For 26-year-old Palesa Khoza, based in Sekampaneng, Hammanskraal, what began as a simple act of kindness has turned into a successful beauty business.

She started her beauty salon in 2024, driven by a love for hair, makeup and self-care. She sharpened her skills over many hours watching online tutorials and fixing her own beauty treatments when there were instances of disappointing salon visits.

Khoza’s journey took a meaningful turn when her brother’s girlfriend needed her hair and nails done. Khoza offered her services for free, doing such an impressive job that the girlfriend ended up paying her in cash as a token of appreciation. That gesture planted a seed of belief. “I took it as a sign that I could actually do this,” she says.

Unemployed and with limited funds, Khoza began building her business one customer at a time. She worked from home, often converting her garage into a mini-salon or making house calls to clients.

Initially, all her payments came in cash, which quickly created challenges.

“Sometimes I’d use business money for personal things because I didn’t have a proper way of tracking what came in. And I couldn’t always keep my earnings safe.”

Sometimes, relatives took her money stored at home without her permission, which led to tension and profit loss. And there was another concern for Khoza: spiritual safety.

“Not everyone wants to see you grow. So in our communities, there’s an awareness and fear that cash could be used in harmful spiritual practices to block your success.”

After a client suggested she try digital payments, Khoza decided to make the shift. She started with basic transfers.

“I didn’t want to invest in a speedpoint machine at first because of the cost. But bank transfers were easy and I encouraged clients to pay immediately so I could confirm payment before they left.”

Although the delays between different banks occasionally created worry, Palesa found that the convenience of digital payments outweighed the concerns.

“I save time now because I don’t have to stand in long queues at the ATM to deposit money. And it’s not safe walking around with a lot of cash,”

Her clients agree. Tshegofatso Makhadi, one of her regulars, appreciates the security of digital payment systems.

“Digital is faster and safer. It helps business owners like Palesa avoid being targeted by criminals and lets them manage their money from home without taking risks at ATMs that may have been tampered with.”

Not only did the shift to digital payments make her business easier to run for Khoza, every tap, swipe or transfer has helped her grow with confidence that even small, home-based businesses can thrive in the digital economy.