When 33-year-old Beatha Shitemba had her first child a few years ago, the excitement of welcoming him into his new home with a beautiful nursery was one of her number one priorities.
This is a feeling shared by many new parents who dream of that beautiful nursery fit for a little girl or boy. While it was easy to dream of exactly what she wanted, finding the items to decorate the nursery with was a challenge for the mother of one who wanted only the best and trendiest decor for her son.
It was this challenge that made the enterprising mother take a bold step and start her own company specialising in bedding and curtains for babies and young children.
“With your first child, you want to do everything perfectly. You dream of that nursery and how it will look,” she said in an interview with .
Nels Babies, an online based company, specialises in unique, custom-made bedding and curtains and offers a trendy Namibian alternative of boys’, girls’ or gender-neutral nurseries, for those who don’t want to be confined by gender roles. The baby bedding is available in many different designs and can be modified to a customer’s specific requirements.
From her initial research before going into this venture, Shitemba found out that Africa’s birth rates are still the highest in the world with the continent experiencing a growing middle class. She then sought out to capitalise on this market which she found to be more sustainable in the long run.
All the products, Shitemba said, are available in many styles and fabric choices, with the cot bedding especially made with quality fabric and constructed with expert craftsmanship.
“What sets the bedding apart is the patterns. Our fabrics are very different from what you can find in most of the other shops and our products are handmade with 100% cotton. We also keep abreast of the current trends in the industry,” she said. This year, parents can expect to find patterns that feature cacti, mountains and clouds, amongst others.
While most of the products are set at pricing that’s pushed up by the fact that only high end fabric is used and shipped in from the USA, there are however other lines that are more affordable as the fabric is sourced from Namibian outlets.
“We make sets for each market segment. We started with the high end fabrics from the USA but now we get some fabric from here and since that fabric is not the same look, pattern or what’s the latest in the baby nursery industry, it’s cheaper.” The products made from local fabrics are still exquisite and hand made, Shitemba stressed, even though they come at lower prices.
Although she officially went into business early this year, Shitemba started manufacturing her products a few years ago already. A part-time business woman, Shitemba works full time at a local bank and with her business running on her sole expertise, she hopes to one day grow big enough to be able to employ people to work for her. Most of the work in the company is outsourced.
“I’m going to have to look into employing a seamstress who specifically makes my bedding because at the moment, my seamstress makes wedding gowns. She’s busy with bridesmaid dresses and other things. I realised that in order to increase my turnaround time, I’ll need to employ someone who’s a seamstress only for me,” she said. She added that there is also a need to employ other people who will be handling suppliers, marketing and customer orders, amongst other tasks.
Nels Babies was initially targeted at the local Namibian market but Shitemba has plans to take the brand beyond the country’s borders. “At the moment, I’m in talks with a South African boutique that is showing interest,” she said.
Nels Babies is available online at nelsbabies.com and can also be found at Baby and Kids Emporium in Klein Windhoek where the bedding is available in sets. Janine Bolm, owner of the shop, said that the brand is selling well. “They are selling very well, especially the baby bedding set that includes pillow cases, a padded duvet comforter, cot bumper and cot sheet,” Bolm said.
Nels Babies can also be found on Facebook.
