Twenty-one-year-old Domitila Silayo is the founder of Jatropha
Soap Production in Tanzania, which produces handmade soap with medicinal uses.
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| Domitila Silayo
The idea of producing Jatropha soap came to her when she and her
brother attended an agricultural festival in 2012 and were introduced to some
of the medicinal and cosmetic uses of the Jatropha plant in her country. For
example, the plant extract has healing properties for a number of skin
problems, such as ringworm and dandruff.
“The plant has seeds and we extract oil from the seeds and we
use the oil to make soaps. We have Jatropha plants in our country but people
are not using it,” explained Silayo. “So I thought that was an opportunity and
started making the soap.”
After researching how to make soap and raising finance from
family to buy oil and equipment, Silayo and her brother went into producing
Jatropha soap from a room they have rented. Today they produce about 1,000 bars
of soap a month and have one other full-time employee.
Expansion plans
While the business is still young, Silayo has big ideas for
Jatropha Soap Production.
For starters, she sees an opportunity in producing hotel soaps
and supplying the local hospitality industry in her area.
Silayo was the second runner up for the 2013 Anzisha Prize, a
competition that recognises and celebrates young entrepreneurs in Africa who are using entrepreneurship
to solve problems in their communities.
She told How we made it in Africa that she is
using the award money to modify her product range, and will then look at
diversifying her products.
“So we want to invest in making sure the product we have is good
and stands out in the market before bringing out another product,” she
explained.
However, Silayo’s business faces a number of challenges that
need to be addressed before she can take Jatropha Soap Production to the next
level.
“My company is still small – it’s just starting, and there are
other big companies that are producing soap with similar benefits to society in
line with helping skin diseases. So the market is a challenge.
People often run to the products belonging to a big brand first.
They don’t always run to the new products that are from small brands and
starting at the bottom. So that is a very big challenge.”
Business lessons and advice
“There are a lot of people who are entrepreneurs in Tanzania but not a lot of them are educated,” said
Silayo. “Most of them call themselves entrepreneurs but there are some things
they need to learn to be an entrepreneur. Like how to manage their finances.”
Silayo is currently studying a Bachelor of Business
Administration and Marketing at Mzumbe University in Morogoro and this,
alongside her own entrepreneurial experience, has taught her some valuable
business lessons.
“I have learnt that nothing is easy. Business success requires
hard work and determination and you need to keep focused on what you are doing.
I have learnt that you also don’t need to do everything yourself. Entrepreneurs
should learn to delegate to other people. You need to have people who can help and
advise you. You don’t have to leave all the baggage to yourself.”
Her advice to other young Africans aspiring to become
entrepreneurs is to become problem solvers in their own communities.
“They should try to look at the problems their society is facing
and try to think of what can be the solution to the problem. That is how I came
up with my idea of making soap with Jatropha oil… My society has a lot of
people who are suffering from different skin diseases and the Jatropha soap is
one of the soaps that helps in curing different skin diseases.”
She also advises young entrepreneurs to be brave enough to try
new ideas and think differently.
“You should know that entrepreneurs who are successful right now
also faced many problems when they first started out. Entrepreneurship is
a process. It’s a process that someone faces and has to go through – from a
small stage to a higher stage – without losing hope. Always try to pull up your
socks and open yourself up to new ideas. And have the courage to know that you
can do it, because all entrepreneurs face the same problems. You are not
alone,” she emphasised.
“You must also have humility, determination and be able to work
hard. All of this will help young entrepreneurs to have a successful business.”
Aspiring fellows can apply directly online at anzishaprize.org or
at the offices of any one of Anzisha’s 2014 country partners. Application forms
are available in English, French or Arabic, and will be accepted through April
1 2014.
Follow the story of this year’s Anzisha Prize and what has
become known as the #AnzishaEffect onlineand on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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