rise of Mayaka Accessories
Studying during the Covid-19 pandemic brought its own set of challenges. Anointing graduated amid a global crisis. She found few internships and entry-level career prospects in the film industry, which was at a standstill.
In an Instagram post, Anointing wrote:
"It was worth it."
Nevertheless, she persisted, adjusting to the situation and turning to entrepreneurship. Starting her business was no easy feat, she expressed:
"One of the major challenges I faced when starting my business was definitely sourcing affordable supplies from local suppliers. Despite knowing exactly what I needed, finding the right suppliers proved to be quite a task in today's digital age."
Anointing said people often rely heavily on online searches, assuming that if you don't find it online, it probably doesn't exist.
"When I finally found my first supplier, I was exstatic, but then I soon encountered challenges because I realised that there were a lot of setbacks with relying on only one supplier. There were times when they'd run out of stock, and that would lead to delays of sometimes up to two months."
Read also
Meet the 22-year-old e-commerce businesswoman who makes over R60k a day selling on Takealot
Anointing encountered challenges with stock availability and the inability to purchase supplies in bulk due to insufficient capital. Her failure to foresee client preferences adds another difficulty to her made-to-order beaded bag business strategy.
Mayaka Accessories' early phases were characterised by long hours and the requirement to balance productivity and quality. As the only designer, CEO, social media manager, customer service representative, sales representative, and content producer, Anointing oversaw all facets of her growing business.
Her difficulties were exacerbated by the conflicting information she encountered online while learning on the fly:
"My business was my primary source of income. So, I left substantial initial capital, and I found myself reinvesting most of my profits back into the business."
Additionally, large orders became quite a challenge for Anointing because each bag is handmade. At that time, she made them on her own.
"Someone orders in bags, and that one bag takes about six to eight hours. I just knew I'd be working a whole lot to get the order out.
"I was not ready for any helping hands at that moment. It's also not a skill that you could just have a family member help you out with because I was really strict with the quality of things that were going out as well.
"So I wouldn't just let anyone come and be like, can I help you out with the bag?" she added.
How does Anointing stay ahead of the competition?
Innovation has been essential for Anointing to remain ahead of the competition in a cutthroat market. At first, she benefited from the absence of direct competition in South Africa's beaded bag trend.
She persistently asked customers for feedback and closely monitored market developments. Her preference for quality over quantity ensured that each bag was well-made and robust, which served as a distinctive selling factor and attracted repeat business.
Organisation and record-keeping were things that she had to learn the hard way.
Since Anointing didn't have a proper record-keeping system early on, monitoring sales patterns and comprehending consumer preferences was challenging. This caused her to rush to complete orders during busy seasons like Mother's Day or Christmas, which led to hectic circumstances.
Lukola initially used a combination of personal savings, birthday money and donations from encouraging friends and family to fund her business. She eventually discovered how crucial it was to maintain her personal and corporate funds, which improved her ability to handle her money.
Anointing also expressed that working from home can be challenging. She learned early on that it was vital that personal setbacks did not affect her professional commitments. This lesson was driven home when she lost her aunt, but she still had to fulfil customer orders for essential events.
She received support from her mentors and the support system helped her navigate the complexities of running a business without a formal background in entrepreneurship.
Be flexible and adapt, Anointing tells aspiring entrepreneurs
Anointing advises aspiring entrepreneurs to start with what they have and strive for continuous progress rather than perfection.
The young leader emphasises the importance of flexibility, adaptability, and never remaining stagnant. Her journey from a hobby to a business is a testament to resilience, community support and the relentless pursuit of one's passions.
Looking ahead, Anointing has big plans for her business. She is gearing up for events like "Bead and Chill with Myakka" across major cities in South Africa, where attendees can learn to craft their beaded bags.
Pop-up stores and home beading kits are also in the works, catering to customers who prefer instant purchases or wish to create their bags at home.
Additionally, a beaded bag-making course is being developed in response to high demand on social media.
South African entrepreneur proudly unveils toilet paper business on TikTok
Briefly News previously reported that a young lady was beaming with pride as she flexed her toilet paper business, which impressed many people online.
@rathaham96 shared her journey on social media regarding her new business venture. The young lady revealed in her TikTok caption that she and her business partner decided to take a risk and begin their business.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
