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Florratt Cosmetics, a woman-owned company that manufactures functional cosmetic products for skin and hair, is creating jobs for its team of mostly female employees, many of whom are sometimes the sole breadwinners in their families.
Says Floratt Cosmetics founder and CEO, Mampho Tjabane: “When you create employment for women and grow their skills, you empower people and uplift communities. What makes this venture different is local manufacturing, coupled with global distribution. The direct selling business model offers thousands of women entrepreneurial and income generating opportunities. There are no entry barriers to direct sales, no level of education or training required, and it can be done from the comfort of your home. The women earn rebates through their personal sales to customers, as well as from sales made by their sales teams.
“In addition to manufacturing cosmetic products locally, we are committed to changing lives,” Tjabane says. “Further to our marketing activities, we rely on a network of thousands of enthusiastic distributors across Africa to grow the business. They earn an income by selling our products to their own networks, who must register with us in order to buy.”
Floratt Cosmetics was founded in 2015, when Tjabane began operations from her home in Maseru in Lesotho, and soon opened the first Florratt Cosmetics factory and the second factory launched in Kya Sands in Johannesburg, with a new one being launched at the MAP SEZ in Harrismith, Free State. It operates according to the strictest ethical standards.
Today the company employs more than 50 factory staff, 90% of them women, and has a further 12,000 multi-level marketing members across Africa and the world. The distribution business model facilitates the supply of its products to consumers, ensuring that they reach target customers in the most direct and cost-efficient manner. Importantly, it has created thousands of independent female micro-entrepreneurs who on-sell Florratt Cosmetics’ products.
Promoting the use of indigenous plants and traditional expertise to improve skin and hair health is at the heart of Florratt Cosmetics’ business. Two plants, in particular, have provided the raw material for this flourishing business: rosehip (known in Lesotho as ‘morobei’) and the cactus (known as ‘torofeie’).
The fatty acids and vitamin A in rosehip oil moisturise the skin, also promoting skin regeneration, and improving flexibility and permeability. Rosehip oil products can improve skin 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, and they also boost linoleic fatty acid, encouraging new cell growth and skin brightness.