Bale seller encourages Namibians to hustle with pride

Victoria Amunyela-Shaanika (34), who sells second-hand clothes in bales, has urged unemployed Namibians to provide for their loved ones regardless of the opinions of others.

Amunyela-Shaanika was born at Olwani in the Omusati region, and started her business because she was ashamed about constantly needing to borrow money from others.

Her business combines selling second-hand clothing, both in bales and as individual items, from her garage at Walvis Bay.

“It is a small operation, but it means a lot to me and my family. My business has been a game-changer for me.

It’s thriving despite the tough economic climate. I am now financially independent. I no longer need to rely on borrowing money,” she says.

Owning the business has motivated her to become financially independent, she adds.

“The idea for the business came when I was struggling financially. I often had to borrow money from a childhood friend or my sisters to support myself and my children.

One of my sisters, who had been in the business for a while, suggested I try selling.”

Amunyela-Shaanika travels to Angola to source bales for customers.

“Once I have the stock, I advertise it on all my social media platforms, primarily WhatsApp and Facebook.

I have multiple suppliers, but I prefer to buy in-person in Angola.

This ensures that I get the best quality items for my customers … I’ve had negative experiences with scammers, and I like to ensure I’m getting exactly what I’m paying for to offer quality products to my customers,” she says.

Amunyela-Shaanika highlights that through her business she has the opportunity to serve everyone, regardless of budget.

“My prices start as low as N$5, which makes it accessible to many people.”

She is committed to promoting her business every day despite facing challenges with various aspects of the business, she says.

“Scammers are a big issue and there are times when bales are confiscated.

There are also times when I don’t make a profit. Another challenge is dealing with untrustworthy customers who demand refunds because they don’t understand the nature of second-hand clothing.

Delivery issues are also common, with couriers sometimes losing packages.”

But benefits like flexibility and independence, Amunyela-Shaanika says, help her overlook the challenges in the industry – and being the boss is empowering.

“To make it you must like what you do. It’s about providing quality and building trust with customers.

To my fellow clothing sellers and entrepreneurs in similar businesses: let’s keep pushing forward. We need to build strong relationships with our customers and suppliers.

This business helps us personally, while also contributing to the fight against rising unemployment in our country,” she adds.