Pure passion to prosper

“I might have been only sixteen years old, but I knew I had found my passion.” These are the first words Samantha Dos Santos says, as she loosens her loose bun. She is petite but her eyes possess a fire that, judging by her feisty demeanour, is not easily extinguished. The fiery streak is genetic, she says with a wink. “I have Portuguese and Italian heritage. And,” she adds, “I was born in Benoni. You know what that means!”

Samantha was a tomboy growing up, until she found her mother’s bright red lipstick and smeared it all over her face. “My mother took part in pageants when I was younger and I loved watching her do her make-up. She always looked so beautiful and I wanted that, too.” Skin problems prevented Samantha from feeling as confident as she would have liked. “I was on every medication I could find, but nothing worked. I wanted clear, perfect skin so I found ways to clear it up. I was determined to cure my own skin and once I did, I felt strongly about helping others in the
same position.”

A determined Samantha approached her parents after school about opening her own business – a beauty salon she wanted to name Pure. “Of course, they asked if I was sure,” Samantha recalls. “But they supported me, on condition
that I was prepared to put in the work. Being an only child meant I grew up around adults and I was accustomed to doing my own thing. I enjoy leading.” During her second year of studying somatology Samantha found her perfect
spa space at the Core Sport and Wellness Medical Centre in Durban North. Although she remembers the premises looking “horrific”, Samantha remembers the bright, natural sunlight spilling into the room. “It just drew me. It was like a golden bucket of blessings! I had been working at home for about a year already, so I was excited to get my own space.” She had one night to design her perfect salon, so she sat with a ruler and pencil and sketched out her dream.

When Pure opened in October 2013, Samantha – at the tender age of 21 – was filled with a mixture of pride and
nerves. “Suddenly, it was my job to make sure there were clean towels and enough stock. I had staff I was responsible for.” The first year of business was tough and Samantha dealt with periods of self-doubt. “I learnt that there would
be months where I would go without my salary, so we could break even. Sometimes I thought ‘this sucks, I’m
poor’,” she remembers. Samantha and her staff of three pushed through and Pure began to grow, hosting treatment days at SA Home Loans and Derivco. “We are a strong team that works well together. Pure wouldn’t work without each of us.”

She might only be 23 years old, but Samantha has business insight far beyond her years. Having recently launched her own mascara, called Fabulash, Samantha is looking ahead to the next phase of broadening her business. She
credits her parents for her keen business sense. “My mum and dad encouraged me to learn on my feet. Because of their belief in me I got to take a calculated risk, which I’m grateful paid off. I knew that if it didn’t work out I could count on my parents’ support. Opening my own business was challenging, but I learnt so much that school couldn’t
have prepared me for.” She admits that being a women in business is tough, but it doesn’t faze her. “Yes,
it’s difficult, especially if you’re as petite as I am. But if anyone messes with me I just pull out my Italian,”
she laughs. “I’m proud of where I am right now but I feel there is much more for me to explore and achieve.
I’m so excited about the future!”