She may not generally be into make-up, but Tshepiso Nkadimang believes that even on a normal day, a woman needs to wear the best lipstick. Nkadimang, who has always loved lipstick, launched her brand Smooch by LuN in 2020.
She told Vutivi News that her liquid matte lipstick came in 14 colours and she currently employed three people on a full-time basis. “Before I started the business, I did extensive research on the industry and based on the research I felt like this was a good industry to venture into,” said Nkadimang, who is from Kuruman in Northern Cape.
“I also believe that lipstick should bring the best out of a woman and make her feel more than sexy.”
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Nkadimang said her lipstick was manufactured by a company located in Brazil. It also helped her with branding. “I could not manufacture my product locally because I couldn’t meet the requirements,” she told Vutivi News.
“Some companies tell you that they need a large amount of capital. One company, for example, told me that I could only produce one colour.” Despite launching the business only last year, Nkadimang said it was doing extremely well.
“Business is doing better than what I thought because I didn’t expect my products to be popular,” she said. “Not many people want to wear lipstick under their masks, so I was expecting sales to go really slowly. However, I get new customers every week.”
Nkadimang believes that her brand is a success thanks to marketing. “I market my business through social media and on WhatsApp,” she told Vutivi News.
“Whenever I get a new batch of lipstick, I always ask clients to share the pictures so that I can reach potential customers.” The businesswoman said that lipstick was not her only venture in the cosmetics and beauty industry. Nkadimang also owns a wig shop called Mosadi Ke Moriri in Kuruman, which she opened four years ago.
“We make, fit and wash wigs,” she said. “I come from a background of hair. My mother used to do hair and so did my sister, but I chose to turn this into a very profitable business so that I can feed myself and my family.”
Nkadimang said that her dream was to open a branch for her lipsticks in Gauteng, and one day possibly hit the international market.
