Joëlla Niyonkuru is the owner and founder of Shazawax. It is a fashion company making clothes for men, women and children. They also make handbags for ladies. Joëlla started Shazawax in October 2021 and its first location was France in the town of Valence. It is now located in Bujumbura exactly in Gihosha, in Karama quarter not far from the Burundian Presidence Palace, just behind Mandela bar.
Joëlla tells us that the journey to starting her company was not an easy one, but her determination kept her going. Her passion for entrepreneurship paired with the one she had for making people elegant through clothing, made her choose fashion as her career. “I wanted to give confidence to those women who didn’t like their bodies and let them know that they too can be beautiful if dressed right.”
She adds that at first she feared failure and the possibility of slow success. Many people discouraged her, but at the end she had to keep her eyes on the goal and learn from the elders in the industry. In a world that highly favors men especially in business, young women like Joëlla are the hope of the future. She is setting an example and paving the way for the generation to come, being a living proof that hard work really pays off.
Being in the creative industry, Shazawax is making its mark by introducing new innovative styles that caters for the needs of their clients.
Their golden rule is to gain, uphold and maintain the trust of their clients. Different events and fashion shows are held often in order to increase the visibility of the brand, create new contacts and expand their reach.
In the days to come, Shazawax hopes to grow into a big luxury brand in Burundi as well as the rest of the world.
A good investment such as this deserves to be supported, for it is through such work that a country develops.
Ange Vicka Izere
