15 Jul 5 SA Brands Who Are Empowering Communities

We are so proud of the many amazing South African brands we have available at Faithful to Nature. Each and every local company contributes towards the prosperity of our beautiful rainbow nation. Some have an extra special heart for social caring and upliftment. Here are 5 companies that are making a real difference at the grassroots level with meaningful community empowerment.

Oh-lief is a local family business founded in 2010 to bring South African families a gentle, natural range of baby skincare products that are ethically produced and earth-friendly. All their ingredients are 100% natural, raw and organic. Oh-Lief Natural Products partnered with Greenpop in 2015, and together they plant indigenous trees every month to helping to offset our carbon footprint and make the world a greener place for our children. When you buy their Baby Gift Box you will receive a special certificate for your baba with GPS Coordinates for a tree that has been planted on behalf of them. 

O’live has a passion for natural, ethically sourced and sustainable ingredients; where possible, they try to forge mutually empowering and beneficial relationships with local farmers. They only started using the creamy luxury of palm oil in their products once they had found an eco-friendly source in West Africa, harvested and processed by empowered women. They also support a job creation initiative in Khayelitsha for women who crochet beautiful luxury products such as slippers and washcloths.

With Love is a proudly South African company with plenty of heart. This brand brings you a range of unique, handcrafted products made with natural and organic ingredients, With Love sources their precious beeswax directly from local beekeepers. For every product sold, they donate a portion to an upliftment program.

Lavender in Lavender Hill brings you gorgeous natural lavender-based body and home products with a social conscience. The company is committed to creating employment opportunities in the Cape Town community of Lavender Hill. The brand encompasses soap making, a sewing company, catering, and herb and tea production. Lavender in Lavender Hill works with the New World Foundation to support and uplift the people of Lavender Hill. 15% of the company’s net profit goes back to the local community, funding education sessions and business opportunity creation. 

Toy Project aims to improve the lives of previously unemployed women one darn stitch at a time! Their quirky and fun toys are all made entirely by hand with colourful local Shweshwe material. The project aims to provide previously unemployed women with a steady income and to teach them new skills. They are 100% self-funded, and their goal is to empower more than just charity but rather a workable model for self-sustainability. The beautiful picture featured above is from their love-filled workshop.