by Elaine J. Wabwire
Tulisa Mondliwa was awarded R60 000 by the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) at the annual Amathole Women Empowerment Awards. The award acknowledges the contributions of women in job creation and economic development through agriculture. In an exclusive interview with Grocott’s Mail, Mondliwa shared her inspiring journey of perseverance, sustainability and a mission to transform the beauty industry for the better.
Butterworth-born and bred, Tulisa Mondliwa, now based in Makhanda, boasts an impressive educational background with a B.Sc. in Geography and Chemistry, a Post Graduate Diploma in Enterprise and Development, and MBA-aligned short courses – all from Rhodes University. With her diverse background, Mondliwa’s path seemed destined for a different course altogether. However, fate had other plans. “In my second year [undergraduate]I learned about green (clean) chemicals and brown (toxic) chemicals and how they affect our skin and hair. From that point, I became more cognisant of what products I put on my skin,” she said.
Armed with this knowledge, finding products that were truly and authentically natural became a challenge. “I found out that some products contained these brown chemicals and were termed natural when they actually contained harsh ingredients. So, I wanted to make products that were truly and completely natural,” she said. This led her to create her brand Afrikare, in 2015.
The beauty industry has long been plagued by misleading claims and suspicious ingredients. Mondliwa started by making a moisturiser suitable for high-porosity hair during the peak of the natural hair movement. “Then I started making for my daughter and my mum and started to see growth. Then I went on to friends and they have been such a strong support system, supporting me no matter what” she added. Armed with a chemistry background, she dived into understanding the intricacies of formulating hair products that were stable, effective, and most importantly derived from natural sources.
After almost a decade of dedication, Mondliwa’s breakthrough came last year when she secured a stall at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, a tourist hub that connected her to an international market. “Recently, I sent massage oils to the UK. We have enquiries for products from Europe and the states,” she said.
Sustainability: From Ingredients to Packaging
Mondliwa ‘s chemistry background played a pivotal role in her journey. It equipped her with the knowledge to create stable hair and skin products that retain their integrity regardless of the manufacturing date. Geography, on the other hand, fostered her understanding of waste management, influencing her choice of packaging for AfriKare products.
AfriKare’s intentional packaging minimizes single-use plastic waste. In line with its green philosophy, AfriKare uses packaging-free soaps and glass packaging to encourage customers to come back for refills on oils. Mondliwa’s sustainability lies in the manufacturing process. She explained “If you are going to combine water with oils or butter you need an emulsifier. Most emulsifiers tend to compromise the natural state of the product. I intentionally use butters at a low melting point and oils that are already in a liquid state to reduce my carbon footprint.”
Delving deeper into her eco-conscious approach, Mondliwa carefully selected suppliers that share her passion for waste management. One of her suppliers has partnered with wine farms in the Western Cape to upcycle waste. “They [suppliers]have partnered with wine farms in the western Cape to collect the waste grape seeds and extract oil from that. They then turn waste into something valuable which is something that speaks to me as someone who likes waste management,” she told Grocott’s Mail.
Empowering the Community, One Handmade Product at a Time
Mondliwa wants to create employment by keeping everything handmade. She said “I want to employ as many people as possible. The beauty industry is constantly evolving, so instead of buying a machine for the product, and the product losing relevance, it is better to transfer that particular skill to a person.”
After winning a collective prize of R60 000 (R30 000 for the top agro-processor and R30 000 for the overall winner) Mondliwa’s long-term plans for AfriKare are finding a space to produce at a larger scale and expanding into the hospitality industry, with signature candles, soaps, and shampoos. She currently supplies a lodge in Constantia. “I want to use products that are indigenous to South Africa. I want to substitute shea butter with Mafura Butter which we find in KwaZulu-Natal.”
With her numerous qualifications, she aspires to pursue a UCT course on hair and skin research, leveraging this knowledge to host masterclasses, and engaging salons and scientists in dialogues about the significance of clean ingredients for African hair.
When asked what advice she would give to young entrepreneurs today, she said “Invest in knowing about the business and in yourself as a business person as much as possible, be present in the day-to-day running of the business, and be patient with nurturing the business.”
Winners from other areas within the province will gather in Qumbu for a competition; the victors of this event will proceed to compete for top honours at a national level. The date for the upcoming event will be announced soon.
(This article has been corrected and updated for errors since it was originally published on the website and Friday, 21 July GM Direct)
