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 marketing members across Africa and the world. The distribution business model, proven by international giants such as Avon and Amway, facilitates the supply of its products to consumers, ensuring that they reach target customers in the most direct and cost-efficient manner.

Mampho Tjabane pictured in one of the manufacturing facilities of Florratt Cosmetics

DIFFERENTIATION IS KEY

Tjabane, an

Founder and CEO of Florratt electrical engineer Cosmetics, Mampho Tjabane, says by profession, that when you create employment brought curiosity, for women and grow their skills, you critical thinking, empower people and uplift communities. and creativity to

What makes this venture different is that the table when she the products are manufactured in Africa started the business, yet distributed globally. The direct-selling seeking out ways to business model offers thousands of women differentiate it from entrepreneurial and income-generating competitors. Her experience enabled the opportunities. There are no barriers to development of a professional production entry to direct sales, no level of education facility along with a strong and loyal or training is required, and it can be done customer base and the procurement of from home. The women earn commission sustainable raw materials. through their personal sales to customers Promoting the use of indigenous as well as from sales made by plants and traditional their sales teams. “In addition to manufacturing cosmetics DID YOU KNOW? knowledge to improve skin and hair health is at the heart of Florratt in Africa, we are committed to changing Florratt Cosmetics hopes to become a centre of excellence in the production of high-quality natural Cosmetics’ business. Although people are lives,” explains Tjabane. cosmetics that meet customers’ often unaware of the

“Along with our needs. In its mission statement, it uses of wild plants marketing activities, says it seeks to create resultsand flowers, they we rely on a network of thousands of enthusiastic oriented natural and scientifically formulated cosmetics. 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 have provided the raw material their own networks, who must register with us for the flourishing business: rosehip (known in order to buy.” in Lesotho as ‘morobei’) and the cactus

Today the company employs more than (known as ‘torofeie’). The fatty acids and 50 factory staff of which 90% are women. vitamin A in rosehip oil moisturise the skin, promoting skin regeneration and improving its flexibility and permeability. Products formulated with rosehip oil can improve skin’s texture and even reduce the appearance of acne scars or stretch marks. Cacti like the prickly pear have high levels of vitamin E, known to help skin and hair stay nourished. They also boost linoleic fatty acid, encouraging new cell growth and brightness of the skin.

“The key to differentiation turned out to be these two plants that grow abundantly in the South African and Lesotho mountains,” Tjabane says. “Through the sustainable use of medicinal plants like these and many others, Florratt Cosmetics has developed a range of solutions for different skin and hair concerns, including dry skin, acne, pigmentation, blemishes and cellulite, as well as dry and malnourished hair.”

POISED FOR EXPANSION 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, she began operations from her home in Maseru, Lesotho. Thereafter she opened the first Florratt Cosmetics factory. She then relocated to South Africa to launch a second factory in Kya Sands, Johannesburg, 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, supplying products from South Africa and Lesotho, various other African countries, and further afield to India, Australia, and the United Kingdom. •