#PowerHer: From Setbacks to Spa Success; How Palesa Motloung Is Building Afriqueenz One Bold Decision at a Time

For many entrepreneurs, the road to building a business is rarely a straight line. Plans change, opportunities disappear, partnerships evolve and financial challenges test even the strongest vision.

For Palesa Motloung, founder and owner of Afriqueenz, those challenges did not mark the end of her entrepreneurial dream. Instead, they became part of the journey that helped shape the woman and entrepreneur she is today.

As we celebrate Women’s Month under the #PowerHer campaign, Palesa's story is a reminder that sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs come from moments when we are forced to change direction.

From Financial Management to Beauty Entrepreneurship

At 33, Palesa is a qualified professional with two qualifications in Financial Management. She describes herself as an ambivert; someone who enjoys connecting and leading others while also appreciating independence and personal reflection.

Today, she is using that combination of financial knowledge, people skills and entrepreneurial determination to build Afriqueenz, a mobile beauty spa offering professional services ranging from nail enhancements and massages to facials, hair services, waxing and more.

Afriqueenz officially launched on Women's Day in 2023, making its origin deeply connected to a day that celebrates the strength, courage and achievements of women.

But the business that exists today wasn't the business Palesa originally planned to build.

While teaching in China, she identified an opportunity in the hair industry after seeing the accessibility and affordability of quality lace-front wigs and hair products. Her initial plan was to build a business around selling these products.

Then COVID-19 changed everything.

With international borders closing, the business model was no longer viable.

For some entrepreneurs, that could have been the moment to walk away.

For Palesa, it became a moment to pivot.

She redirected her entrepreneurial energy into the beauty industry, initially focusing on nail services. What began as an unexpected change in direction eventually became the foundation of Afriqueenz.

The setback didn't end the dream. It redesigned it.

When the Partnership Didn't Work Out

Palesa's entrepreneurial journey also taught her an important lesson about believing in herself.

Afriqueenz was initially meant to be started with a friend. When her friend eventually decided to pursue a different path, Palesa was disappointed and came close to abandoning the idea altogether.

Looking back, however, she now sees that moment differently.

Starting Afriqueenz independently forced her to discover capabilities she may not have recognised otherwise.

It taught her courage, self-belief, perseverance and resilience.

Sometimes, losing the person you thought would walk beside you can reveal that you were capable of walking the journey yourself.

Building More Than a Business

One of the biggest challenges Palesa experienced was finding the right people to join her vision.

For more than two years, finding team members who aligned with the culture and values of Afriqueenz was difficult.

Then she met two young women who became an important part of the business.

Today, Afriqueenz operates with a core team of three women—Palesa and her two dedicated team members.

For Palesa, leadership isn't simply about giving instructions. It is about creating an environment where people feel valued.

Her leadership philosophy is built around empathy, support and collaboration.

She wants Afriqueenz to feel like more than a workplace.

"We are a family."

That philosophy is reflected in the way she encourages open communication and creates space for her team members to speak about challenges they may be experiencing.

Palesa believes that when people feel valued and understood, they are better positioned to perform at their best.

And as Afriqueenz grows, she hopes the opportunities and responsibilities available to her team will grow with it.

Two and a Half Years of Resilience

Entrepreneurship often looks glamorous from the outside.

But behind every growing business are the months when the numbers don't add up, the difficult decisions, the uncertainty and the moments when the founder has to decide whether to keep going.

For the first two and a half years, Afriqueenz experienced significant financial challenges.

There were difficult moments.

There were moments when giving up could have seemed like the easier option.

But Palesa remained committed to the vision.

She kept pushing forward, trusted the process and refused to let temporary challenges determine the future of her business.

Today, one of the achievements she is most proud of is not simply owning a business.

It is creating employment.

Afriqueenz now provides consistent employment to two young women.

For Palesa, that is a powerful measure of progress.

Her dream became someone else's opportunity.

The Many Hats of a Young Entrepreneur

Building a business with a small team means Palesa has had to become comfortable wearing many hats.

She is the founder.

She is the Operations Manager.

She oversees marketing.

She manages the finances.

And when the business requires transportation, she gets behind the wheel, transporting the mobile spa and her team to various locations.

Her Financial Management background has helped her understand the numbers, while entrepreneurship has taught her that running a business requires much more than understanding finances.

It requires adaptability, organisation, discipline and the willingness to do what needs to be done.

For young entrepreneurs, Palesa's experience offers an important lesson:

You may not have a big team when you start—and that's okay.

Sometimes, growth begins with learning how to make the most of what you already have.

Three Women. One Vision.

Afriqueenz's story is also a story about representation.

At its core are three young Black women under the age of 35, building, working and creating opportunities together.

Palesa hopes their journey can inspire other young women, particularly Black women who may face barriers to opportunity, to recognise their own potential.

Her message is simple: where you come from does not have to determine where you are going.

Success may not happen overnight, but a combination of vision, discipline, resilience and consistent action can move an idea forward.

From a Mobile Spa to a National Vision

Palesa isn't thinking small.

Her vision for Afriqueenz is to expand its customer base, strengthen its brand presence and ultimately become one of South Africa's leading mobile spa services across all nine provinces.

She wants Afriqueenz to be recognised for excellence, innovation and exceptional customer service.

That vision represents more than business expansion.

It represents the possibility of taking a small idea, building it from the ground up and turning it into a brand with a national footprint.

#PowerHer: Work Smarter, Not Harder

The quote that guides Palesa both personally and professionally is:

"Work Smarter, Not Harder."

For her, this doesn't mean avoiding hard work.

Instead, it means understanding that sustainable success requires both effort and strategy.

Entrepreneurs can work tirelessly, but without direction, systems and smart decision-making, hard work alone may not produce sustainable growth.

Palesa's journey demonstrates the power of combining both.

She adapted when her first business idea became impossible.

She continued when a potential partnership ended.

She persevered through financial difficulties.

She built a team.

She created employment.

And she continues to pursue a vision that extends beyond herself.

Her Power Is in Her Persistence

Palesa Motloung's story is not about having everything figured out from the beginning.

It is about continuing to move forward when the original plan no longer works.

It is about recognising that a closed door can force you to discover another path.

It is about understanding that entrepreneurship isn't only about building a company—it is also about building yourself.

As we celebrate Women's Month, Youth To Power Network celebrates women like Palesa who are turning ideas into businesses, businesses into opportunities and challenges into lessons.

Through #PowerHer, we recognise the women who are not waiting for permission to build.

They are building anyway.

Her ideas. Her business. Her impact.

And Palesa's journey is proof that sometimes, the power isn't in having the perfect plan.

The power is in having the courage to keep going.