Three women, three ideas, three different journeys … all assisted or prompted in some positive way by, strangely, Covid, writes Anne Schauffer.
Kgomotso Ndungane – LeLaPa
When Kgomotso – Kay – moved to Durban, married husband – and legendary rugby player Odwa – she turned her back firmly on Johannesburg’s corporate world, embraced local life, became a celeb on the Real Housewives of Durban reality TV show … and went solo with her own events business, Oak Celebrations. She’d been researching a service provider for her own wedding, seen a gap in the market, and her creative soul said, “Take It.” Oak Celebrations was flying.
Until Covid grounded it.
Weddings had been a significant aspect of her business, with flowers a major feature. Kay’s not someone who shrinks from a challenge, so Covid was a hiccup, not a stop sign: “I’m from a solution-driven background, so I knew I needed to bridge the gap between events and Covid. I asked myself, ‘What, in these times, do my clients need, how can I make things better for them, what products am I familiar with?’ The answer? Flowers.
Kay decided she’d create a form of gifting: “People still needed to connect, show they care – so beautiful gift boxes of flowers!” She created an online business which was very well received.
Then I was asked what I could team up with the flowers to make the gift exceptional. I love home body and bath beauty products, so I began tucking upmarket branded ones into the box, and slowly I thought … why not create my own brand of luxe treats? I can do candles, hand wash, lotion, body butters …”
She investigated local laboratories and factories, not easy during Covid, nor because she only needed small quantities. She drew up a business plan, and spent a great deal of time researching different fragrances until she settled on the ones she loved. “It just made sense to pair flowers with scents, and I loved the synergy of it.” Lemongrass, neroli, rose geranium, lavender, lemon verbena – she even has a local ceramicist who makes her fragrance burners and candle holders.
Kay says, “I’m a big believer in goals – small, achievable ones that you work towards. I didn’t know how this would all pan out, but I had the courage to try. That’s enough for me.” She found a small lab prepared to produce small batches, and began with two ranges organically focused – one an essential oil range, the other fragrance based. She chose what she describes as a little brown Parisienne apothecary styled bottle, and the show was on the road.
Kay’s brand name is LeLaPa, “family” in Tswana, largely in memory of her grandparents and the key roles they played in her life. Her logo is of an oak tree with the branches representing family: “My brands are always built around an ethos of nature. Family roots you, grounds you, they’re your safe haven, and reminds you where you come from.”
FOR MORE INFO:
Kay’s products are produced under the Oak Celebrations banner: www.oakcelebrations.com
Sue Miles – Zaluki
I’ve always been crazy about shoes,” admits Sue Miles. “And like so many of us during Covid, I had more time to plot, ponder and explore new ideas. I had no idea about the shoe industry at all, and it was a crazy time to start a new business. As Martin Luther King said: You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. So I did!”
It was a daunting project, but Sue had a starting point. She’d always struggled to find different, stylish and comfy shoes, so that was her mantra: “I did some market research, canvassed family and friends, and just had a gut feel. I wanted my shoes to be inspired by international looks and trends, but also drawn from our own rich multicultural tapestry.” Feminine and flattering, her Zaluki range was born, a name with a warm African ring, while simultaneously upmarket and international.
She smiles: “This time last year, I didn’t have a single contact in the industry. It’s been fascinating, challenging and sometimes frustrating to find the right people, but so enriching and exciting. Several people have been incredibly generous sharing their time and knowledge, and I’ve learnt so much in such a short time.”
Sue’s lived up to the vision she had … and more: “I don’t use synthetics, even in the linings. I use premium materials, always genuine leather and suede.” And she’s proudly South African, committed to supporting local artisans and suppliers wherever possible. From makers of knives and patterns, to craftsmen for heels, soles and uppers, she looked for local: “I wanted in some small way to contribute to building South Africa’s economy, and help retain existing jobs.”
The designs are just exquisite, and it’s clear she’s had such fun designing them. There’s a playfulness about them. She loves the stunning rich-hued leathers and hides which make up her shoes, and being super fussy, you know you’re getting superior quality! Her first range was a bright, fun, deceptively comfy platform wedge in four colourways – cerise, tangerine, turquoise and sapphire blue – perfect for spring into summer. Her handmade mules – plain panel with a contrasting patterned or textured panel – are just as eye-catching with a pair of jeans as they are all dressed up for a glam look. She says, “The V-shape is super flattering and gives length to your legs, making them perfect to pair with a short skirt, cropped pants or long pants.” Sue has a way with words – as she should. Her business before Zaluki was – and is – called Working Words, a PR, brochures, events, and corporate social investment consultancy.
She’s busy designing her third range – a summer sandal – and although she’s currently talking to a few boutiques as potential stockists, you’ll need to hunt them down online via the Zaluki website, Facebook and Instagram. »
FOR MORE INFO:
www.zaluki.co.za
Judith Saulez – Probacare
Four children is a full-time job,” laughs Judith Saulez of Durban North, and she was just that – a full-time mom. Prior to that, she’d worked for an independent training organisation which operated across different industry sectors, developing their leadership, sales and service disciplines. Useful skills for her business today, in particular she says, understanding the sales process, how to implement it, serve your customers, and how to sell.
Judith knew that when she looked into the future, she didn’t want to be that mom who went into a crisis when her children left home: “I knew I wanted something into which I could pour myself when everyone had left the nest.”
Judith had always been interested in health, lifestyle and exercise, and was a firm believer in the benefits of probiotics for gut health: “When I was introduced to topical probiotics and saw the impressive results, I was excited. I wanted to explore how we could take this product to market.
The science behind Probacare comes out of Belgium – it started with five clinical trials which proved conclusively that topical probiotics could be used in hospitals to outcompete superbugs. “We began with the Probacare concept in 2019 … in a converted room in our home, bottling, labelling and packaging our products,” says Judith. “The entire family was involved in the design and packaging, and in the last quarter of 2020, we opened to the public as an online business.”
Judith says it wasn’t easy returning to the workplace after 20 years: “It’s hard building up confidence, learning new skills, launching yourself into the whole new world of technology. I sometimes felt paralysed with fear, but I kept going. The gift of Covid of course, was that it gave us time to think about what we wanted to communicate, how to design the packaging and so on.” Judith’s two older children are at university, the two younger ones still at home. She grins, “Having teenage skins at home was another catalyst for our products.”
For Judith, the vision was that Probacare would restore and protect family hygiene: “It’s this same technology which applies to the personal hygiene side of the business, where common skin problems are linked to bad bacteria. Probiotics are all about outcompeting bad bacteria – killing all bacteria can lead to a massive pandemic which is directly related to anti-microbial resistance.” She says they began with the three products they believed would receive the least consumer resistance – their patented Probaderm Face Cream, Face Wash, and Probiotic Mister: “We coupled that with an education programme on Instagram and Facebook. It didn’t take long before we expanded to home cleaning products – ProbaClean – and we’ve just launched ProbaPet.”
Judith says they had a very clear idea of what they wanted to convey about the business – clean, safe and trustworthy: “We’ve created a premium product at a mid-tier price point, and we’re really happy with the current trajectory of the response to Probacare. We’ve been assisted by the global trend towards topical probiotics, and to be honest, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by people’s understanding of the technology, more than we had originally given them credit for.”
At the moment, Probacare is only online, but Judith’s currently in negotiations with a major retailer, and it looks likely that within six months, they’ll be stocking their products.
FOR MORE INFO:
www.probacare.co.za