Behind every business success lies a story of humble beginnings, of an entrepreneur determined to succeed despite their daily challenges.

Beatha Shivute's story is no different.

Her journey, she says, has been filled with both great stories and setbacks.

When Shivute first joined the business sector, she crossed the border into South Africa to sell hand-made laundry baskets in exchange for second-hand clothes.

After four years of doing business in South Africa's big cities, Shivute changed her route to neighbouring Angola and started going to Lubango, still to buy second-hand clothes, although her trips to Angola were shortlived.

After a year, she fell ill and was advised to refrain from carrying heavy objects. 

That marked the end of her clothing business.

"The doctors asked what I do for a living, and they told me that I can no longer continue to carry heavy things, and I ended up at home. I spend most of my time in bed, but I had many ideas, and that is where I got the idea to make smaller baskets," she narrated.

To add to her income, she introduced dressmaking to her business model using an idle-standing sewing machine.

"I am used to working by myself already, and I cannot get used to the idea of being given money while I lay idle at home, and that's how I continued making the clothes. My sister used to assist me in selling the clothes, but the business was not profitable as people would steal the clothes, which then forced me to stop."

Besides the setback, she did not give up and started selling bird plums at Enkono Village along the Ondangwa-Oshakati Main, where she has been selling for the past 12 years. 

Shivute speaks fondly of her times at what she now calls her office. Like any other working person, she gets up readies herself and is at her duty station as early as seven in the morning.

Here she's exposed to harsh weather conditions—sometimes very cold, sometimes sunny—and at times very windy.

She recalls arriving there with only one bucket of bird plum but now says that her clientele base has grown significantly.

Trevor Tuitt, who is visiting from the UK, said it is important to support craft.

"This is very important, you know, working with your hands and making crafts. I don't think it is valued as much. I think it is very important to support people who work with their hands so that they can continue with their skills. And also, they are very reasoned, and they look nice."