Slowly but surely, Busu Skincare, a small enterprise, is winning customers’ hearts by being innovative
By George Gichuki
One of the most outstanding traits of successful entrepreneurs is their ability to seize and capitalize on the business opportunities that they spot. Hawk eyed, passionate and full of energy , they are keen on growing their enterprises and making a difference in the society. Consequently, they don’t rest on their laurels. In their quest to excel in the world of business, they create strong and highly visible brands. A good number these entrepreneurs start in a small way, yet by being resilient and focused, they are able scale up their businesses. Emma Omany fits in this category.
Soft spoken, articulate and with a keen eye on details, Emma topped the She’s Next global advocacy programme in July. Empowered by Visa, the programme aims to support women owned small businesses through funding, training and mentorship so that they can take their enterprises to new heights. A chartered marketer by profession, Emma studied tourism management before transitioning to marketing. Her experience in marketing spans almost two decades in diverse industries like hospitality, logistics and manufacturing.
Her business is known as Busu Skincare and it specializes in manufacturing moisturizers. Busu addresses the need for locally manufactured emollients that cater for sensitive African skin. By the same token, it incorporates local botanicals and traditional beauty practices from various ethnic groups in Kenya. The value proposition of this small enterprise is the provision of high quality, safe and consistent skincare products. Busu is a Kiwahili name which means kiss. “ Our brand shares a kiss from mother nature and our African heritage through our wide range of moisturizers, “ says Emma.
‘The roots
Emma grew up with a bad case of eczema. Even as an adult, she still manages this condition. Every cloud a popular adage goes, has a silver lining. She launched Busu range of products to address that personal challenge. “ The light bulb moment was when my son was diagnosed with the condition when Covid-19 was at its peak,” she recalls. “ This limited our access to the imported emollient solutions, and consequently, I developed a product to address that,” she adds.
Over time, Emma’s decision to become an entrepreneur has solidified. Starting in a small way but staying focused on her dream, her business has carved out a niche by providing high quality locally manufactured emollient that addresses the pain points of availability, affordability and efficacy. Additionally, it has positively impacted on other partners in its value chain. “ Our vision is to create jobs in our value chain and impact positively on our partners’ lives as we grow our capacity,” she affirms. The business sources its raw materials from micro and small enterprises that are owned by women across the country. It targets health conscious individuals looking for safe nature-based personal care products such as body lotions and creams.
Standing out
Competition is rife in this business. To address that challenge, Busu Skincare specializes in the production of multifunctional products. For instance, its face cream is a combination of a serum and moisturizer. Additionally, these products are specially designed for the African skin using locally available raw materials. By the same token, the packaging is friendly to the environment. Busu uses glass and recycled plastic, as well as reusable ( airless) pump jars. “This business is owned by a woman and eighty percent of our suppliers are women,” she says adding that this demonstrates that women play a pivotal in nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship in Kenya. “ We cater for customers – both women and men – who are keen on accessing safe skin care products, by offering them body creams and butter lotions,” Emma says. Her firm also tailors products based on the tastes and preferences of individual customers. “ We have customers who prefer products with neither chemicals nor synthetic emollients,” she affirms.

She’s Next
The overall winner of the inaugural She’s Next Kenya competition for women entrepreneurs, Emma says that it was a game changer for her business. “ It has been a life changing moment for us,” she confesses. “ Our business has been propelled to the next level giving us the capacity to enhance our production and marketing capacity,” she adds.
This superb performance has also given the business a lot of visibility in the media. In the same breath, its capacity has been enhanced through various workshops and mentorship initiatives. “ I have also grown my network among women entrepreneurs and gained confidence to undertake more challenging business tasks,” Emma adds.
Going forward, the ambitious entrepreneur is planning to expand into three new markets in Africa within the next three years. As a way of enhancing the growth of small and medium enterprises ( SMEs) in Kenya, she calls upon stakeholders to put in place measures that will make the business environment more conducive.
Emma at a glance
Diary : Wakes at 5.30 am, prepares and takes breakfast before going to work (from Monday to Friday). She spends the weekend with her family.
Favourite cuisine: African dishes
Hobbies : Working out in the gym and reading for leisure
Favourite author : Jeffrey Archer
Dream Car : BMW X6