Kolor Faktory and Beyond: The Entrepreneurial Lessons from Kefentse Maringa’s Journey
Kolor Faktory and Beyond: The Entrepreneurial Lessons from Kefentse Maringa’s Journey. Some business stories are written in boardrooms, but others are written in resilience, long nights, and the pursuit of a dream that refuses to fade. For Kefentse Maringa, a 32-year-old entrepreneur from Pretoria, the road to success has been anything but linear. From selling handmade Valentine’s cards as a child to winning a Glamour Beauty Award for her own foundation line, her journey shows the power of perseverance, innovation, and vision in building a sustainable brand.
Early Sparks of Entrepreneurship
Growing up in Ga-Rankuwa, Kefentse discovered her entrepreneurial instinct at a young age. She turned creativity into commerce by selling handmade cards in primary school, unknowingly laying the foundation for a future rooted in business. That same energy carried into her years at Tshwane University of Technology, where she worked as a brand promoter before launching her own promotions company, Phonetic Group.
The promotions business demanded grit. She faced rejection, long stretches of chasing clients, and the uncertainty that comes with building something from scratch. When financial strain caught up with her in 2015, she took a step back and found herself exploring a new passion, makeup artistry.
The MAC Years and a New Path
Kefentse joined MAC Cosmetics, which at the time was the most aspirational beauty brand in South Africa. Being part of a global powerhouse gave her not only technical skills but also exposure to the dynamics of the beauty industry. While working there, she freelanced as a makeup artist, landing high-profile clients like Khabonina Qubeka and Thuso Mbedu and contributing to productions such as The Big Secret with Masechaba Ndlovu.
Balancing her growing freelance career with her full-time job eventually became unsustainable. She made the bold decision to resign, committing fully to entrepreneurship once more.
Lesson for entrepreneurs: Sometimes stepping away from stability is necessary to create space for your bigger vision.
Identifying a Market Gap
On both sets and in her store, Kefentse observed a recurring challenge: a lack of quality foundation shades for darker skin tones. Like many women, she often had to mix multiple products to create her shade. Instead of treating it as an inconvenience, she saw an opportunity.
This insight gave birth to Kolor Faktory Cosmetics in 2023, a brand built around inclusivity, innovation, and representation. Her hero product, the Naked Melanite Longwear Liquid Foundation, was formulated specifically for dark skin and enriched with skincare benefits. It was more than makeup, it was a statement.
Recognition and Growth
Kolor Faktory’s impact was immediate. The Naked Melanite Foundation won a 2024 Glamour Beauty Award, placing the brand alongside international heavyweights. Soon after, Kefentse reached the top 30 in the Woolworths Youth Maker Competition, cracked the top 10 in Standard Bank’s Top Women in Gauteng Competition, and became a finalist in both Jacaranda FM’s Her Perfect Pitch and Engen’s Pitch & Polish. By 2025, she was listed among the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, cementing her place as one of the country’s rising business leaders.
Lesson for entrepreneurs: Validation from competitions and awards is not just about prestige. It provides credibility, visibility, and opportunities to attract funding and partnerships.
Giving Back and Building Legacy
Kefentse’s vision extends beyond cosmetics. She runs workshops to help other beauty entrepreneurs navigate the industry and sponsors matric dance makeovers for underprivileged girls. As a mother, she sees Kolor Faktory not only as a business but as a legacy her son can inherit.
Her advice to others is rooted in empathy: she knows what it feels like to dream big with limited support. Her brand proves that solutions created from lived experiences can resonate widely and shift industries.
Lesson for entrepreneurs: Building a business with social impact creates deeper connections with communities and customers, strengthening the brand’s long-term value.
The Bigger Picture
Kefentse’s journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is rarely straightforward. It requires constant reinvention, the courage to face rejection, and the ability to turn personal frustrations into opportunities. From Phonetic Group to Kolor Faktory, her story shows that success is not about how you start but about how you adapt and persist.
