Startup Story

Anyone who suffers from skin allergies or has sensitive skin will know that getting back to nature in terms of the products used is often the best way forward. In South Africa, entrepreneur Sonto Pooe, founder of NativeChild, is building a world class natural hair care and body care brand for people of colour that is kind to skin and the environment.

LoA chatted to founder Sonto Pooe this month to find out more.

What does your company do?

Nativechild is a natural based hair care and body care brand that specifically caters to needs of people of colour. We want every Nativechild to have access to our products. We constantly receive requests from all over Africa and the world. Although we ship internationally, there is a high demand for local distribution, so we are looking into that.

“Our brand is intended to provide good quality products to millions of people who need them, but also to evoke a feeling of pride in oneself, knowing that you are enough.”

What inspired you to start your company?

Love inspired it. I have always been obsessed with my hair since I was little girl. It’s something I later found out I inherited from my mother and great great grandmother. And then of course my own personal journey and struggles propelled me and gave me the motivation to start my own range.

I’ve always been one who has a sensitive digestion, allergic skin reactions, etc, so ensuring that the range was safe was of utmost importance. Then lastly, I’ve always loved being me and fairly comfortable in my own skin (literally) and the older I got I realized that to some, colour is an issue. Often the darker it is, the more it’s associated with all sorts of negative traits (which we all know could not be further from the truth). So this then inspired the name Nativechild - our brand is intended to provide good quality products to millions of people who need them, but also to evoke a feeling of pride in oneself, knowing that you are enough.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Our products are plant based. They are created ethically and with safe ingredients. You will not find this goodness at such affordable prices! I guarantee it ! Our goal is for the masses to have access to them. And whenever you want to touch a bit of mother nature, you think of Nativechild.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than aligning with your inner being and walking the path you were designed to walk.”

Tell us a little about your team

Our team comprises of office staff who take care of our online retail customers, and also warehouse staff who deal with warehousing and distribution. We also have a merchandising and promotional team, social media, production, etc.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. As a child I was making clothes for my dolls first, then for myself (self-taught), and soon my friends in my neighbourhood who were asking me to make things for them too. So I was sewing very basic skirts, shorts and tops, some dresses and selling them. Some of my mom’s colleagues were also buying for their children. (I’d like to thank my little sisters for being my guinea pigs!)

But by the time I was 14/ 15 I was burnt out. By then, I was also plaiting my own family’s hair (for free) and for the people in my area (for money). I knew I wouldn’t do that for the rest of my life, but it taught me the principle of earning your income, helping at home, and of course venturing into the unknown and learning that you’ll be ok. As a hairstylist, if someone wants a certain style done, whether you’ve done it or not before, you have to do it and translate your customer’s vision. People are paying you money to create and make them feel a certain way. It’s the same with being a fashion designer and creating products. Your job is to solve certain problems and make customers feel good about themselves. So I’ve been basically doing the same thing for years, just manifested in a different form.

So my journey has been one of progress and building brick upon brick. I used to often wonder why I went into the engineering field (why was I so confused at what careers to go for). Some children know from the time they are 3 what they want to do, but for the rest of us we could do more than one thing and be ok. I was that kid. I was good at academics but I also loved my creative side. So it was 50/50 split. I went one way but returned to what I knew deep in my heart I ought to be doing.

I could not live with myself knowing I didn’t at least try to make the dream happen. So going into that field taught me a corporate culture. A culture of problem solving and not sleeping until you get the job done. It taught me the importance of numbers. If the numbers don’t make sense, you’re wasting your time. It taught me to work well under pressure when a million people want your attention at the same time, but still being able to somehow function. So I believe everything you do is a lesson, a building block to the ultimate vision. No knowledge is wasted.

“If you can find people with the same fire as you and can align to your vision, that business will be self-sufficient and will continue to grow.”

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

First, for every family in South Africa to have at least 1 Nativechild product in their home. Then, of course, for Nativechild to be a recognizable brand around the world. And for us to be known for quality, effective products that keep their promise of being good to the earth and its people.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

It’s doing what I was born to do and doing what I love to do. There is nothing more fulfilling than aligning with your inner being and walking the path you were designed to walk.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

I’ve learnt a lot since starting a formal business. As a youth, I was always entrepreneurial and although those lessons learnt were valuable, I still had NO idea how tough it could be learning to run a formal business. Not only managing yourself but managing others as well, and ensuring the vision and purpose of the brand is carried through everything we did.

The biggest lesson is employing people who are capable, competent and passionate. If you can find people with the same fire as you and can align to your vision, that business will be self-sufficient and will continue to grow. We often make the mistake of employing people who need a job vs who can do a job. Big difference!

Secondly, have laser like focus. It’s easy to be distracted by those around you who don’t have your same vision. People love to give advice which may or may not be beneficial.

Lastly, everything done in love is done well. Make sure you love what you’re doing otherwise you will pay for it one way or another. Money should never be the motivation. It is a by-product of a service of love. I know that customers will buy love and will crash your website and knock down walls of retailers to get it.

The most difficult challenge is honestly trying to manage work and home balance. I love, love my family. They are everything to me. So, It’s been tough when all I want to do is spend time with them, but I can’t because of pressures of work. I have just had to ride that out to such a point when we can employ more people to take the load. These are the sacrifices that no one talks about. Fortunately they have been understanding most of the time. And I’m truly grateful to them for allowing me to serve and do the things I need to do.

The second challenge, and what is underestimated, is the demand. You think because you’re a small company compared to industry giants that growth will be slow, but wow our customers have been nothing short of amazing. That has meant we run around like crazy getting additional resources to keep up with the demand. We now plan well in advance and try our best to forecast potential demand.

Contact or follow Nativechild

Why LoA loves it….

It is always so good to see world-class consumer brands emerging from the African continent, and particularly with products that are created ethically and with respect to the planet. Sonto Pooe and her brand Nativechild are making a name for themselves in the fast-growing market for ethical, natural skin and body care products for people of colour. Definitely a brand to watch this year! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa