Eugenia Moche
A fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Josefina Mutumbulwa, has been recognised for her work in the beauty industry after her business, Joja.nailed-it, won the Best Nail Salon 2026 award at the Best of Namibia Awards.
Mutumbulwa, 22, who is popularly known as “Joja”, has been running her nail artistry business for three years while balancing her academic responsibilities.
The award recognises businesses that demonstrate excellence in service delivery, creativity and customer satisfaction.
In an interview with Young Observer, she explained that although she does not operate from a formal salon, she provides nail services to clients from her room while managing her studies.
“I manage my time between studies and my nail clients by taking in clients on weekends or also weekdays in the afternoon at around 2pm or 3pm after school hours,” she said.
Mutumbulwa said her interest in nail art started from doing her own nails, which inspired her to help other women feel confident through creative designs.
“I wanted to make other women feel confident like I did for myself using my creativity,” she said.
Beyond providing nail services, Mutumbulwa also trains aspiring nail technicians through one-on-one sessions, equipping young people with skills they can use to generate income.
“It’s about giving someone the skills to earn a little bit of money on the side,” she said.
She said four of the people she has trained have since started their own businesses.
She identified financial literacy as one of the biggest challenges preventing young people from successfully starting businesses.
“Having the money and not knowing how to start, save and invest in a business is why young people are struggling,” she said.
She encouraged young people to consider entrepreneurship while pursuing their studies, saying academic qualifications do not always guarantee employment after graduation.
“Start a business, do something or anything to get you going because at the end of the day you might be a student but you are not guaranteed a job after that,” she said.
Looking ahead, she said she plans to expand Joja.nailed-it to include additional beauty services such as makeup and lashes while also establishing a nail training school.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to start despite competition.
“Start that business, start today. Do not be discouraged by competition. There are always enough clients for everyone even if it takes time. All good things take time,” she said.
