A happy salesperson

A happy salesperson Wetumwene Shikage

Martha Swartbooi was born in the Okahandja district on a small and marginalised farm. She lost her mother at a young age and was then forced to be independent and to stand on her own two feet.

As on orphan, she moved around from one town to another, from one school to another. Martha did not have any parents or anyone to support her financially. This resulted in her leaving school and thereafter started looking for any job that could help her become financially able.

“I started working for a retail shop as a cashier later at customer care. After that, I came to Pupkewitz and I have been here ever since and I am so happy. I started working for Pupkewitz Megabuild in 2004 as a cashier, and four years later they promoted me as a saleslady,” she said.

Swartbooi says her main duties include assisting customers with their needs. Her everyday work is based on customer service face to face as well as through emails and phone. “I do quotations, I follow up with the customers and I attend to the daily orders of my clients. I need to make sure that my customers receive their quotations correct and on time,” she says.

Swartbooi says she loves the daily interaction with the clients and satisfying their needs. “It warms my heart to make everything easier for my clients. I love to see them smile and be happy.”

Her biggest achievement as a full-time working mother is putting all her children through school. She has four children, now aged 32, 28, 26 and 25, and she is proud of them all and wants all of them to graduate from university.

One of her dreams is to have a house to call her own. As a single mother, her message to Namibian women is to be leaders and change-makers because this is no longer only a man's world. “Make the best of it. In whatever situation you are, be strong don’t give up easily. I also believe that we as women should stand together as we lead our nation to success,” she says.