21-year-old Tanzanian talks about her soap manufacturing business
By Kate Douglas
Twenty-one-year-old Domitila Silayo is the founder
of Jatropha Soap Production in Tanzania, which
produces handmade soap with medicinal uses.
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.”
By Kate Douglas
Twenty-one-year-old Domitila Silayo is the founder
of Jatropha Soap Production in Tanzania, which
produces handmade soap with medicinal uses.
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.”
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