In 2015, with sheer determination, an Instagram account and only two products, makeup and skincare enthusiast Rabia Ghoor launched her own makeup brand, SwiitchBeauty at only 14-years-old. Describing herself as an "occasional business lady", Rabia has managed to build a beauty empire that's not only intentional about skincare and beauty, "but a beauty brand that offers products that are proven-to-work,affordable & cute as hell!".
Fast forward nine years later, SwiitchBeauty has garnered over 128 000 followers on Instagram. In addition to this, the South African skincare and makeup brand has also expanded both its makeup and skincare catalogues; initially starting with just two products to now having over 20 products available online and in selected stores. Since its inception SwiitchBeauty has cemented itself as one of South Africa's most influential, trustworthy and cutting edge digital beauty brands that continues to prioritise connection and community.
In an age of ever changing trends and the most volatile marketplace, our people really are the lifeline of Swiitch.
SwiitchBeauty's impact has since transcended both the beauty and skincare industries, quickly embedding itself as a voice for the voiceless. The SwiitchBeauty brand and it's founder, Rabia Ghoor has openly spoken out about the Palestinian genocide. Their activism doesn't stop there, SwiitchBeauty has also used their platform as source for information and have in turn created campaigns encouraging the youth of South Africa to register to vote four the country's national elections this past May. The campaign, #SwiitchRally saw the beauty brand offering free beauty products to registered voters and as part of the brand’s campaign, SwiitchBeauty set up pop-up's in various provinces across South Africa to specifically connect with their community and encouraging supporters to register to vote.
So why is this a big deal? Well when it comes to the beauty industry, it's often unheard of for brands to speak out about any political or social issue, in fact it is always frowned upon. Which is why this is refreshing knowing that a beauty empire like SwiitchBeauty isn't afraid to speak out.
We've often seen how beauty brands in particular miss the mark when it comes to inclusion, brand awareness and diversity, while the beauty industry has a long way to go, it's kind of heart warming knowing that brands like SwiitchBeauty are not only intentional about product formulation, but are deliberate about building long lasting communities that are inclusive and bringing about awareness about things that affect us on a daily basis.
Swiitch Beauty is certainly more than just a moment or trend, this brand continues to boldly set the tone for what community, inclusivity and authenticity is supposed to look like.
For more on the Rabia Ghoor and the SwiitchBeauty brand, NIGHTSTAND SERVICE interviewed the young founder discussing her journey into entrepreneurship and the inspiration behind her beauty empire. We also delved into the importance of championing for freedom and equality.
Wanique Block: Who is Rabia Ghoor?
Rabia Ghoor: Monday to Friday 9-5 I am a slave to Kauai & occasional business lady - but on the weekend - I am whoever you want me to be.
WB: Do you mind telling us what SwiitchBeauty is?
RG: SwiitchBeauty is the brain child of our community. It’s what would happen if the coolest 18-34 y/o women in South Africa got together and dreamt up their most curated, intentional & beauty brand. The more textbook answer is that SwiitchBeauty is a digitally native beauty brand that offers products that are proven-to-work, affordable & cute as hell!
WB: Let’s talk about the inception of Swiitch Beauty. What inspired you to specifically create a beauty brand?
RG: As a young makeup user and skincare enthusiast, I saw a gap in the South African market for a local, affordable beauty brand harnessing the power of social media to connect with its consumer - and so Swiitch was born.
WB: You started your business at the tender age of 14, looking back, what would you say was the most difficult part about creating a business at 14-years-old?
RG: Quite frankly I think I was too young to realise that my age was a factor. Unintentionally - I never brought it up & always presented myself well. It also helps that I come from a very entrepreneurial / business savvy family and they have always been very emotionally supportive of me.
WB: Over the years, through community, SwiitchBeauty has cemented itself as one of South Africa’s most trustworthy and influential brands. How has SwiitchBeauty managed to build a long-lasting community?
RG: We are unbelievably blessed to have been able to build an engaged online community. In an age of ever changing trends and the most volatile marketplace - our people really are the lifeline of Swiitch. Many companies say this because often their customers = revenue. We say it because our customers = revenue, inception, research, development, testing, marketing and almost every
other aspect of our business. Involving the customer in a number of decision-making processes has ensured that they always feel like they are a part of the company - and that’s because they are. This is evident in our current product offering which is very intentional and curated to the end user.
WB: Since the creation of Swiitch Beauty, what have you learned about yourself?
RG: It’s a stoic teaching that the surest way to discipline destiny is to discipline time. My business has been an incredible incubator for my personal development and growth. Starting out at such an impressionable age seemed at first like something of a disadvantage. In hindsight it was my single greatest advantage. I think the lesson there is just to get going & learn on the job. There is no greater qualification than practical experience itself. The business has been like a training arena for myself to strengthen in certain areas of my person-hood, gain flexibility in other areas and so on.
WB: What do you hope people take away from the products and brand you’ve created?
RG: That it’s possible to create something out of absolutely nothing if you’re lucky enough to try. That there is never ending value in not just saying you’re consumer centric but actually putting the consumer at the very centre of every aspect of your business. That the value from this kind of intention outlives any trend, survives any change in algorithm and beats throwing shit at a wall and hoping it sticks 9 times out of 10.
WB: What do you think is the one thing that makes SwiitchBeauty stand out?
RG: Apart from being the first digitally-native South African beauty brand - many brands claim “for girls by girls” but I don’t think any of them (in the local space at least) own that statement as
much as SwiitchBeauty does. This is because it’s the truth. We have a minimal amount of artists / chemists in our R&D process and the maximum amount of end users to ensure the product is really tailored and intentional not for professional use but day to day use. Small and seemingly insignificant modifications to componentry and formulation which actually make the world of difference to a mother rushing to get out the door in the next 3 minutes. These are things we could never learn from a chemist and only ever learn from the person using our product. We have a very solid community that genuinely roots for the brand and that is evident in the growth we have seen. As a result of the support we receive from our community, we are able to focus on fun, engaging content on our social media platforms instead of running advertisements because our customers never fail to recommend us to everyone they come across.
WB: The one thing I personally admire about the SwiitchBeauty brand is how the brand has facilitated itself as a voice for the voiceless. We’ve seen this with campaigns like the #SwiitchRally which was used to encourage the youth to register to vote, as well as using your platforms to shine light on the genocide against the Palestinian people. Why is it so important for you to be at the forefront of these political and social movements?
RG: I don’t think we necessarily want to be at the forefront of these issues, we just understand the responsibility we have as a brand with a platform. These issues affect us and our community, and it would be irresponsible for us to keep posting about our cool products in between images of the genocides that many are choosing to ignore. We always commend technology for how much it has helped us connect to the rest of the world, calling ourselves a global community. In South Africa the building block of community is uBuntu – humanity. The issues that affect members of our community affect us.
WB: What does liberation and freedom mean to the SwiitchBeauty brand?
SwiitchBeauty has always had “a come as you are” approach to beauty. We don’t tell our community to buy our products to look a certain way but rather no matter how you look, our products can be used by you. For us this means being able to show up as you are in a diverse world and it encapsulates liberation and freedom. In the industry it is often said that “There is no perfect product, there are only perfect products” - this is supposed to mean that the nature of perfection is plural and that each person will find a different thing to be perfect for them. A big focus for us over the last few years has been developing “universal” products. These are products that span age, race & ethnicity. Instead of focusing on the desires that set us apart - we’re zeroing in on the ones that bind us together. A perfect demonstration of this philosophy is #MonoTint - our cult favourite & bestselling lip, eye & cheek tint that adapts to the users skin tone to give them a dewy, flushed tint. True liberation is to be and come as one is. True freedom is only in community of one another.
WB: Going forth, how will SwiitchBeauty continue to maintain and champion for freedom and equality?
The black & white answer is that we will continue amplifying issues that affect our communities and initiatives that make our world better. But it’s a really difficult question to answer as the ever changing landscape of freedom and equality often cues us in the right direction as time goes by. I think as a brand we’re rooted in some really solid philosophies. As it’s founder it is my responsibility to see how we take those philosophies and really translate them into our internal culture, messaging & end product. This is a constant work in progress and my personal growth, experience and enlightenment is tied inextricably to it.
WB: What does the future look like for Swiitch Beauty?
There are exciting projects and product launches in the pipeline and we cannot wait to share these with our community. We have cued up for this year our first ever complexion product which has been a huge test of our development team. Super exciting! Another big focus for us this year has been refining the user experience visually, operationally & logistically. We are implementing a few changes that we hope will improve the Swiitch experience :)
