Making a career out of her passion
Ntombentsha Msutu
FROM volunteering to decorate at family events such as weddings, 21st birthdays and even funerals, to starting her own events decorating company, Zimasa Koyo is living her dream.
The 25-year-old from NU2 registered Bonubuhle Decorations last year after seeing that the skill she had for decorating was growing and she was enjoying her craft.
"Decorating has always been my first love. I saw that I was talented at decorating in 2010 when I started volunteering to do the decor in family events," Koyo said.
"It is something that I enjoy doing," she said.
After people saw her work, various companies started calling her to work for them, but it was never for full-time positions.
"I have worked for companies that called me after seeing my work. Whenever they had big events, they would call me to come and help them with decorations.
"I would go and at the same time my skills would be growing as I would be doing big events and learning new things."
Like any other job, decorating for events has its challenges.
One of her biggest challenges right now, as a new entrepreneur in the industry, is getting customers.
"People who do events want decorators who have been in the industry for a long time.
"They basically want big names, so that is why it is hard to find customers," Koyo said.
But she loves her job because decor brightens her mood.
"When I go to an event, even if I do not know what it is about, I can tell what is being celebrated by just looking at the decor.
"I also love the fact that decor brings beauty to any event," Koyo said.