ZANELE TUTANI MAZARURA

ZIMBABWE; SOUTH AFRICA

AGE: 28

FOUNDER OF ZAHMAZ MAKEUP AND BEAUTY

I grew up with almost everything I needed as a child because I was from a middle class family. Born and raised in the Mashonaland East Province in the city of Marondera. I grew up in a multicultural environment my Mother was Shona and my Father was Xhosa.

 We were a middle class family because my parents were hard working people. Things were okay at home at most times but because of the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe at times it was tough. My parents were business people, owned a few businesses as a result I was exposed to the world of business at a very young age. They were very busy people; as a child I was that child my parents used to take to work. Every time I got there I made sure that I would make myself useful and help them with a few things at the stores. In 2012 we lost my Dad a great and honorable man I would describe him, this really affected me because it is something I was not expecting.

When I was(7), we lost my sister at the hands of her husband, this really traumatized me as a child and changed my whole perspective about men. I was really shuttered and in pain this was the most difficult time for me and my family because as a minor I didn’t really understand what was going on.

I attended Godfrey Huggins Primary School in Marondera this School was good for me because it was a very well-known Elementary School. I managed to learn a lot of things and did a lot of self discovery.

After grade 7 I went to Monte Cassino Girls High School a Catholic boarding School in Macheke. Being a boarding scholar really groomed me to be a responsible young lady ,there was no Mum or Dad to do anything for me anymore. This was time to grow and claim myself but for some reason I had a very low self-esteem and heightened insecurity for most of my school years. I felt small, and that everyone else was better than me. I did not know my self-worth and was easily intimidated by others. Many people suffer from low self esteem and have no one to talk to or any kind of refugee to address this issue.

When I completed my Ordinary Level I was not happy with continuing with the ZimSec curriculum because I wanted to do the Cambridge one. I then decided to change schools and went to a Private College. I personally would say this was the worst decision because I got mixed up with the wrong crowd,I think this is a challenge most teenagers face.I took some decisions that were influenced by peer pressure and disappointed my parents, the college was expensive but they strained their finances and supported me but I did not do as well as I expected to do with my Advanced Level Education.

I lost so many things in a short space of time. And the friends were long gone and nowhere to be found, my parents lost a lot of money paying my fees

This to me was a wakeup call.

 I decided to look for any short Course I could do because I had to do something with my life, but with the courses the first few months were exciting but after a while I would drop out.

Life was not easy but I had to turn a new leaf and grow up; to do so I had to figure out where and what my passion was. I had to consider and take drastic decisions to reflect my change of life. I had to set my priorities right and straight. I later met an amazing man and got married.

 I was in Harare one day shopping for a dress and passed through a makeup studio,I decided to go in and check it out. I was intrigued by the art of makeup and decided to get a makeover. I felt beautiful, confident, elegant I felt like I owned the world and for someone who had confidence issues it felt amazing! For the first time in my life I felt like my place was actually on the scenes not behind the scenes.

I loved how I felt after applying makeup, I didn’t even know how to do make up when I started but because it was something I really wanted with my whole heart and made me feel good about myself I pursued it. I kept going to the lady asking her for more lessons, I was now comfortable around other people. So I decided to become a professional makeup artist.I Enrolled in a Makeup Artistry program and I obtained my Diploma.

In 2018, I started my own Make Up enterprises (Zahmaz Makeup and Beauty) operating in Zimbabwe and by the end of that year when my husband started working in South Africa we started operating in South Africa. I started this business because I knew if I could feel this good just because I look good then what more if I impart this kind of feeling on other women like myself? Every woman deserves to feel beautiful and I strongly believe in women empowerment.

At Zahmaz Makeup and beauty we aim to be every woman’s beauty partner, for every occasion. We do bridal events and photo shoot make overs as well as makeup training. God has been so great in my life and the support I have received from my husband has been really amazing.

Owning a trade hasn’t been easy especially if it’s something that requires you to deal with people in the Diaspora. Sometimes I get multi-racial clients and the language barrier becomes an issue because I have to make them feel comfortable by trying to throw in a word or two in their language.

I never limit myself to opportunities my life has had a lot of ups and downs but I’ve thrived with everything and God has been my pillar. I never thought I would get so much support from my South African friends and partners, being from a country like Zimbabwe I was under the impression that my opportunities were limited.

Go for something that you want in life, pursue what you are passionate about do not allow anything to limit you, be it your environment or the people around you. if I had let my obstacles take over my life and control me I wouldn’t be the person I am today.