Nolubabalo Nojozi once dreamed of becoming a social worker, but her love for beauty led her in a different direction.
Growing up in the village of eMazotshweni in Dikeni, Eastern Cape, she had many aspirations – even becoming a flight attendant was on her list. However, with a family that deeply values tradition, she was encouraged to pursue something else.
Today, Nolubabalo is a somatologist and the proud founder of Bella Nova Aesthetics in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, turning her passion into a business that reflects her journey.
Beauty takes flight
Nojozi grew up enjoying makeup, even though her application skills weren’t perfect. Still, she always had a natural talent for beauty enhancement. While she initially dreamed of becoming a social worker, her curiosity in high school led her to consider a career as a flight attendant.
“My uncle wasn’t supportive of the idea. He said, ‘What if you die on a flight or in a foreign country? Who will we bury – ashes? No, we believe in burying the actual body’,” she says.
Instead, she applied to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to study information technology. “I was told the only available course was office management and technology. I took it because I just wanted to study.”
That year, however, proved difficult for Nojozi, as she felt overwhelmed and struggled to understand the course.
“I told my parents I wanted to take a gap year, but they refused.”
Then, one day in January, while looking through a prospectus with her brother, she discovered somatology studies and her journey took a whole new direction.
The CPUT somatology programme specifically focuses on facial and body therapies and complementary therapies, including massage therapies, reflexology, aromatherapy, manual lymph drainage and stress management.
A journey of perseverance
In 2007, Nojozi applied for somatology studies. The year before, everything was taken care of by NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme), however, now, not everything was covered by NSFAS which made for a difficult financial struggle.
“Back in those days, somatology wasn’t an easy course to get into. It was dominated by white students,” she says.
“The application process was very intense. You had to do medicals, submit photographs, and meet other requirements.”
Throughout the course, she realised that she hadn’t done thorough research, as many things were needed from her own pocket, including working kits, uniforms, textbooks, and other materials.
“My mother was a retired domestic worker, and my father was a welder and the only one working. We really had a tough time.”
Despite the challenges, Nojozi completed the course in record time and began job hunting.
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Journey in skincare and beauty
She realised during the course that somatology isn’t just about facial beauty, but inner beauty as well. During her degree, she studied nutrition, science, anatomy, physiology, and the study of body mechanics.
After graduation, she worked as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics, but after three years, she felt unchallenged.
“I get bored very easily. I always need something to stimulate me so I can move on to something else.”
She moved back and forth between Johannesburg and Cape Town and even studied supply chain management at the University of South Africa (Unisa). After feeling restless again, she decided to join cruise ship jobs in 2015.
“On the cruise ship, I specialised in skin. That’s when my whole world opened up.” She worked closely with a cosmetic doctor, which fascinated her.
After three years, she returned to Mzansi and had a baby. She then worked as a receptionist in a hotel in Cape Town but felt unfulfilled by the lack of client interaction.
“I took a job as a therapist at a spa, and that was fulfilling.”
Then Covid hit and she was retrenched. After a while, she got a job in an aesthetics salon. “There, they were doing the kinds of treatments I was always hungry for.”
The birth of Bella Nova Aesthetics
Nojozi returned to the cruise ship, took a year-long contract, and decided it was time to settle down.
“I felt like I was missing out on my son’s growing stages,” she admits.
That’s how Bella Nova Aesthetics was born in 2022, funded by her cruise ship savings.
“I specialise in dark skin. What I’ve noticed is that treatments for the same facial challenge won’t be the same for everyone. Some issues can be treated topically, while others require multiple skincare treatments, especially if they affect the dermis.”
“I worry about people who use black market creams for quick fixes; these products often do more harm than good,” she cautions.
She explains that she refers her clients to dermatologists when she’s unable to assist.
Nojozi adds that some skincare issues can be addressed through diet, and highlights that healthy skincare starts with the basics: a cleanser, toner, exfoliator, moisturiser, and daily SPF.
She enjoys spreading the message of a good skincare routine. And although her journey to finding her passion wasn’t easy, it was definitely worth it.
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