We had the good fortune of connecting with Viola Ncube and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Viola, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My Black Beauty Box is a heritage and cultural subscription box representing the 54 African countries and over 2000 tribes, showcasing authentic and ethically sourced jewelry, fashion, food, snacks and literature.

Through my experiences of living and working in Europe, Asia and the USA. I faced discrimination with people making constant jokes about Africa – “do you have electricity, you do have a pet lion, how do you speak English so well” – the list goes on. Secondly, I constantly struggled to find products for my skin tone, hair texture and products reflective of my culture. At first my idea was to create an Afro product marketplace similar to Amazon, however, after a lot of research, focus group discussions, the concept landed on a more niche angle of a heritage and culture subscription box.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets myBlackBeautyBox aside is that, we’re the only Afro Heritage and Cultural service in the subscription box market. We offer full sized products whilst many companies offer sample sizes. We also support and source products from the unseen brands and creatives that are representing the continent of Africa, some are based in the US, however majority are women in remote villages who use the funds to support their families. We have our values embedded in ethical and fair trading.

Each quarterly box has a representation of 3 African countries, of the 54 countries in Africa…(Africa is not a country :-)). Our box takes away geographic distances and cultural barriers. With each box specially curated, myBlackBeautyBox provides an authentic African experience that creates a sense of identity and connection to the motherland.

There have been many challenges to getting here. I have learnt so many lessons along the way, and I am still learning. The biggest challenge for me is the loneliness of the journey, even with a supportive tribe of friends and family. This journey is like “walking on water”, it is only by faith that each day I move forward. It also helps to network with other people walking the same journey, however, funding remains one of the largest barriers to growth for black owned businesses.

Our story is one of UBUNTU, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” -“I am because you are”, it takes a village. As an African Diaspora in the US, living here, I have faced racial and cultural discrimination. I often find myself craving for a place where our differences are celebrated, rather than being judged by the color of one’s skin, sexuality or beliefs. This is the story of many African Americans, the racial disparity in the country tells it all. myBlackBeautyBox is for the African heritage seekers and culture lovers. We celebrate cultural diversity. We hope each box will help, in one small step, to broaden mindsets so we can all celebrate our differences. We are not in the business of selling a box, we’re empowering and connecting people through cultural experiences!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love travel and discovering new places. For the most amazing English breakfast or Afternoon Tea, nothing beats the British pub Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica, a stone throwaway from the beach. I’m a water baby, so Sunday afternoons, my baby, my Dalmatian dog, Tshaka Zulu, we love Huntington or Manhattan Beach. For a night life, if you’re into the Arts and Culture, currently recommend going to see the Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free exhibition at LA Live, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles puts on great works of Shakespeare or even try an Immersive Experience like King Tutan Khuman or Van Gogh at the National Geographic. For music you can’t go wrong at The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl, they always have an amazing calendar of events. Occasionally, I go dancing, Afrobeats or Kizomba in and around LA.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to so many people. Where I am today is credited to so many people from both my past and present. My mum for raising me to put God first, my daughter Kanisha for believing I could, so I did and friends and family for ongoing support. I am an avid believer of mentorship and I have had 1:1 mentorship from Caroline Marsh, a UK Property millionaire who changed the trajectory of my life from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship and legacy building. I follow a lot of leaders who have integrity such as Terry Ijeoma for investment, Nona Jones, Anthony O’Neal , Dave Ramsey and Grant Cardone. Some of my favorite books include The Compound Effect, The Monk who sold His Ferrari, The Alchemist and The Game of Life and How to Play it – these books taught me that it’s not a money problem people have, it’s a mindset issue.

Website: www.myblackbeautybox.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/my_blackbeautybox

Facebook: www.facebook.com/myblackbeautyboxorg

Other: Viola Ncube’s personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/violas_ncube

Image Credits
Sergio @Suzart Photography Roy @ElewaCamera

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