ETHNIC CARE
A sustainable approach
to beauty and community development While rapidly evolving into an international manufacturer of personal care products, a woman-owned organisation is providing amazing employment opportunities to many African people. Florratt Cosmetics is making a difference by creating decent and dignified jobs for its team of mostly female employees, many of whom are sometimes the sole breadwinners in their families. It also has a further 12 000 multi-level
skin, promoting skin regeneration and
marketing members across Africa and the
improving its flexibility and permeability.
world. The distribution business model,
Products formulated with rosehip oil can
proven by international giants such as Avon
improve skin’s texture and even reduce the
and Amway, facilitates the supply of its
appearance of acne scars or stretch marks.
products to consumers, ensuring that they
Cacti like the prickly pear have high levels
reach target customers in the most direct
of vitamin E, known to help skin and hair
and cost-efficient manner.
stay nourished. They also boost linoleic fatty acid, encouraging new cell growth and
Mampho Tjabane pictured in one of the manufacturing facilities of Florratt Cosmetics
DIFFERENTIATION IS KEY
brightness of the skin.
Tjabane, an
be these two plants that grow abundantly in
ounder and CEO of Florratt
electrical engineer
the South African and Lesotho mountains,”
Cosmetics, Mampho Tjabane, says
by profession,
Tjabane says. “Through
that when you create employment
brought curiosity,
the sustainable use of
for women and grow their skills, you
critical thinking,
medicinal plants like these
empower people and uplift communities.
and creativity to
and many others, Florratt
What makes this venture different is that
the table when she
Cosmetics has developed
the products are manufactured in Africa
started the business,
a range of solutions for
yet distributed globally. The direct-selling
seeking out ways to
different skin and hair
business model offers thousands of women
differentiate it from
entrepreneurial and income-generating
competitors. Her experience enabled the
dry skin, acne, pigmentation, blemishes
opportunities. There are no barriers to
development of a professional production
and cellulite, as well as dry and
entry to direct sales, no level of education
facility along with a strong and loyal
malnourished hair.”
or training is required, and it can be done
customer base and the procurement of
from home. The women earn commission
sustainable raw materials.
F
through their personal sales to customers
“In addition to manufacturing cosmetics in Africa, we are committed to changing lives,” explains Tjabane. “Along with our marketing activities, we rely on a network of thousands of enthusiastic
concerns, including
Promoting the use of indigenous
as well as from sales made by their sales teams.
“The key to differentiation turned out to
plants and traditional
DID YOU KNOW?
knowledge to improve skin and hair health is
Florratt Cosmetics hopes to become a centre of excellence in the production of high-quality natural cosmetics that meet customers’ needs. In its mission statement, it says it seeks to create resultsoriented natural and scientifically formulated cosmetics.
at the heart of Florratt
This innovative company uses indigenous plants to manufacture environmentally and socially sustainable personal care products focused on soothing and moisturising benefits. Founded by Tjabane in 2015,
Cosmetics’ business.
she began operations from her home in
Although people are
Maseru, Lesotho. Thereafter she opened
often unaware of the
the first Florratt Cosmetics factory. She
uses of wild plants
then relocated to South Africa to launch a
and flowers, they
second factory in Kya Sands, Johannesburg,
have been used for centuries for medicinal
distributors across Africa to
and beauty purposes.
grow the business. They earn
Two plants in particular
an income by selling our products to
POISED FOR EXPANSION
have provided the raw material
with the latest manufacturing plant being established at the Maluti-a-Phofung special economic zone in Harrismith, Free State. The business has grown into one of the leaders in the African cosmetics industry,
their own networks, who must register with us
for the flourishing business: rosehip (known
supplying products from South Africa and
in order to buy.”
in Lesotho as ‘morobei’) and the cactus
Lesotho, various other African countries,
(known as ‘torofeie’). The fatty acids and
and further afield to India, Australia, and the
vitamin A in rosehip oil moisturise the
United Kingdom. •
Today the company employs more than 50 factory staff of which 90% are women.
P C Africa | QUARTER 2 2020 |
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