From aviation to entrepreneurship, Njabu Shabangu has turned discipline, strategy, and creativity into a thriving business that supports start-ups and small businesses across Eswatini. The founder of Notesha Media Inc., a full-service agency offering executive administration, social media strategy, and consulting, shared her journey, challenges, and vision in an exclusive conversation with Independent News Eswatini.
Shabangu’s career began in airport operations, where she spent over a decade mastering safety, security, and coordination. Leveraging her experience, she transitioned into executive administration before founding Notesha Media to help businesses scale efficiently and thrive in the digital space.
The digital entrepreneur discussed how her background shaped her leadership approach, her most successful projects, and the hurdles she has faced as a female entrepreneur in Eswatini. She also offered advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves in the current economic climate.
1. How did your early experiences in aviation shape your approach to leadership and management?
Answer- from the onset, when my career in aviation started, during training; discipline was instilled early on, the aviation industry is one that is critical and susceptible to threats. Throughout training and leading to our pass-out we were taught about being disciplined always because the work environment depends on it. The importance of teamwork was also another aspect that was drilled in. This then shaped how I approached leadership early on, you don’t have to be bossy but lead your team with empathy, assertiveness, and logic. When you’re a leader it’s important to set a good example and possess a positive and stable mindset to be able to shape the mindset of your team to work towards a certain goal.
2. What inspired you to move from executive support into founding Notesha Media Inc.?
Answer- at first it started as a side hustle while I was still holding my position as an executive assistant. I looked into the experience, skills, and capabilities I possessed and realized that I can offer a service for those in need especially start-ups and small businesses who, as yet do not have the capacity to hire an Administrative/Executive officer for their business.
3. How do you balance executive administration with social media strategy and consulting?
Answer- in this digital era we live in, everything is right at the tip of our hands. It’s no longer the times when everything was done manually by hand, well, I wouldn’t say its easy to balance all 3, but luckily there are Apps and software available to help streamline work processes. Each of the 3 arms I work with has relevant tools that enhance efficiency and professionalism in work delivery. There is an onboarding process that easily captures details for new clients, the service they want, and their exact need. No two client are the same, and from there, we’re able to custom make a package that will suit them and their business. Between administration, social media, and consulting, I am able to use the relevant Apps or software and that makes it easy to work without so much as breaking a sweat.
4. Can you share a few impactful projects or client successes and results achieved.
Answer- when I first started, I worked with an international client in 2023; Kunye Wines, where I was doing administration and social media management for their online platforms. I helped develop their social media strategy to help grow their online presence and increase brand awareness. During that time, I also coordinated and helped planned their first wine tasting that was held at The Convention Centre. It was a huge success, and by then in a space of 6months, I had taken their dormant Instagram page from 16 followers to over 200 followers with a reach of over 3k per month.
On that same note, another major client in 2024 that I worked with was Ekukhuleni Kwetfu Farm at Eticantfwini, Manzini. I was handling Administration for the farm. When I came in, there were no processes and systems in place, and they were losing too much produce as waste due to not taking produce to the market on time. I helped with scouting for markets and registered the farm as a vendor in our local leading supermarkets, Spar and Shoprite and later on Namboard. The success rate was high as on a busy week, we’d make 4 or 5 deliveries per week. I also helped develop templates- for reporting, capturing daily farm schedules, for capturing farm proceeds and market days. I also coordinated with the team and together we developed a Standard Operating Procedure for harvesting and delivery, easy to follow during harvesting, handling, washing, packing up to delivery.
That is to name a few, over time, I’ve also helped small business owners with creating and optimizing their social platforms for online visibility to help attract their ideal clientele.
5. What challenges have you faced as a female entrepreneur in Eswatini, and how have you overcome them?
Answer- challenges are there on a daily and it’s a matter of developing resilience for growth. First one being, the ability to retain long-term clients, the longest client I’ve had was for a period of 12months. It’s not easy to attain long-term clients due to economic circumstances, during the end of our agreement contract, you find that they don’t renew.
Another challenge is when potential clients don’t see the value of what my services are going to bring into their business and feel like they can do this on their own. Or they negotiate for lower price payments, and this compromise the quality of the work to be delivered.
As an entrepreneur Eswatini, the biggest challenge is trying to access international clients, what proves a challenge is receiving payment. Our government isn’t yet in agreements with a lot of international payments receiving methods, when you try to sign-up for those, our country isn’t usually listed as one of the countries that can utilize that system, and that leaves a lot of money on the table for us freelancers/online business owners, because much as you can attain clients, the difficulty is in the ease of receiving payments.
6. Which value guide your work and client relationship?
Answer- I am guided by professionalism, efficiency, trustworthiness, dependability, quality, and timely service delivery.
7. How do you see Notesha Media Inc. evolving over the next five years locally and internationally?
Answer- I see Notesha media Inc. evolving into a fully-fledged agency, complete with the right personnel i.e. a virtual assistant, social media and brand strategist graphic designer, videographer, and photographer to name a few. These are important figures for an agency to run smoothly for top quality service delivery both locally and internationally.
8. Are there personal milestones or stories that reflect your journey and impact?
Answer- I have grown personally as a person and as an entrepreneur. Over the years I’ve been able to pick more skills that shape my journey. When I look back from when I started, I was shy and honestly didn’t know what I was doing, honestly, I was just winging it, but now this comes easy, and my confidence has grown. When I first started, I didn’t know anything about social media management, but through curiosity and enrolling in courses and learning, practicing, and honing my skills, I now am confidently able to approach ideal clients that I would like to work with. Of course, some say no- but it’s the one “yes” after ten “no’s” that make a difference.
9. Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career and why?
Answer- my biggest influence came from following the right people on social media to learn from, people who have shaped my mindset that everything is possible no matter where you are in the world, you can do it. Hugely I have been influenced by Nigerian creators who are on the same industry and space that I am in, whom I have learnt so much from. Their drive, resilience has shaped how I position myself Eswatini.
10. What drives you to keep innovating and pushing Notesha Media forward every day?
Answer- I am driven by making a positive impact and helping clients achieve their objectives and goals while helping them. I am driven by excellence and the financial independence that comes with starting (founding) something from scratch and seeing it grow, this helps me shapes and shifts Notesha Media on a daily to be one day a top leading administration and social media agency.
11. What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs in Eswatini?
Answer- it is hard to do business, the economic circumstances we’re facing these days makes it even harder. I’d say aspiring entrepreneurs, this is also the perfect time to start and grow something and give yourself the next 3years to perfect and work on it, in five years you’ll be in a different and better position. Firstly, work on your entrepreneurial mindset because entrepreneurship is lonely, and it is also easy to give up along the way. Secondly, learn how to Network, this is very important-your network is your net worth. Lastly, along your journey identify your tribe or circle, people who are on the same journey as you who understand your journey and will give you the support you need, you don’t need to journey alone, and learn how to collaborate to drive business growth, you don’t have to operate in silo there is no growth there.
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