Some brands are born from a single idea. Others evolve — shaped by growth, ambition and the courage to dream bigger than where you started. Gabriella Shilubane's story is one of evolution, and Onka Cosmetics is proof of what happens when a woman refuses to put a ceiling on her vision.
The Woman Behind the Brand
Gabriella Shilubane is the founder of Onka Cosmetics, a beauty brand from Limpopo, South Africa, specialising in quality perfumes and hair growth products. With a deep passion for beauty and self-care, Gabriella built her brand around a simple but powerful belief — that everyone deserves to look and feel their best, regardless of their budget.
How It Started
Gabriella's entrepreneurial journey began in 2023 when she launched Ora Hair Care — a hair care brand born from a desire for financial independence and the dream of building something she could truly call her own.
But Gabriella's vision did not stay still. As her passion grew and her product range expanded into perfumes, she made the bold decision to rebrand. In 2025 Ora Hair Care became Onka Cosmetics — a name that reflected everything the brand had grown into and everything it was still becoming.
From a hair care brand to a full cosmetics house. That is what growth looks like when you back yourself.
The Product
Onka Cosmetics offers long-lasting perfumes and hair growth products — crafted to deliver quality results at prices that make sense for real people.
But what truly sets Onka apart goes beyond the products themselves. Gabriella also offers reseller packages — giving other people the opportunity to start their own businesses and earn an income by selling Onka products. She is not just building a brand. She is building a ladder for others to climb too.
Quality you can afford. Opportunity you can share.
The Journey
Breaking into the beauty market as a new Black-owned brand is not easy. Attracting customers and building trust in a competitive space requires more than a good product — it requires consistency, strong branding and the willingness to keep believing in your vision even when growth is slow.
Gabriella has learned all of this the hard way — and she kept going anyway. Every new customer became motivation. Every challenge became a lesson. And every improvement to her brand brought her closer to the business she knew she was building.
What She Wants You to Know
She wants every customer who buys from Onka Cosmetics to feel confident, beautiful and valued — and to know that they are buying from a brand that genuinely cares about quality and the people who use its products.
Not just a purchase. A lasting impression. Something worth coming back for.
The Vision
In the next three to five years Gabriella sees Onka Cosmetics becoming a trusted beauty brand across South Africa — with an expanded product range, a growing network of resellers and retail stores that bring her products closer to more people.
But beyond the business, Gabriella's dream is bigger than shelves and stockists. She wants to build a brand that creates opportunities for others — a brand that people love, trust and grow with.
From Limpopo to across South Africa. One product, one reseller, one customer at a time.
Shop Onka Cosmetics
Available now on PANAR at panar.co.za
Moving Africa and Africans forward, one product at a time.
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