Sumeya Nail Studio is the brainchild of Sinesipho Booi, a 30 year old born in East London and raised in a children's home. Growing up in a nurturing family situation equips a child with the necessary physical, social and emotional skills needed for life. While growing up in a children's home equipped Sinesipho to be flexible enough to work around changes in her life.
“I spent the first eighteen years of my life in a children's home. As an adult I acknowledge the social, psychological and mental repercussions of my kind of socialization, and here is how it affected my life. After living with several different people and different guardians, parental and authority figures, I learned to adapt easily. Don't get me wrong, of course not everything was perfect. There was canning, discrimination, jealousy feelings of abandonment and a lot of other situations my child brain could not process or blocked out. But there were good memories too. Wonderful memories. Situations, life lessons and opportunities that changed my life for the better, that would not have happened to me otherwise. I embrace all of them. Honestly, if I could go back, I wouldn't want it any other way”.
Sinesipho went to John Bisseker Senior Secondary School. Currently, she is doing her higher certificate in Tourism Management at the University of South Africa (UNISA).
When did you start with your nail studio and what inspired you to go for it? “I started my business journey in 2018, whilst I was working at Mr Price Apparel. I would do my nails at Esther's salon, and every time I got my nails done my colleagues would ask where I have done my nails. That is when I was inspired to start my own nail studio business”.
What do you love or enjoy most about making people’s nails for them to look stunning? “The art of looking good is one activity nearly all women love to engage in. I enjoy to have the opportunity to learn more skills and techniques every day. My clients would see some beautiful nails on Instagram and they would always want me to do them exactly like how they look on Instagram. And I really love pleasing my clients above all else. In 5 years to come I want to have gained experience in leading projects for major clients, to explore and develop skills in project management. I am someone that is driven to be the best at what I do”.
What else do you do on your spare time? “I do treatments and I also train people on how to do nails. I believe that jobs are scarce and I hope that people will learn to do things that they are good at doing”.
A message that you want to share with your peers about the importance of starting your own hustle? “What I would say to other young people out there is that, do not mind what people say, hold your head up, start and do not give up. Set your mind free, live your dreams and you will achieve”.