Iiyambo turns childhood passion into tribute
ONGWEDIVA – Hilja Iiyambo (27) is navigating two demanding worlds – medicine and beauty – while building a business that carries the name and memory of her late father. The medical intern at Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital grew up in Tsandi in the Omusati region with a childhood dream of painting nails and helping people feel... The post Iiyambo turns childhood passion into tribute appeared first on New Era .
ONGWEDIVA – Hilja Iiyambo (27) is navigating two demanding worlds – medicine and beauty – while building a business that carries the name and memory of her late father.
The medical intern at Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital grew up in Tsandi in the Omusati region with a childhood dream of painting nails and helping people feel confident in their own skin.
For Iiyambo, that dream started long before she imagined herself pursuing a career in medicine.
“It has been a dream since I was a child. I started doing nails at a very young age, obviously with nail polish, so when I finished high school, I decided to go for nail training while waiting for my approval to go study medicine at the Russian school of medicine,” she said.
Her passion for beauty followed her to Russia, where she pursued her medical studies.
During her free time, Iiyambo continued doing nails, earning extra income to cover some of her basic expenses.
“I always wanted to open something in the beauty industry long before I left the country, so when I returned, I settled for a beauty spa in Ondangwa while juggling with my internship,” she said.
However, the business eventually became more than a childhood dream.
In September last year, Iiyambo lost her father to cancer, a loss that inspired her to turn her planned beauty venture into a lasting tribute to him.
She named the business PIA Beauty Spa, using her father Paulus Iiyambo Andreas’ initials.
“Last year September, I lost my father to cancer, and that is why I named my spa PIA because I wanted to do something in his honour and remembrance, so I planned and opened a spa in his name. PIA is actually my dad’s name. The initials of his names are Paulus Iiyambo Andreas,” she said.
PIA Beauty Spa officially opened its doors in June 2026 in Ondangwa. Despite her enthusiasm, Iiyambo said entrepreneurship has come with its own challenges, particularly marketing and visibility, managing clients around her demanding internship schedule and maintaining adequate stock.
She said sourcing products can also be challenging because most of their stock comes from Windhoek.
This makes it difficult to replenish products whenever they are needed. Looking ahead, Iiyambo has ambitions to grow PIA beyond a single spa.
She plans to expand its beauty and wellness services, establish branches across Namibia, train and employ more beauty professionals and eventually launch her own skincare and beauty product line.
Her goal is to transform PIA Beauty Spa into a trusted and leading beauty and wellness brand in Namibia.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Iiyambo’s advice is simple: “start where you are and remain committed”.
“Success in the beauty industry isn’t about being the biggest – it’s about being consistent, passionate and committed to helping people feel confident. Start with what you have, keep learning and never let fear stop you from taking the first step,” she said.
She acknowledged that the beauty industry is not always glamorous, with slow days, setbacks and moments of doubt forming part of the journey.
“Believe in your vision, stay authentic and remember: the business you dream of is built one client, one lesson and one day at a time,” she said.
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