The truth is that you never know where your journey will take you when your entrepreneurial spirit takes the lead. Especially when it means addressing a cause close to your heart. That is what Zoey Mkabela discovered when she developed VOLUMICIOUS.
Born and raised in the Matsulu township in Mpumalanga, Zoey studied at the University of Stellenbosch. There she obtained a B.Sc Honors by investigating hair loss in newborn lambs. Later, she entered the corporate world in Gauteng working as a sales representative for a distribution company. However, in 2016 she experienced major hair loss due to stress and pregnancy. This condition is called Telogen Alopecia.
“I never intended to be a business owner,” she admits. “I believe it was part of God’s plan. Entrepreneurship is a calling, not everyone is called to it.”
Zoey explains that she originally wanted to be a doctor because she loves people and interacting with them. “It’s so ironic that I find myself doing what I originally wanted to do: a hair “doctor” in a non-medical field.
Her brand, VOLUMICIOUS, is a product for men, women and children and provides a permanent solution to alopecia, mostly traction alopecia (receding hairline) and androgenic alopecia (balding/bald patches). The products also help with breakage, slow-growing hair, thin hair, dry scalp and dandruff.
Businesses (and Hair) Growth from the Roots Up
VOLUMICIOUS was developed as a response to the hair loss that Zoey experienced. “At the time, I lost my hair confidence. I wore wigs, but wigs are not your hair. When you remove it, you are still confronted with your own hair (or lack thereof).
“One day when I was looking in the mirror, a voice inside me said: Take that wig off, go and revisit your research project.” In the original research project, Zoey discovered that the pregnant ewes were eating a particular shrub that contained an active compound that inhibits a particular biochemical pathway. This resulted in the newborn lambs being born without wool.
Equipped with her research background, Zoey began researching what could bring back her hair. “I found a great number of possibilities and I contacted a local manufacturing company, asking them to mix all of the ingredients so I can test it on my own hair. I monitored the progress monthly, taking pictures to record the results.”
She decided to share her 1-year journey with others through Facebook. “Some people were sceptical and challenged me to prove results on more serious hair problems.”
Not being afraid of the challenge, she identified three individuals who were willing to try the products. “One had a receding hairline and within three months, her hair had grown back. The other had bald patches that filled in within four months of use. The third person has slow-growing hair that hadn’t grown much in the past five years, but after using the products for three months styled an afro.”
Hair Care that Changes Lives
After reaching successful results on other people, Zoey realised she had a product that could truly make a difference – and the case studies to prove it. “I started aggressively marketing the products on social media and selling after hours. Drawing on my experience in distribution, I used the same model to build a distribution leg of the business which later became the core of the business. This approach involved an opportunity for interested individuals to sell the products.”
Zoey notes that this approach was more than a clever business move. To her, it was also a way to create jobs for unemployed youth. “My heart burnt for empowerment and I hated the lack I saw around me. I wanted to be the change I wanted to see.”
Soon interest started to grow in both the products and becoming a distribution agent. “I couldn’t juggle my full-time job and my business anymore. By November 2019 I handed in my resignation.” A decade in the corporate world ended, but Zoey and her hair care brand have only gone from strength to strength.
“I take it one day at a time, and I talk about Volumicious every day. People will not buy what they don’t know, so I needed to spread the message that there is a solution for alopecia.
Hair Products Followed By A Hair Clinic
According to Zoey, the Volumicious products are multifunctional. “It not only restores hair problems but also helps women to grow and restore their hair.
“Listening to customers helped me expand. I didn’t take criticism negatively. I used it as a tool to grow. The hair clinic was inspired by clients who were complaining about the difficulty of doing certain treatments without products at home. That’s why, in 2020, I opened the first VOLUMICIOUS hair clinic, followed by the second in 2023. The business also has franchising opportunities in the pipeline.”
Zoey has built this successful brand with limited finances. “When I started growing my business I needed money but I was not fundable because I had no business plan, financials or tax certificate. I used my salary and discovered in the process that sometimes funding isn’t the only barrier to achieving our dreams. It’s also our minds, self-doubt and discipline.”
The funding she received was only given to her after the brand was established. With that, she aims to create more jobs.” When companies are funded, they can grow the country’s economy and contribute to solving inequality, unemployment and poverty.”
This hardworking and intelligent entrepreneur encourages other women to be inspired by the success stories of other women this Women’s Month. “Do not allow the fear of the unknown to stop you because your breakthrough lies on the other side of fear. Don’t let the inability to get funding stop you. Start where you are and build with what you have.”
She reminds them to let their “why” be the driving force when business gets tough. Zoey also recommends that any entrepreneurs surround themselves with mentors and coaches who will guide them. “And if you can create employment and change someone else’s life, that’s a bonus too,” she concludes.
