ANTJIE’S HANDMADE NATURALS

Stanford

Nicolene Gericke was allergic to commercial soap when the soap bug bit her 12 years ago.

“I read every book on soap I could find, and someone asked me one day why I didn’t just start. It took courage, because it was an unknown world and at the time there was no one who could advise me.”

For her first recipe, she used readily available oils (her first soap – rooibos and rosemary – is still one of her bestsellers).

“But ultimately there’s only so much soap you can use and give away… When I spotted an ad for a Christmas market, I decided to apply, and so Antjie’s Handmade Naturals was born.”

Is soap-making a profitable business? Yes, but I started small and did everything myself, with my husband and children who helped occasionally. After a few years my business grew to the extent that I could resign from my full-time job. Later, my husband also became involved full time, and today we have 10 staff, plus my kids lend a hand when there’s a large order. What makes your products unique? We try to keep our products as natural as possible, we use only local suppliers wherever possible, and we sell many of our products – including a whole range of bath and body products – in bags that have been knitted or crocheted by hand. One series that’s close to my heart is called Die De Langes van Leliesfontein. Leliesfontein is the name of our farm, and I use old family photos on the packaging. The Happiness soap features a photo from my grandparents’ honeymoon, for example. Biggest misconceptions? You have to follow the recipe exactly, while accepting that no soap mixture responds exactly the same way. (At first I even wondered whether the day of the week might be an influence!)

Top tips

• If you’re aiming for it to become a business, follow basic business principles from the start.

antjies.co.za 083 530 4968 antjie@antjies.co.za