By OBAKENG MAJE
The Maganeng-born entrepreneur and a writer, Jeannete Gabonnwe (47) said she touches many lives through storytelling. Gabonnwe said through writing, one can express complex ideas, connect people, and inspire others.
She further said writing is an art and one needs to have a strong understanding of their audience. Gabonnwe added that one can gain audience understanding by doing in-depth research.
“So far, I have written 33 books and published more than 20 authors through my publishing company called Somarela Puo Publishers. The company was registered back in 2012 and since then, we are making in-roads.
“What I like is that, we continue to claim our niche in the publishing interplanetary, even though there are some challenges. We also sell reading books through this company and we have created a great support base,” she said.
Gabonnwe said what prompted her to be a writer and entrepreneur, was her weakness of being eccentric. She said she wanted to work at her own pace and grow her business without any validation from anyone.
“I also wanted to create employment for creative people. I normally sell many products, but some fall off the list based on the demand. My speciality is book writing and book publishing.
“In 2023, I registered a second company called Nna Lwena Ra Tswelela Projects, which trades under Nna Le Wena Enterprise. So, we sell many products under this company such as L.jscents, lj lipstick and lj lipgloss. All these are my own brands, which were derived from my own initials,” said Gabonnwe.
She said many people believe that one must be famous in order for their products to be recognised. However, Gabonnwe refuted that and said actually, “It must be who knows you, not who you know.”
“Honestly, we should not let those words derail us from our dreams because everyone starts from the bottom. I sell all household detergent products that one may think of. I also sell air fresheners, water, chicken and pigs.
“I print t-shirts, mugs, key holders and others. On t-shirts, I have a brand for ladies, a heel with a slogan: You are all that. I sell anything that I think is sellable, as long as it is legal. Tomorrow, I might sell stretch tents or jumping castles or flowers or publishing a quarterly magazine,” she said.
Gabonnwe said her products range from R50 to R400, depending on the customer’s needs. She said to publish a book will cost R7500 to R13 000.
“Customers get the products from me as I advertise them on social media platforms. They contact me and we arrange on how they can receive them. In most cases, I sell in bulk for those who want to re-sell and make extra cash.
“I really do not want to lie, being an entrepreneur comes with challenges. What makes things worse is operating from home. I have to deliver or meet up with clients at malls or restaurants because it is difficult to rent a shop due to financial constraints,” said Gabonnwe.
A mother of two children said she would like to have book printing machines and employ at least 10 people. She said her brands are sold in big retailers across the country.
TaungDailyNews 