Sabina Zunguze-Member Spotlight

Sabina Zunguze is the owner of Beautiful Options USA (dba A Gift To Africa), a company that promotes and markets fine art and crafts handmade by poor and rural women of Africa. Sabina, who is originally from Zimbabwe, was brought up by a single mother who sacrificed everything to get her through school. The memories of her up-bringing and experiences she attained through her residences in Africa, Asia and Europe, have inspired her to play a part in addressing the plight of poor African women and to promote fair-trade with artisans in African countries. She’s traveled to South Africa since 2006 at the invitation of the South African Government, as an international business/consultant, to meet with numerous rural women’s groups and advise them on how to promote their crafts in the USA. At the invitation of the South Africa Embassy in Washington DC, she has been one of the distinguished exhibitors at the 2008 Celebration of the Centennial of Washington National Cathedral and the Republic of South Africa. Sabina is a recipient of the 2006 Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce Pathfinder Award and was recognized as a Woman of Global Change in November 2011.

Sabina also manages Basa Body LLC, a local company that manufactures coconut based natural skin care products made with organic ingredients, with raw coconut from farms that are operated by Kenyan women. Basa Body, named after the women of Mombasa, Kenya where the coconut oil is produced, is a social for-profit company created to help the women grow their business,  tell their story and create economic opportunities for them so they can pull themselves out of poverty.

Sabina is passionate about moving women out of poverty. In addition to her business endeavors, she also operates Art Forms, a program that helps refugee women in the Salt Lake City area gain skills so that they can attain better jobs or start their own enterprises. Sabina takes on leadership volunteer roles in which she can advocate for women and children. She has been a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, American Cancer Society Legislative Board, Utah Coalition Against Sexual       Abuse (UCASA), Harm Reduction Project and the YWCA. She’s presently a board member of the Whale Center International and Salt Lake City’s Human Rights Council.

Sabina has a Bachelors degree in Business and Statistics from the University of Poona in India (and University of Singapore) and a Masters degree in Economic and Social Statistics from George Washington University, Washington DC. She has worked as an economic statistician in Africa and the USA and in a leadership position in Ohio, Georgia and Utah in Behavioral Health research and information systems. She has also consulted with the Federal government on Substance Abuse information systems. Sabina is married with 2 adult boys and a miracle set of 15 year old twins who are two-weeks apart.

What Sabina claims sets her businesses apart, is that her relationship with the women artisans remains purely a business relationship. She explained, “We do not compromise our quality, deadlines, product offerings, etc. for any reason, though at the same time we respect each others’ differences in cultures and environments.”

When asked what she intends to get from NAWBO membership, Sabina replied, “I wish to connect with other women business owners, learn as much as I can about what keeps them going and also what challenges and opportunities they have encountered. I also joined to gain friendships and great networking. I wish to offer my hand to the organization as much as I can – to eventually serve on a committee.”