For Botswana’s Tuduetso Tebape, her passion for skincare and nature was a seamless pathway to setting up of a green beauty company. Nubian Seed (Pty) became the act of turning a passion into a business. From a cottage industry-based enterprise that sold only Shea Butter and later African Black Soap in 2014, to a registered business in 2017, every milestone in the business has been an important one. Nubian Seed has won several awards that includes the Global Expo Pride Mark Exhibitor Bronze Award in 2017; Top 4 National Winners of the FemBioBiz Acceleration Programme in 2018.
Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship programme, Tuduesto was able to boost her confidence as an entrepreneur. She learnt the importance of setting goals, calculating milestones and being flexible – a thing she would have a closer encounter with in 2020. Being an entrepreneur in COVID-19 times has been challenging but maintaining a willingness to adapt quickly to change has kept her busines moving. These unprecedented times, which is characterized by varying life stress factors, requires that one maintains a work life balance, for mental and emotional wellbeing.
Recently, Nubian Seed moved operations to a manufacturing facility in what is a significant symbol of the business’ growth phase, contributing to its local community through employment, training, skills sharing and capacity building. Amongst several aspirations, Nubian Seed intends to grow and be able to source products in Botswana, increase distribution and market share and have a significant and positive impact on natural cosmetics industry.