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02 January 2020
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Story Valentino Ndaba
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Photo Anja Aucamp
Refilwe Xaba, the founder and CEO of Glolooks.
Refilwe Xaba, Senior Assistant Officer in Entrepreneurship Development at the UFS Centre for Development Support, is the founder and CEO of Glolooks. This Bloemfontein-based company manufactures and supplies an organic, natural hair product range.
When she first developed the products, they were for personal use. Xaba evolved from an intrapreneur to an entrepreneur. She innovated a personal solution into a booming business idea. It was only in May 2016 that she decided to go into business, following growing interest in the way she maintained her hair. “I officially started in-depth research in October 2015, after years of making concoctions for myself.”
Business and books
Xaba reckons that a research background is beneficial for growing a business such as Glolooks that has a huge technical aspect. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Entrepreneurship with a focus on marketing and is planning to use her business as a case study.
Her undergraduate, honours, and master’s studies, which she completed at Kovsies, contributed to equipping Xaba with skills to grow her business. She believes in balancing education and business. “I have always been commerce-orientated. If there is a problem to be fixed, I fix it. However, people are at the centre of my heart.”
Growing Glolooks
In 2019, Glolooks opened a salon in Westdene, where customers can receive a holistic experience above and beyond merely purchasing the product. Xaba says this is one of the ways her business is being innovative when it comes to creating relationships with customers.
Meet our Council: Mr Rantooa Moji – passionate about the welfare of workers
2017-07-07
Mr Rantooa Moji, member of the UFS Council
Photo: Stephen Collett
Mr Rantooa Moji has recently joined the UFS Council by virtue of being chairperson of the university’s Institutional Forum (IF). The IF’s function is to advise Council in accordance with the Higher Education Act and UFS Statute.
Born and bred in Qwaqwa, Mr Moji is a junior lecturer in Chemistry at the university. He completed his BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at the then UNIN (Qwaqwa), which is now part of the UFS. He also completed an MA (HES) at the University of the Free State.
Fascinated with Chemistry
“I pursued science mainly due to my school background, but I also have a keen interest in the subject. The diverse applications of Chemistry in daily life have always fascinated me and that is why I chose to pursue it,” he says.
During his postgraduate studies at the UFS, Moji was exposed to education and management trends in higher education. He has subsequently become involved with labour relations issues through the personnel union Nehawu. He says he has a passion for the welfare of workers and therefore fulfils a number of roles in the union, including representing members in disciplinary and grievance hearings, being part of the negotiations team, and representing the union on a number of institutional committees, such as the Health Care Committee.
Passion for worker’s welfare
Says Mr Moji: “I feel that my experience as an academic and a union activist puts me in good stead to ensure that the views and aspirations of employees are taken into account in the Council’s deliberations and decision-making.”
Mr Moji is married, with two daughters and one son.