Tebello Khanya has built success from setbacks. When a problem in her laundromat disrupted business, the 34-year-old created her own fabric softener. Today, that innovation has grown into the thriving brand Bonolo Scents.
Bonolo Scents was started in Khanya’s parents’ home in Sasolburg, Free State, which quickly brought its own setbacks. However, she turned those into opportunities and is now building a thriving business.
“The business started as a laundromat in 2020 in my parents’ garage. About a year later, I started encountering problems with the drainage system, which was getting blocked and clogged because fabric softener builds up in a machine and later turns into mould.
“So I decided to experiment with different fabric softeners to see how they would work for my needs. While I was doing that, I realised that I should actually make my own products,” she said.
Khanya said her first port of call was to ensure that her product was unique and could hold its own against established brands in a competitive market.
“I decided to manufacture a fabric softener that is eco-friendly and gentle on my machines. It is also hypoallergenic, so people with eczema, allergies, and even babies can use it. This is how Bonolo Scents was born.”
The company produces at least 6,000 litres of fabric softener a month – supplying laundromats, online customers, local lodges and Makro Online.
With the business thriving, she is currently recruiting more workers to supplement the six employees she already has.
“We were chosen as one of the Food Lover’s Market Seeds of Change Top 10 in 2024. They awarded us the opportunity to supply their stores. They have over 200 stores, so it was quite a big market for me, and we are still working with them to get into retail — which will be soon. These are exciting times for the business,” she said.
The entrepreneur received assistance from the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
“Those are the three government institutions that are currently holding my hand because I see myself exporting this product. Currently, I’m in talks with Botswana and Lesotho,” Khanya concluded.
Follow the company on Facebook and Instagram at Bonolo Scents
View the catalogue of products on WhatsApp at: https://wa.me/c/27786596908
SEDFA can be reached at www.sedfa.org.za
For more information about the NYDA visit www.nyda.gov.za
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