Founders and Directors of Auganic, Mokgadi Mabela and Vicki-lee Fredericks on owning a 100% female-run, BEE-adherent and -owned enterprise that champions community outreach and uses recyclable, eco-friendly packaging and natural, organic ingredients.
Glamour: What inspired your business idea?
Auganic: The opportunity for all South Africans to not only shop from the same premium shelf but at a non-premium price initially sparked Auganic’s conception. We were inspired by the idea of bringing authentic, organic, natural lifestyle products to the market that are aesthetically pleasing, healthy, ethically sourced and affordable. We identify as social entrepreneurs or a brand with impact because, through our establishment, we can empower local farmers, communities and harvesters. From sourcing indigenous, homegrown, quality ingredients to upskilling disadvantaged (but equally capable) communities, we provide them with a consistent, steady income but also a market for fair prices. Our ethos stems from a desire to educate our community and endusers on the importance of growing and consuming organic, natural, raw produce. This feeds into our intention to be eco warriors by collaborating with companies that value the importance of recycling, preserving our environment and sustainability. Change initiators and green keepers will eventually instate equality as a norm for all societies to conform to.
G: How did you start out?
Vicki-lee Fredericks: We met through our networks. Recognising our fierce potential, I tried convincing thirdgeneration female beekeeper Mokgadi to enter into a business venture with me by expanding into the organic sector through a new product range. It’d take me almost two years to get Mokgadi on board. After careful market analysis and identifying a growing market for organic products in South Africa, we decided to establish Auganic, a brand that’d fight for a greener future.
G: What lessons have you learned about achieving your goals?
A: To respect time. Understanding the importance of patience is a really challenging lesson we had to endure.
G: What makes Auganic unique?
A: We’re a racially diverse, young female duo consisting of a farmer and creative. Our products are beautiful, affordable and as pure as nature intended.
G: Who are your products for?
A: Our wish is to cater for anyone who aligns with our products, brand and ethos by offering an affordable, quality product without threatening sustainability. Our initial consumers will have a higher living standard due to audience and market entry costs, but as we grow and upscale our volumes, we endeavour to adjust our margins significantly and transfer our savings to our clients. With each sale, we’ll bring new clients on board due to our affordability and quality compared to our competitors. Eventually, we’ll target people who typically wish to buy products our range offers but have always thought them unaffordable. This will include the new middle class and first-generation economic participants.
G: What makes your brand successful?
A: It took us three years to launch our brand ourselves. We’re change agents and believe that resonates in everything we do. We’re women from different races, cultures and upbringings who’ve grown to love one another for all we are and all we’re not. We’re the face of South Africa. Our spokesperson, the actress Lorcia Cooper, has committed to giving our brand the voice it deserves. Her presence has always resonated with beauty and brains. Even though we only sell products, we need our audience to judge us appropriately when assigning us our identity. We believe our beauty radiates from within the intricacies of this new, liberal, better world.
G: Your clients’ most pressing needs?
A: Our clients are looking for authentic products that are locally produced and ethically sourced. With the market saturated with processed, imported goods with little nutritional value and poor socio-economic impact, people are looking for pure, quality products made with care and with low environmental impact. Auganic is all that and more!
G: What are your top sellers?
A: We have a wide selection of beautiful additions in our product range, but launched with only three. Our star products are our selection of honey due to Mokgadi being one of South Africa’s leading beekeepers. They’d made a name for themselves long before we registered our business.
G: What are your goals?
A: To manifest an inspirational legacy that’ll progress to a successful distribution by trading according to our mission statement.
G: What’s your beauty mantra?
A: As our products fulfil a dual purpose (consumable and beauty), the topic of beauty was a big bridge we felt we needed to cross right from the start. Our world is finally opening its doors to alternative interpretations of the term beauty. We urge our audience to analyse beauty similar to that of an artwork that hangs in a gallery. We ‘hung’ our first painting by launching an ambassador search for people who generally don’t conform to stereotypes. We chose Marian De Vos. Diagnosed with vitiligo, Marian not only commands attention when you see her for the first time but with her naturally coloured skin, an arrangement of white and black patches, she’s the perfect visual representation of our partnership (black and white).
G: Why’s sustainability important?
A: Living in a consumer-driven, over-exposed, media-led society, we understand our responsibility to promote the correct message to all our patrons and harvest ethically so that future generations may enjoy the environment’s benefits.
For more info, visit auganic.co.za.
