Since leaving the corporate world several years ago, beauty futurologist and CEO of an award-winning luxury body care range, Sarinah Matema Morgans, took a leap of faith to start her own luxury body care range called Serenitii Luxury Body Care BY Sarinah. Since the inception of the company, despite challenges, and all forms of odds stacked against her, Sarinah was able to overcome all her challenges to sustain her business! Today, bearly out of adolescence, the 36-year old's beauty care company has grown significantly and continues to expand from strength to strength, it’s products stacking up the cosmetics shelves in various local and international supermarkets. Popular local supermarket Pick n Pay is one of the stores that are selling Serenitii products across 110 ten stores across the nation. The products can also be found in Zimbabwe , UK, and other countries through their brand ambassadors.
Sarinah whois originally from Polokwane, moved to Jo’burg to pursue career opportunities. After being in the beauty industry for over 20 years, she felt that it was time to contribute more to the local industry. Sarinah started working in the cosmetics industry since 1998 and in the coming year 2018 I’ll be 20 years industry. I wanted to share my knowledge and experiences, but above all to create decent jobs and transfer skills.
“It was passion and the desire to solve the emerging needs of the consumer. While I was learning about the industry I witnessed a plethora of irregularities, unfairness, discrimination posed towards uninformed and gullible consumers, in particular, women." it was through this realisation that Sarinah started her business in 2008 with serenity cleaning services. She then ventured into, serenity cosmetics and then Serenitii Luxury Body Care. With this new venture came a lot challenges that tested Sarinah. First, it was funding. Second, finding a retail partner to help access the market. Third, constant cash flow.
Despite The fast-growing start up produces globally inspired spa and retail products which blend exotic and distinctly African ancient oils into socially-conscious offerings for professional use and total relaxation.
According to Sarinah, “The genesis of Serenity Luxury Body Care BY Sarinah lies in our desire to celebrate indigenous beauty rituals with natural products you can feel good about using. We brought to the fore oils that aren’t tapped on yet. 100% natural and distinctly African, for example, O’ri oil.”
Matema comes from a family of entrepreneurs; both my parents have been in business since time immemorial, in my formative years, I sold ice blocks, cows milk, and achar at school and in our community. At the age of 24, I opened my own cleaning company which earned me a six-month-long contract with one of the newly opened malls in the south of Johannesburg in South Africa. At the age of 27, I established Serenity Cosmetics. At that time I was importing from the USA unbranded and then doing branding here in South Africa. It became very costly to import from the USA after the recession in 2008/2009.
As a result, I let go of the business and decided to look for a manufacturer based in South Africa, which I did find but unfortunately, I didn't have enough money to start the process. The banks didn't want to listen to me as a start-up, and I realized that I would have to scratch the surface harder. Whilst searching for other ways to raise enough money, I was involved in a car accident. I wasn't harmed but I suffered whiplash, and after 2 -3 years the RAF (Road Accident Fund) paid me out. It was through the cleaning business and the RAF payout that the Serenity Luxury Body Care brand was birthed.
It’s easier to establish a business from a point of knowing - when you know what you are passionate about, it becomes easy to shoot in the right direction. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Know your business/service back to back, become a PRO in your chosen industry. Find a business mentor. Be confident in your brand. Have faith in the process.
They can shop on www.shopserenitiiLBC.co.za or at various pick n pay stores listed on our website. Or on Facebook @ serenitii Luxury Body Care BY Sarinah and Instagram @ Serenitii Luxury Body Care BY Sarinah.
http://kdaniellesmedia.com/2018/03/28/sarinah-brings-luxury-beauty/