Ladies Enrichment Entrepreneurs Club - Boabab's article

Ladies Enrichment Entrepreneurs Club - Boabab's article

Boabab features in the January edition of LEC Worldwide (Ladies Enrichment Entrepreneurs Club) - Really awesome initiative and so honored to be part of it. Thank you Zelda du Toit

I was raised in the Bushveld region of South Africa and (like most of us) have a strong longing for Africa that will never fade.  Combined with this and always wanting to open my own little business, it only made sense to start something that touches close to home.  We immigrated to Canada in 2017 and have been extremely fortunate to experience and fall in love with another country all together!    I want to share some favorites with our new home, help fill a void for all the folks who long for home and make a difference while doing it!

Initially and eventually, my aim is to open a physical location.  A deli/boutique which sells South African goodies, foods and handmade arts, crafts and décor.

But financing such a dream doesn’t come easy!  I used the tools available to me to start my online store instead.  From designing my website myself to countless days of scouting the internet to find African/Afrikaans treasures and artists – Boabab started to take shape.  My search crossed paths with awesome people and items.  Somewhere down the line my concept developed into a platform that supports work creation, entrepreneurs and the upliftment/empowerment of rural communities.  I wish I could stock everything my website lists, but there is just too many vendors wanting to be part of Boabab which would be a costly endeavor I don’t have the means for.   Although we hold a small variety of items in stock, Boabab serves mostly as a ‘on demand’ basis.  From beaded ornaments, handmade leather shoes (vellies) and hand painted enamel ware, Boabab imports beautiful ethnic and traditional items.  We often receive special requests and utilize our vendors in South Africa to custom make or source the items.  Items arrive anywhere between 3 and 6 weeks (if not in stock).  A familiar saying in Afrikaans “wees geduldig, die windpomp gaan soek nie die water nie” (be patient, the windmill doesn’t go seek water).

Boabab has only been in operation for a few months!  Our listings grow every month as we add new artist’s items to our online store and we are constantly searching for unique items and vendors.  Boabab can offer wholesale and ship anywhere in the world.  Please contact us for wholesale pricing.

Our website is www.boabab.ca and we are based in a small town in Southern Alberta, Canada.  The items and prices as seen on the website is already priced to include importation, so only local shipping will be calculated at check out.  The support from the South African expats in Canada and USA has been amazing and we hope to keep it going!

Find the full online edition here:

https://online.fliphtml5.com/icgxb/bnbb/?fbclid=IwAR0k8Z9RsEoyQg6VlcVJuFknDzK8oRpWGIx5hr3G-dMyYGDGNwsE-FLNO78#p=1

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