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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.
UFS establishes the first chair in Biblical Spirituality in the world
2007-09-17
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Prof. Pieter de Villiers recently delivered his inaugural lecture as extraordinary professor in Biblical Spirituality at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Theology. He is the first person in the world to occupy a chair of this nature. As extraordinary professor he is associated to the Faculty of Theology’s Departments of Old and New Testaments. The interest in spirituality is growing world-wide and research into this field is increasing. As a result of this, Prof. Francois Tolmie, head of the Department of New Testament at the UFS, took the initiative of establishing a chair in Biblical Spirituality at the Faculty of Theology. This places the faculty at the forefront of this important field of study. During the inaugural lecture were, from the left: Prof. Fanie Snyman (Head of the UFS Department of Old Testament), Prof. Hermie van Zyl (Dean of the UFS Faculty of Theology), Prof. Teuns Verschoor (Vice-Rector: Academic Operations at the UFS), Prof. De Villiers and Prof. Tolmie.
Photo: Stephen Collett
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