“Keep pushing even when you feel like you can’t anymore; that is the wheel aligned to greatness.”
Victoria Joseph is a student, entrepreneur and owner of Victoria Nanny Agency. Born and raised in Windhoek, she attended primary school at Moses Garoeb High before moving to the south for Grade 8 to 10, at Suiderlig Hoerskool. Upon returning to Windhoek for her Grade 11 & 12, she committed to pursue the commercial field as she knew that one day she would start a business of her own.
Victoria grew up with her father, who spurred the love for entrepreneurship in her, having run his own business. This taught her self-independence, and eventually led her to take up a business course at NUST, after matriculating, which she is now in the second year of.
“I feel as though I have yet to achieve anything huge yet, despite owning an agency of my own. My greatest achievement would be ensuring that all the women under my service are being educated & provided with jobs that pay above the minimum wage; when these women are able to feed their families. That is the goal.”
Tell us about Victoria Nanny Agency, the products & services you offer and your team.
“Victoria Nanny Agency is a company that provides reliable nannies and caregivers across Namibia. Our main priority is to provide workers that can be part of a family, that understand the importance of taking care of kids with love and nurturing these children while parents are at work. The nannies are our employees and we connect them to our clients. We then facilitate payment after the service has been provided, for transparency & control’s sake.
What we do is train these nannies in the following areas:
– Hygiene
– Professional ethics for nannies & caregivers
– Basic First Aid for Infants & toddlers
– Baby Stimulation
Currently, I only work with my assistant Diina, but we will look into expanding the team as we grow.”
What inspired you to start this business?
“What inspired me to start up this business is the struggle that I saw growing up. My mom was both a domestic worker & a caregiver/nanny. In Grade 11, I would go to her workplace after school to help her clean and do house chores.
I came to find out that the work she was doing was a lot and she was underpaid because she was not educated enough to demand higher wages. That was when I came up with the idea of starting a business that could provide trained nannies; specifically, on how to do domestic chores, take care of infants, etc. In this way, the women could receive certificates that would allow them to get paid fair & better wages to be able to feed their families. Most of these women come from underprivileged backgrounds and people tend to look down on them, or disrespect; this isn’t fair. I want them to be empowered & respected.”

What do you enjoy most about being your own boss, and did you always know you wanted to delve into entrepreneurship?
“The flexibility it allows me; being in charge of my schedule, when and where I work. I knew I always wanted to work for myself because I wanted to have an organization that will be able to help & empower women.”
What sets your products/services apart from those in the same industry?
“We are the first and only nanny agency in the country to provide professional nanny training, including First Aid to nannies & caregivers. We have partnered with NUST paramedic department to help us conduct effective training sessions to our nannies. We also make sure our nannies go through a mandatory health, reference and background check prior to being added to our database. We want to provide well-equipped, trained nannies to help children with stimulation.”
What challenges have you encountered on your entrepreneurial journey and how did you overcome some of them?
“Working with different types of people has been the most challenging thing thus far. You have to understand & learn how to handle each client differently, while also providing exceptional customer service. This is why we try to ensure that there is fluid communication with clients as well as discipline from our nannies.”
What is your business philosophy?
“Keep pushing even when you feel like you can’t anymore; that is the wheel aligned to greatness.”
What advice would you give to someone trying to break into this industry?
“You need to be both patient and polite; to your team & your employees, to your clients. A good agency thrives on excellent customer service.”
How important is networking as a growth component of any startup?
“Networking for a start-up is growth. It increases your brand awareness, which can thus provide you with potential customers and market validation. Networking also helps improve your skills and helps you stay on top of the latest trends within your operating market.”
What role does your startup play in 1) contributing to society and 2) in nurturing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Namibia?
“Victoria Nanny Agency plays its part in the ecosystem by creating employment for over 60 women countrywide, thus helping to decrease unemployment, especially that of women. We also enrich & empower women by providing them with basic education i.e. First Aid, domestic work, child care awareness, etc.”
Startups in Namibia, and all over the world, are facing an unprecedented crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic; how has your startup adjusted to the situation and/or assisted in disseminating information, combatting the spread of the virus, etc.?
“Because of the current pandemic, progress has been relatively slow. We have had to adjust our methods on how to operate and to find ways to keep our nannies employed. We started an initiative of providing free COVID-19 prevention & awareness, offered as a new, additional service; not forgetting the provision of free masks and sanitisers as well.”

Email: victorianannyagency@gmail.com
Tel: +264 81 579 6003
Facebook: Victoria Nanny Agency Namibia
Instagram & Twitter: @Victoria_Nanny_Agency_Namibia