Company Background

Minnie started a home-based stress therapy salon in 1995 and developed a major interest in the application and uses of essential oils and fine fragrances. She recognised that there was a natural link between what she was doing and the production of unique and exquisite decorative hand moulded glycerine soapy giftware. What started off, as a hobby soon became an attractive commodity for commercial distribution and sales. We soon realized that this product has the potential to penetrate almost every household, hotel, guesthouse or bathroom in the world.

Soapy Options pioneered the concept of decorative hand moulded glycerine soapy giftware with soap "in-lays" or inserts. Our unique products became immensely popular as gifts/souvenirs for the tourism industry, the hospitality industry as well as marketing and promotional giftware. In order to compete with well-established large companies we embarked on an innovative processing and marketing strategy. Instead of constructing a plant to be able to produce a large volume of individual soaps we decided to hand mould our products. In doing so we managed to add exclusivity and uniqueness to our products as well as keeping the costs of the end product low enough to be competitive with ordinary soaps bought off the shelf in super markets. This approach opened up income opportunities for unemployed people and we have simplified the process of soap making to such a degree that un-skilled people can participate in these entrepreneurial prospects. We at Soapy Options are dedicated to the up-liftment and empowerment of people from the previously disadvantaged community and we are very proud to be associated with our first job-creation project for the women of Wupperthal. (this is a joint venture between Soapy Options, Natural Botanicals and USAID) We will continue to assist in the establishment of many more of these kinds of projects all over the country and we envisage the establishment of mini-soap factories in all towns, suburbs and townships throughout South Africa in the foreseeable future.

Our commitment to the establishment of job-creation opportunities resulted in the fact that we have started our own packaging division. Every item is hand wrapped, sealed and the carton box is hand cut, folded and glued. Because we do our own artwork and printing, we can print custom designed artwork on every item with very little additional cost and no minimum quantities.

Our business has developed from a hobby to one of the largest hand moulding operations of decorative glycerine soap in South Africa. We do not wish to automate the process and to start competing with well-established soap manufacturing corporations. Our products have an appeal, which goes far beyond the creation of a consumable article, and we will continue to maintain this specific "branding" of our products. We do not manufacture cleaning-materials; we sell the concepts of natural goodness, beauty, healthiness, promotion, marketing and environmental friendliness.