Local skincare brand lelive is tipped for international success as they ‘ve just globally launched in London last month. Created with African botanicals and science-based methodologies, lelive is a unique brand that delivers affordable luxury to an underserved market. The brand, founded by South African actress, model and Greenpeace ambassador, Amanda du-Pont has seen impressive exponential growth year-on-year since launch. We had the absolute priviledge of catching up with her in honour of her latest achievement.
GLAMOUR: What inspired your business idea for lelive and how did you start out?
Lelive was inspired by the pandemic in 2020 and the constraints which meant that we all had to stay home. During this time, beauty and home care took preference. I created a community page alongside my personal Instagram which focused on health and wellness. It was here we encouraged a positive mental space. Our community grew and together we co created the skincare. Personally, I struggle with acne prone skin so was delighted to know the community wanted to work with me and make a range that work for problematic skin types.
GLAMOUR: What were the challenges you experienced on the way?
A challenge we faced along the way was ensuring we collected accurate data and research from our community to make this skincare line. This was the foundation of the brand. Giving the community exactly what they wanted from locally sourced clean ingredients. The next challenge was to make sure we combined African traditions backed by science. It was truly important to me to have made a product that works and that could tell our African stories.
Lastly, the challenge was to incorporate a ‘back to basics’ and simple way of living but still upholding luxury. I do believe we’ve managed to do all of this. All our products run through intense testing and then through our testing groups which include a wide demographic of people both male and female.
GLAMOUR: lelive is well known for using organic and natural ingredients. What difference has that made to your business?
Lelive has made it a point to use clean ingredients sourced right here in Africa. Besides being a current trend, this was a no brainer for me to use the gifts the elements of nature have given us right here on our landscape. Our community also requested these clean ingredients. I believe the era of pushing products at consumers is over.
People know exactly what they want and what’s good for their bodies from the outside in. We merely made sure we listened and gave consumers what they want. This meant that we had a guaranteed customer base for the business before we launched. This kind of trust in skincare is very rare and I believe what we’ve co-created is revolutionary.
GLAMOUR: What is the most rewarding thing about seeing lelive about to launch in the UK?
Launching in the UK is a dream come true! Since release we have had people who’ve reached out from all over the world asking when we would be available for global distribution. It is very rewarding to be available in the UK as of June 2024. Meaning we are one step away to becoming readily available to our community anywhere in the world.
GLAMOUR: What tips do you have for other entrepreneurs who are looking to secure funding as you managed to do in the partnership between lelive and Invenfin?
I would like to encourage fellow entrepreneurs but I want to reiterate the journey is complex. Make sure you have the heart and passion to see your business through as there will be days this is all that will carry you through. The next is expanding too quickly without enough financial backing of your own could be detrimental to your business. As is the dream of most to have enough finance to back exponential growth, this isn’t always the case. The next step is obviously to secure funding from a reputable investor. What you want to do to attract the best investor is create a business that has huge potential, ticks all the boxes, and has a solid in-depth plan to scale backed by research of markets. Choosing the right investor is the next part.
For me there was no better locally rooted investor than Invenfin, the venture capital arm of major South African investment group Remgro Limited, who has provided substantial investment which will enable lelive to expand into the global market. Their track record and client portfolio speaks for itself. This is what you want in an investor because you know you plug into the assistance and expertise of blue-chip players on a global stage. Becoming their invested interest gives me a guarantee of success! I would recommend choosing an investor who trusts your creativity and decisions which I feel I’ve done well in this partnership with Invenfin.
GLAMOUR: What innovations do you believe will be the most important to the industry in the next year or two and how does lelive fit in here regarding brand innovations?
I think we are gravitating to a back-to-basics lifestyle. Knowing exactly what we put on and into our bodies. The confidence and freedom of choice of customers. Aesthetics, community driven and telling authentic stories of who we are, and our history will be our new authentic reality. lelive currently has strong brand pillars on all of these points. And the most important innovation is that we don’t force full product ranges on our customer, we only guide. We encourage our community to use what works best for them.
GLAMOUR: What is your biggest motivation?
My biggest motivation is my God given purpose. To give hope and encouragement to our youth that all things are possible if we believe. My other motivations are accessibility to health, wellness, and humane living conditions for underprivileged areas all throughout Africa. To protect Earth and its resources as we will not get another.
GLAMOUR: If you could only leave the house with 2 beauty items what would they be? …
If I could only leave my house with two beauty products it would be our jelly splash cleanser and the du-Pont moisturizer by lelive. If I could squeeze in a third product, it would be the drip!
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