Female boilermaker turned business owner

Paulina Alfeus, born and bred in Oniipa, never thought that she would become a boilermaker while she was growing up, or that she would win a prize for her work as a boilermaker and for her business.

On Friday, 5 August, the Africa Youth in Tourism Challenge winners were announced, with Alfeus selected as the winner among the Namibian participants.

Through her business, Fredina Trading, which was established in November 2021, Alfeus takes old oil drums and upcycles them into colourful furniture that she sells to different tourist establishments within Namibia.

Although there are others with similar business ideas, what makes her establishment stand out is the fact that they go the extra mile for their clients, she said.

Before Fredina Trading was opened, Alfeus, in partnership with friends, established Power Six Investment in 2017. Due to the challenges presented by Covid-19, her business partners however withdrew from the business.

This motivated her to establish her own business.

"I had a dream and my dream was to make this work, and I was the only one willing to continue with the business," she said.

Some of the challenges that the young entrepreneur has faced are the sacrifices she had to make during the off season. "I have to make personal sacrifices at times," she said, adding that her business responsibilities at times prevent her from fully providing for herself.

An area which she hopes to improve is in exporting her products to different countries, as well as relocating to the north, where her business has received more support.

Top achiever

When she is not upcycling oil barrels, Alfeus helps other young people prepare funding pitches for start-ups. She also uses her time to continue her business training.

The young entrepreneur is currently based in Walvis Bay, where her workshop is situated. The work space is owned by an acquaintance, as renting one by herself is too expensive.

In 2010, Alfeus completed her secondary school at Hans Daniel Namuhuja in Oniipa. She was the top overall performer in her year.

Before venturing into the field as an artisan, she had hopes of one day becoming a medical doctor, but that was before the creative bug bit her.

"I started to explore my creativity only after completing high school," Alfeus said.

Some were not happy with her choice of career.

"People who knew me from school, especially those who knew I was one of the best in academics, expressed their disappointment, since they expected me to continue in academics," Alfeus said.

After high school, she started her studies at the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT), which she completed in 2016.

In addition to the US$500 Alfeus won at the Africa Youth in Tourism Challenge this month, she has received a scholarship at the Durban University of Technology.

Proud

Katrina Amupolo, who worked at the Business Development Support Centre in Swakopmund, mentored Alfeus during her time at the centre and saw Alfeus' potential and willingness to work.

"I was very impressed with her work ethic and took the chance to give her an opportunity to be a part of the programme," Amupolo said.

Amupolo added that Alfeus progressed fast as a student and started winning awards. This spurred Amupolo to mentor Alfeus in her personal capacity.

"She is always making me proud," Amupolo concluded.

Alfeus' advice to young entrepreneurs: “When you want to start your own business, make sure your business is a project that is a solution to a certain problem and always be innovative, since innovation is the only way you will stand out from your competitors.”