Born in Umlazi, KwaZulu Natal, Mubaiwa started Amaranth in 2005, running a showroom at her home after hours and during weekends. At the time, she was a product development manager at Internet Solutions.
Her passion for beautiful things and style inspired her to branch out. In 2006, armed with a loyal customer base, she opened her first store at Lonehill Mall in Fourways, Johannesburg, with about R1 million she had saved.
Amaranth today has branches at Maponya Mall, Soweto, and at the Bel Air shopping centre in Randburg, as well as a clothing boutique at Lonehill with imported brands such as True Religion.
It has a turnover of R3m and employs seven full-time head-office staff. Amaranth items are not for the price-sensitive. Their exclusivity is derived from the fact that Mubaiwa is personally involved in the selection. The focus is not on trendiness but on timeless elegance and style.
“For us it's more than just shopping but also about socialising and building relationships,” says Mubaiwa. ”A woman could be going through a difficult time at work or a divorce and may need someone to talk to.
They can do that at our stores because the environment is conducive to it. As a result we have a rich database of loyal customers.”
Source: Financial Mail
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