Life’s little luxuries at affordable prices
Scented candles, interior design
As a child Noluthando Mpama’s mom would burn scented oils. Fast forward years later and it is this memory that formed the foundation of her business.
Mpama creates scented candles, linen sprays and room scents under her business name Design Your Space
Luxury Candles.
“My mom is my inspiration in starting the business, with me loving scents, … growing up I used to love clean fragrances, from there on I took what was given to me from birth.
Actually she is the one who loved a clean scent, a beautiful smelling home and she’s my number one supporter, she buys all of my products.” The 29-year-old’s history is truly where her business started. As a young child, she made a candle for a school project from wax polish and paraffin. Her skill has grown in leaps and bounds since then and she is still self-taught. “Research is key, before you start anything you need to know how you’re going to do it and how long it will take you. And if you are going to do it in the first place.” Mpama started her business in 2018 with just R250, making products for herself and then selling to acquaintances. “I made about three candles for myself and burnt them at home to see if I’d be satisfied with the smell. Then I sold it to one person which led to two and then I had capital to buy and produce more stock.”
She first researched how to mix scents and infuse it in candles by looking up information on YouTube and Google and calling various companies that dealt with perfumed oils, fragrances and candles.
“That’s how I found out how to mix scents into wax or into a spray component to create a fragrance spray or a diffuser. Research was the key for me before I even started anything.”
Mpama, who was born in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, moved to Gauteng to be with her mother when she was younger. They settled in Benoni. She says that her background as a business consultant helped her to navigate owning her own business.
Mpama sells her range as a gift set – a box which includes a linen spray, a 450g candle, a 600g diffuser and wax melts, sells for R450.
“Business has been really good, people are warming up to it and they like my branding and are really excited on what’s to come. I am excited as well.”
She has expanded into skincare, as she’s had troubles in the past with her skin, so has started selling shea butter body butters and lotions suitable for everyone to use.
“Being a woman entrepreneur for me means liberation.
I aim to inspire other women to do the same because it doesn’t take a lot. It needs you to be determined, it needs you to understand what you love and as I have already said, research is key. If you love something, you research it and once you are sure, you just go for it. As women we can do a whole lot more.”
Mpama aims to supply more people with luxurious products at an affordable price. She also has an interior design service and charges R250 for a consultation. During this consultation she talks to her clients about their budget and creates a mood board for them.
“I want to build a strong and trustworthy relationship between myself and my clients, by providing a step-by-step guide on how they can beautify their homes using our products, that’s where our YouTube channel comes in.
“We have a channel that shows people how to use our products and how to make their spaces beautiful. We believe in having a great-looking space without spending too much money. It doesn’t matter what type of space you have, it can be an apartment or a backroom elokshin.“