Young perfumer’s sweet smell of success

Entrepreneurship

Phumulile Mkhonza of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga is growing as a perfumer and revolutionising the African fragrance industry.

Mkhonza is the owner of PSD Scent Perfumes, a business that she started in 2019 but only registered in 2022.

It specialises in high quality personal care products including perfumes for men and women, body lotions, body butters, tissue oils, home diffusers, and car air-fresheners.
Mkhonza enrolled for a three-month perfume-making course while studying at the University of Johannesburg for a degree in political science.

“I decided to launch my own perfume brand due to my love for perfume making. I registered the business while I was still employed. In August 2023, I decided to resign from my job and focus solely on my business,” she said.

The 31-year-old Mkhonza said she has distributors across the country who buy her products in bulk and resell them. Her footprint also spans across three African countries including Swaziland, Mozambique and Nigeria.

Mkhonza was guided by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) to start exporting her products beyond South African borders.

“I was able to establish relationships with other entrepreneurs based in these countries through the entrepreneurship development programmes [offered by Seda] that I have been part of,” she said. In 2022,  she received R671 000 from the Mpumalanga Office of the Premier’s Youth Development Fund Programme. She further received financial assistance from Seda to purchase assets for the business in 2024.

Her business currently employs eight people.

The entrepreneur also holds an honours and master’s degrees in public management and governance.