Tanya du Bois founded a South African skincare manufacturing business while simultaneously creating new opportunities for other entrepreneurs. Initially, 18 years ago, when she started making cosmetic products in her kitchen, business development was not part of her plans.
She was a mother looking for products she felt were safe for her young son after her family was advised to examine the products they used at home more closely. What began as a very personal search for answers eventually evolved into Naturals Beauty—a South African skincare and body care business offering over 50 products, with about 40 retail outlets, and distributing to Namibia, Uganda, and Zambia.
Currently, du Bois has been recognized as a winner of the Nedbank Business Ignite 2026 competition by CapeTalk, which celebrates entrepreneurs under the motto 'My pain. My goal. My solution.'
From Kitchen Experiments to Business
For du Bois, this business arose from a problem she couldn't solve by simply buying ready-made goods. She recalls: 'I was a mother trying to find gentler, more natural products for my son and becoming increasingly interested in what was actually in the products we used.' Despite having no formal education in cosmetic chemistry, she began studying ingredients and conducting experiments at home using an old recipe book for homemade remedies inherited from her grandmother.
Initially, the products were only for her family. Then friends and other mothers started asking about what she used, and 'began asking where they could get the same products I did,' she recalls. This interest gradually transformed kitchen experiments into a full-fledged business.
There was no dramatic moment when du Bois decided to create a cosmetics company; instead, she describes the growth as a series of small decisions. She started selling at markets and directly to consumers, paying close attention to what people wanted and, importantly, what made them return to buy. 'These regular customers probably became my first real proof of concept,' she says.
As demand grew, du Bois realized that Naturals Beauty needed to go beyond homemade formulations. Finding a suitable cosmetic chemist became one of her biggest early challenges. It took almost a year to find a specialist who understood the direction of the business, and this relationship continues to this day. For du Bois, learning when to seek help proved to be as important as knowing how to believe in herself. She asserts: 'You don't need to know everything before you start, but you must be prepared to constantly learn and bring in people who are knowledgeable.'