Lwendi Kurls

From Public Service to Purpose: The Story Behind Lwendi Kurls

By Mary Chilumbu-Simwanza
Founder & CEO, Lwendi Kurls

My name is Mary Chilumbu-Simwanza, Founder and CEO of Lwendi Kurls.

My entrepreneurial journey began long before I realized it. Growing up, my late mother ran a small salon from our home—right in my bedroom. As a young girl, I would help her whenever I could, and without even realizing it, she planted in me a passion for beauty and entrepreneurship.

Eventually, my mother closed the salon, and life moved on. I also moved on and, for many years, forgot about that childhood dream.

I joined the Public Service in 2002. In 2010, I was transferred to Livingstone, where I worked for two years. It was during my time there that I discovered I had an entrepreneurial mindset. While carrying out my official duties, I started looking for opportunities to supplement my income.

I began buying clothes, bathroom and toilet sets, slippers, and Chitenge materials from Kamwala Market in Lusaka and selling them in Livingstone. This small trading business not only supplemented my income but also strengthened my entrepreneurial mindset and taught me valuable lessons about identifying opportunities, serving customers, and building a business.

Around the same time, I began helping my aunt sell Milton Lloyd perfumes. I would get the perfumes from her, add my own markup, and sell them on her behalf. After each sale, I would give her the original amount and keep the profit from my markup. This simple business arrangement introduced me to the perfume business and sparked a passion that would later become one of my own successful ventures.

As time went on, Milton Lloyd perfumes became readily available in supermarkets, shopping malls, and many retail outlets. The market became saturated, making it difficult to continue that business. Although I stopped selling those particular perfumes, my love for fragrances had already grown.

I have always loved perfumes. Rather than spending a lot of money buying expensive fragrances for myself, I decided to build a perfume business that would allow me to enjoy quality scents while offering them to others. Ironically, I became so committed to serving my customers that I rarely used the most expensive perfumes myself because I preferred to reserve those for my clients.

My passion for fragrances inspired me to take my perfume business a step further. In 2024, I launched the Lwendi Kurls Inspired Perfume Collection—a line of premium-inspired fragrances carefully selected to capture the essence of some of the world's most popular designer scents. While inspired by these iconic fragrances, every bottle proudly carries the Lwendi Kurls brand, reflecting my commitment to making luxurious scents more accessible to my customers.

My husband, Eric Simwanza , who is also an entrepreneur, has been one of my greatest supporters. Whenever we travelled together, I took advantage of the opportunity to source quality perfumes for resale. Over time, the business continued to grow.

A major turning point came when we acquired land and built some shops. My husband encouraged me to occupy one of the shops for my perfume business. When I looked at the space, I realized it was much bigger than I needed for perfumes alone. That was when I remembered the passion that had been planted in me years earlier by my mother.

I decided to combine the perfume business with a salon.

Lwendi Kurls opened its doors to the public on 15th October 2024. However, the business was officially launched on 15th October 2025, exactly one year later.

This was a deliberate decision. I wanted to take time to learn the ropes all over again, understand the dynamics of the beauty industry, build a loyal customer base, refine our services, and gain the ground and momentum needed for a successful official launch. By the time we launched, we had already established a solid foundation and were confident in the quality of the experience we offered our clients.

The name Lwendi Kurls is deeply personal. It is inspired by my two daughters, Lweendo and Ndimulola. Through Lwendi Kurls, I wanted to build more than just a salon. I wanted to create a brand that reflects family, beauty, confidence, and excellence.

One aspect of my journey that I am especially proud of is that I have built Lwendi Kurls while continuing to serve in the Public Service. Entrepreneurship has never replaced my full-time career; instead, I have successfully balanced both. Building my business alongside my full-time job has required discipline, commitment, sacrifice, and countless hours of hard work. It has taught me that with passion, determination, and proper time management, it is possible to pursue your dreams while honouring your professional responsibilities.

Looking back, I realize that every experience—from helping my mother in her salon, to selling clothes and household items, to trading perfumes, and serving in the Public Service—prepared me for where I am today.

If there is one lesson my journey has taught me, it is that every experience has a purpose. Sometimes, the dream you thought you had left behind is simply waiting for the right season to come back to life.

Success is not always about moving quickly. Sometimes it is about taking time to learn, grow, prepare, and build a strong foundation. When your time comes, you will be ready.

To anyone who has been waiting for the "perfect time" to start a business, my story is proof that you do not always have to choose between your career and your dream. Sometimes, you can build your dream one step at a time while faithfully excelling in your full-time job.

Today, Lwendi Kurls continues to grow because it was built on passion, resilience, faith, family, and the courage to start.

I hope my story inspires someone who has a dream hidden in their heart. Start where you are. Use what you have. Trust the process. Every small beginning has the potential to become something extraordinary.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If it inspires even one person to believe in themselves, pursue their passion, or take the first step towards their dream, then sharing my journey will have been worthwhile.

Mary Chilumbu-Simwanza
Founder & CEO
Lwendi Kurls

The beautiful smiles we put on our clients' faces are priceless. ✨
Good hair, happy client. 💇🏽‍♀️💕 Your confidence is our greatest reward.

This hair colour is available. Please come through to our salon to get yours. We look forward to seeing you!

Are you thinking what am thinking?

This inspo is talking to admin, sooner ‼️

Acrylic nails. Today Last year!

Today last year. Still going strong 💜

Our beautiful friend looks amazing💜

😉☺️

Braid and shave Combo🫶