Botswana

If there is one thing we collectively hate, it is that ugly face-ruining spot on our face that calls itself acne. The glaring reality is that people battle acne in their youth and throughout their lives, and it can be challenging to find a solution that is both effective and natural. This was a challenge that entrepreneur Didintle Leatile Moreki, founder of Organic Natural Skincare in Botswana successfully took up in starting her business.

Organic Natural Skincare manufactures skincare products with the use of indigenous plants found in Botswana and Africa as a whole.

Organic Natural Skincare was born after she had a persistent skin acne that would not heal. After years of trying what the market offered, at the age of 18 she finally decided to try an organic alternative.

Unfortunately at that time, the market could not offer this, as a result she decided to opt for what she consumed as food.

This revelation simply came out of her need to say: “Beauty should not be harmful or toxic and so long as l can eat it l can use it on my skin!”

Years later, as the vision became clearer, and she came to understand that the cause of her low self-confidence is skin acne.

As a result Didintle knew that whatever she was formulating had to boost the confidence of the African Woman or empower her to be confident in her skin.

Didintle’s entrepreneurial journey started when at age 10. She sold watermelons and maize from her parents’ farm. This grew with her when her mother started her poultry farm and even at her tender age, her mother would send her to negotiate with suppliers and clients.

This is a clear indication that she was not a newbie when she chose to birth Organic Natural Skincare.

By profession, Didintle is an accountant, currently pursing her certification as a Financial Analyst. For her Under-graduate degree, she had an honour of studying an Entrepreneurial Module in her last year of University.

In 2019, Didintle was one of the 50 entrepreneurs chosen from the 500 applicants for the DeBeers Stanford Go to Market Programme.

Her word to aspiring women entrepreneur is simple, “Girl, you too can do hard things!”

The journey into the world of entrepreneurship begins with a single step. For some, that single step can be passion to meet a need, quest to solve a problem or just the need to have an extra source of income. For Chipo Aaron, a Botswanan entrepreneur, frustration was her own push into the world of entrepreneurship.

Constantly frustrated by the chemical-intensive, highly synthetic formulas which have dominated the skincare market for too long, Chipo Aaron felt it was time to change the situation by launching her own skincare company, Cutikles to create high quality spa products that harness the healing power of Africa’s indigenous oils.

Chipo Aaron is the founder of Cutikles, a cosmetic manufacturing brand located in Gaborone, Botswana. She also doubles as an interior designer at Ca Concepts, an interior design firm that designs bespoke residential and corporate spaces.
Cutikles brand produces high quality spa products blended with raw African indigenous oils for both the African and international market. The business also has a spa that serves as a research and development centre that gives clients a foretaste of Cutikles products before release to the general public. Cutikles cosmetic brand exists to help the users of the products improve the overall health of their skin and their general appearance as a whole.

Some days are better than others but we cannot give up because the dreams that we have are valid.

Chipo believes quality and safety must not be compromised at any point which is why she ensures Cutikles spa products are locally produced using natural plant extracts and pure essential oils that have been well researched, packaged and delivered.

Chipo has an entrepreneurial background that has helped her succeed in her business. She was raised by two entrepreneurs who owners clothing retail stores and a logistics company. She learned from an early age that building a brand requires patience, hard work and resilience. She started cutikles after the birth of her first son and in her words, “I have always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and once I found the cosmetic world, I knew that is where I belong. I continued with interior design side jobs as I needed the funds to be pushed into Cutikles. The business continues to surprise me every day by the way we are changing lives through our products and services. Some days are better than others but we cannot give up because the dreams that we have are valid.”

She describes her journey so far using these words “being an entrepreneur has given me liberty in following and building my dreams and also providing others with better work environments. I have worked in harsh environments and I don’t wish for anyone to experience such. It is liberating to see someone smile because of the way you respect them and that makes me happy. The freedom of being an entrepreneur is for me a winner and sometimes the several wins and lessons that come with the package are also a game changer.”

Chipo Aaron is a firm believer that women are diamonds that can just change the world. Which is why she enjoins women to follow the idea in that has been lingering in their head.
Imagine the lives that you could change by just developing what you think would have never worked, the jobs you could create, and the happiness that you could create in a household!

Believe in yourself and jump! Go for it.

Didintle Leatile Moreki, An Entrepreneur Producing Natural Skincare Products With Indigenous Botswanan Plants

Chipo Aaron, Botswanan Entrepreneur and Owner of Cutikles Skincare Brand