Gifted Talent from South Africa needs your help.

My name is Elizabeth - Anne and in my late teens I became fascinated to know how medicine and organic health & beauty products were made. I have always had a keen interest in the study of Apothecary and Holistic health. I have dedicated a considerable amount of years studying within this interest.Coming from a university background this furthered my curiosity to understand the use of natural products and the effects within society at large. Unfortunate tragedy struck my family and this financially hindered my ability to complete my university degree in full.

Needing to do something different I took my passion and previous entrepreneurial skills and started my own organic skin care line that uses natural organic ingredients. My main aim is to produce a luxurious product with medicinal benefits. I believe nature has provided mankind with many healing and holistic gifts. I have called my care line Emerald  Organics. l have had a range of products presented at various weekend markets with a good number of return costumers. By using my own products I was able to produce a rosacea lotion for myself - which completely healed the part of my face that was affected. 

 My skin care products were on display at some farmers’ markets and I have since expanded into soap, linen fresh sprays, aerosols and perfume, salves, lotions, bath salts, body powders, oil-based perfumes (own fragrances), skin care soaps, shampoo & conditioner, incense, herbal teas, sunblock, etc– and all organic. I don’t use any of the following harmful ingredients in our products: 

Oxybenzone (aka benzophenone-3), Octinoxate (aka OMC), Homosalate,  Parabens,  Phthalates, P phenylenediamine,  Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Phenoxyethanol  Talc, Triclosan, SLES, Resorcinol, Phenoxyethanol, Quaternium-15, Phenoxyethanol, P-phenylenediamine, Nitrosamines.  These are just to mention a few. We work with the purest oils and distilled water to formulate our lotions and ointments.

Since leaving University till present time I didn't have any other income as jobs are very scarce in South Africa and I am struggling to gain momentum in launching my passion to see the light of day. Our political atmosphere also forces companies to employ more BEE (Black Economic Enforcement/Affirmative Action) related candidates. Despite myself being able to work I do not qualify for employment due to racial policies in South Africa. I have learned in such conditions it is best to become an entrepreneur with a small enterprise and leave a lasting legacy.

Through much prayer and support from those around me who benefited from what I was doing, I found my calling and passion. I was guided through old medical encyclopedias and medical papers in natural Holistic health and Apothecary. During this time I am relying on the financial support of my mother. Learning about labelling and satisfying the legal requirements, I was able to design labels, have a Facebook page and created my own website. This was all before COVID-19. As COVID - 19 struck I decided to collect my own trees and herbs. I collected medicinal plants such as a Cancer Bush to dry the leaves and make ointments, salves and lotions. It is truly by God’s grace that I was able to come this far and build a future of good skin and hair care products, using old and dilapidated equipment.

Part of producing a perfect product is by having a larger production equipment and facility with the ability to accurately measure and weight the constituents in my formulas. I had the opportunity to produce products for a few small shops, but my lack of funding and popper industrial equipment is a massive hurdle. I have done a feasibility study in 2023 and to be fully operational it will take about R260 000. After careful analysis of my feasibility study the startup amount came to a whopping R150 000. I had looked into finding business sponsors, but for such a small amount people mostly wanted at least 70% ownership of my business. After close observation I realised that they do not have a passion or even the basic knowledge for natural products. This realisation was very disheartening and sobering to say the least. I have worked so hard for so long and thus decided against corporate sponsors and prayed about finding another avenue to fund my dream.

Thank you very kindly for supporting my dream.