Many busineses start out as a result of a passion or a personal interest. In the case of Botswana entrepreneur Bandile Mooka, founder of specialist events solution and decor business, Niyacraft, that passion stemmed from the world of art and design.
LoA met with this creative entrepreneur recently in Botswana to find out more.
What does your company do?
Niyacraft is an A-Z events solution business, and our range of services include:
- Unique Floral Designs
- Décor and Contemporary Art pieces for corporate developments, hospitality and various institutions, including on-site consultation, delivery and installations
- Beverage solutions for the Retail and Hospitality industry. We supply thousands of beverages from many suppliers from around the world, but predominantly from South Africa. These include wines, craft spirits, craft beers, mixers, syrups and water. We have approximately 35 core brand partners for whom we sell a lot of wine, and hence we can offer some of the best prices out there for our customers.
"My entrepreneurial journey started from my love of design and art in general."
What inspired you to start your company?
My entrepreneurial journey started from my love of design and art in general. I have always been a keen traveler and curated various curios, moments, etc., so it just occurred to me that this ought to be my creative outlet. As a result of this passion, my business was born.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
At Niyacraft, our customers are assured of a quality and unique offering when it comes to the services and products we can provide, from floral designs, to specialist decor and contemporary art, and beverage solutions.
"I have always been a keen traveler and curated various curios, moments, etc., so it just occurred to me that this ought to be my creative outlet. As a result of this passion, my business was born."
Tell us a little about your team
At Niyacraft, we are a very young team of 3 which consists of me the owner, 1 florist, and a sales executive. As we are a startup, we prefer to remain lean and outsource other business functions on an adhoc basis when needed.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
This is my first formal business, and it has been a long time coming.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I would like to build a luxury brand.
"At Niyacraft, our customers are assured of a quality and unique offering when it comes to the services and products we can provide, from floral designs, to specialist decor and contemporary art, and beverage solutions."
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The feeling of contentment when you execute a project or create a product from scratch, and the expression you see on the face of a happy customer is priceless.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Time management, time management and more time management.
Contact or follow Niyacraft
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | EMAIL info@niyacraft.com
Why LoA loves it….
Taking a passion or a core skill and using that as the inspiration for a business is always a good starting point, and for Bandile Mooka, that passion came from a long held love of art and design. Today, her business builds on both of those loves, and she creates unique floral designs and curated art decor pieces for her expanding client list. She is a great example of an entrepreneur turning passion into profit. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa