CAPITEC HELPS QUEENSTOWN ENTREPRENEUR ANDISWA SHENXANE CONTINUE DOING WHAT SHE LOVES
Discover Capitec merchant Andiswa Shenxane who started her business with only R3000 in her pocket.
Ambitious young entrepreneur Andiswa Shenxane launched her own fashion label 11 years ago in the small Eastern Cape town of Queenstown, and called it Onodoli in tribute to her childhood fascination with dressing up her Barbie dolls. The label has since become a firm favourite with local clientele, and the happy buzz around Andiswa’s designs keeps on growing.
We met with her to find out where it all started.
“I think I was born to be a fashion designer. I had no other choice,” shares Andiswa, who recalls being asked about her second choice for study while still in school. Her firm response was, “I don’t have a second choice. I want to be a fashion designer.” And she did just that!
Andiswa obtained her Diploma in Fashion Design, and returned home to do some market research before launching her brand. She worked in retail to gain insight into the fashion and design preferences of the people of Queenstown.
Bravely making the transition from her full-time position in retail to a business owner, Andiwa launched Onodoli with only R3000 in her bank account and a handful of customers. The business grew and in 2017, she proudly opened the doors to her boutique.
She welcomed us into her store, which she fondly refers to as her ‘happy place’.
“Onodoli” is a Xhosa word meaning Barbie girl, and Andiswa’s fashion label reflects her love for Barbie dolls. She played with them well into Grade 12, sparking her passion for clothing and making others feel good about themselves.
“My late brother used to say to me, ‘Andiswa, you are too old to be playing with dolls,’ and I would hide in the room and continue to sew dolls’ clothes and sell them to my friends.”
That’s where her entrepreneurial journey started but Andiswa has since traded making clothes for dolls for dressing adults. This line of work, however, hasn’t been without its challenges.
“Being a designer is not easy. It took me nine years and I’m not even there yet. It’s hard work with sleepless nights, and each and every week I must come out with new items for people to buy.”
Capitec has, however, been a silver lining for this business owner, who’s in love with how easy it is to transact with the bank.
“A friend of mine introduced me to Capitec. He suggested that I try them because when it comes to interest rates and charges they are ‘baie excella’. I’ve now been with Capitec for four years,” shares Andiswa.
She adds, “What makes Capitec so easy for me is the merchant app. I love that merchant app because if I’m not around in the shop, I can go through my app and see who came into the store and purchased something. There’s no need for me to come back to the shop and see the end of day slip.”
Choosing to work with convenient and efficient service providers like Capitec, who design their products well and continually develop them, goes a long way to helping business owners like Andiswa use their time and energy to effectively work on their business, instead of spending it on overly complicated tasks.
Here’s to Andiswa continuing to have a bright future doing what she loves, and building a thriving proudly local business.
