Summer in South Africa has officially clocked in — the season of sunscreen, sundresses, sizzling temperatures and… scents that actually survive the heat. Because let’s be honest: between the humidity, the outdoor groove, and the Uber rides with questionable ventilation, smelling fresh has become a national priority. Here is Why Smelling Good Is the New ‘Summer Flex’ — Bathabile Moreki breaks it down!
But scent isn’t just about smelling good. It’s a confidence booster, a form of self-care, and for many of us, a personality — whether you are a bold “I have arrived” type or the subtle “you will only notice me if you stand close” type. And at the centre of South Africa’s fragrance wave stands one woman who has turned scent into both a lifestyle essential and a vehicle for empowerment.
Meet Bathabile Moreki — the powerhouse entrepreneur behind Nothile Consulting and The Perfume Co. Africa. Recently named a Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 finalist at the Standard Bank Top Women Awards, she’s not only shaping how South Africans smell this summer; she’s building one of the country’s largest women-led economic ecosystems.
In this exclusive interview with Africa Jamz FM News, Bathabile shares why fragrance — whether feather-light or fabulously bold — matters more this season, how her brand caters to every type of scent lover (even those who prefer the “almost nothing” approach), and why empowerment smells a lot like independence.
Summer & scent confidence
As our conversation begins, Bathabile — the woman behind her own fragrance line, The Perfume Co. Africa — explains why she believes perfume becomes even more important in the summer months, when the heat, busy social calendars, and outdoor events make people more aware of freshness and confidence.
“Summer in South Africa – and across the SADC region – is a very active season. People are on the move. There are weddings, graduations, church conferences, cultural festivals, family gatherings, and end-of-year functions. We are travelling more, in closer contact with each other in taxis, buses and public spaces, and we are spending longer days in the heat. In that context, people become much more aware of freshness, hygiene and how they show up socially.
“Fragrance plays a practical role here. When the temperature rises, your body chemistry changes. You perspire more. The clothes you wear are lighter. A good fragrance becomes part of your daily hygiene system – it sits on top of a clean body routine and helps you feel fresh and put-together for longer in conditions that are not always comfortable. For a commuter who takes two taxis to work, for a salesperson in and out of shops all day, or a young person attending multiple events, that confidence in your own freshness matters.
“There is also a deeper emotional dimension. Scent is one of the strongest triggers of memory. Many of us can remember a December holiday, a special Christmas, a first date or a graduation because of how someone smelled. So the fragrance you wear in summer becomes part of how you remember that season of your life – and how people remember you when you leave a room.
At Nothile Consulting and The Perfume Co. Africa, we see this every day through our Scent of Confidence movement. We are not just selling bottles; we are equipping more than 150 000 women distributors – within a broader network of over 258 000 micro-entrepreneurs across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zambia, Kenya and parts of Zimbabwe – to take fragrance into homes, churches, salons, spaza shops, taxi ranks and rural towns. Summer is often when their businesses are busiest, because people want scents that work well in the heat and help them feel presentable and confident at important moments.
“So in summer, fragrance becomes important on three levels: it supports freshness in a hot climate, it anchors memories at a very social time of the year, and it creates income opportunities for thousands of women and youth whose businesses peak when the country is on the move,” said Bathabile.
Scent as self-care & expression
Perfume is closely tied to self-care and personal expression. Bathabile reflects on how she believes scent — whether soft or strong — shapes the way people feel and how they present themselves in everyday life.
“For me, fragrance is one of the quietest but most powerful forms of self-care. Before someone sees your qualifications or your title, they experience your presence. Scent is part of that. Whether you choose something bold, or soft and close to the skin, the fragrance you put on in the morning is a small decision about how you want to feel and how you want to show up that day.
“We work with women who started selling perfume simply to buy bread, to pay school fees, or to escape situations of financial and emotional dependency. Through Scent of Confidence, we have seen how that same bottle becomes more than a product. When a woman sprays it on before she goes to church, to work, to campus or to her small stall, it is a reminder that she matters — that she is deserving of care, of dignity, of beauty, even when life is hard.
“Scent also acts as a language. A soft, clean fragrance might say, “I am calm, I am grounded, I am approachable.” A deeper, richer scent might say, “I am here, I am making a statement, and I am not afraid of taking up space.” Neither is right or wrong. They are just different ways of expressing who you are and how you want to occupy space in the world.
“For our distributors and independent business owners, perfume is also a tool for economic self-expression. Many of the 150 000 women we will be honouring at our gala started with a simple starter kit. Over time, some of them have grown into micro-franchise owners, opened container stores or small retail spaces, hired other young people, and integrated fragrance into a wider business that might include clothing, cosmetics, or hair services. So scent becomes part of their identity not only as individuals, but as entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.
“So when we say Scent of Confidence, we are not talking about vanity. We are talking about the confidence to walk into a room, to negotiate a sale, to look someone in the eye and say, “I am building something here.” Fragrance influences how people feel on the inside, and that directly shapes how they show up on the outside,” said Bathabile.
Being inclusive of non-perfume lovers
Although perfumes are good, not everyone is a fan. Some people just don’t wear them at all. Bathabile shares how her brand embraces this, creating soft, light scents that are perfect for those who prefer a more subtle, summer-ready touch.
“One of the mistakes the fragrance industry has made in the past is to assume that everyone wants to smell loud. The reality is that people have different bodies, different professions, different cultural and religious environments, and different levels of sensitivity. We have teachers, nurses, corporate professionals, pastors, caregivers, students, and people working in clinics or open-plan offices in our customer base. Many of them prefer fragrance that is present but not overpowering.
“From a product point of view, The Perfume Co. Africa has been very intentional about designing a range that respects those differences. We don’t only offer heavy, intense fragrances. We have light citrus options, green notes, airy florals and skin-scent profiles that sit close to the body and feel very clean and breathable – especially in summer. These are ideal for people who want to smell fresh and polished without creating a cloud of scent around them.
“Beyond the juice in the bottle, we also invest a lot in education. Through Nothile Consulting and our township franchise ecosystem work – including the Township Economic Transformation in Franchise Eco-System (TETFE) – we train our agents to listen first. If a customer tells you they get headaches from strong perfume, you guide them towards lighter options. You teach them about how many sprays to use, where to apply, how fragrance behaves in heat, and how to layer with unscented lotion so the final effect is very gentle.
“We have seen this especially in communities in Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, where the climate can be very dry and hot. People want scents that feel refreshing, not suffocating. So our role as a brand is not to dictate one standard of “acceptable” scent, but to offer choice and to respect the fact that some people experience confidence through very subtle, minimal fragrance.
“In summary, we accommodate softer preferences by designing the range with intention, and by ensuring our 258 000-plus network is trained to match the right fragrance to the right personality, lifestyle and environment,” said Bathabile.
Access & affordability
The Perfume Co. Africa has made quality fragrances accessible to everyday South Africans. As our conversation deepens, Bathabile shares why this mission matters to her and how making perfumes affordable has transformed the way people experience and enjoy scent.
“When I started The Perfume Co. Africa under Nothile Consulting, I had seen first-hand what it means to sell your first item just to put food on the table. I had also seen how the formal economy often happens around our people instead of with them. Quality fragrances were priced and positioned for a small middle- and upper-income market, mostly in big malls and corporate retail environments. Townships, rural towns and informal traders were either excluded or offered products that were inconsistent and not sustainable.
“I wanted to flip that script. I wanted a model where a woman in Katlehong, a young person in Seshego, or a cross-border trader in Gaborone could access a high-quality fragrance at a fair price and use it not only for personal self-care, but as a base for building a business.
“Affordability changes behaviour. When people know that a good fragrance is within reach, they stop seeing it as a once-a-year December purchase and start integrating it into their daily lives. They experiment. They buy different scents for work, for church, for going out. They gift loved ones. They see fragrance not just as a luxury, but as part of presenting themselves with dignity.
“On the economic side, affordability and access have changed how people engage with scent as a livelihood. Today, we have a network of more than 150 000 women distributors within a larger group of over 258 000 independent business owners across the SADC region. Many of them started with one or two bottles and now run micro-distribution operations, employ packers and delivery assistants, and support their families through this work.
“Partnerships like the one we have with Pargo have also solved real, practical barriers. Stock can now be collected within 48–72 hours from more than 3 000 collection points, including in areas where traditional courier systems were unreliable. That means a woman in a village or township no longer waits a week or more for stock; she can plan her business, serve her customers consistently, and grow her reputation.
So accessibility and affordability have done three things:
*They have democratised who gets to enjoy quality fragrance,
*They have created new income streams for women and youth, and they have helped integrate informal entrepreneurs into a broader, more reliable supply chain,” said Bathabile.
Vision & impact
As our conversation comes to a close, Bathabile — who uses fragrance as a way to empower women and youth across the country — has a message for South Africans about the power of scent and self-confidence, this summer and beyond. Here’s what she had to share:
“My message to South Africans is that confidence is not an accident — it’s a daily decision, built through small, consistent acts of care. We live in a time when many are under pressure: unemployment, financial stress, safety concerns, and emotional fatigue shape people’s reality. In that environment, it is very easy to forget yourself, to go into survival mode and to believe that luxury and confidence belong to other people.
“Fragrance will not fix the economy. It will not replace jobs or policies. But it can be part of how you remind yourself that you are still worthy, still present, and still allowed to take up space. For some women in our network, that first bottle they buy for themselves — not as a gift from someone else, but as something they earned through their own effort — is the beginning of a new relationship with self-worth.
“I also want South Africans to see scent not only as something you consume, but as something you can build on. Perfume has become a vehicle for economic freedom for thousands of women and young people in our Scent of Confidence movement. When you buy from a local distributor, you are not just buying a fragrance. You are investing in a child’s school fees, in groceries, in a small business that may grow into a shop, into a franchise, into an employer.
So this summer and beyond, my encouragement is:
*Take that extra minute to choose a scent that makes you feel like yourself.
*Wear it with intention.
*Walk into rooms with your shoulders a little higher, knowing that you have honoured yourself in some way.
*And when you can, support the women and young people who are using fragrance as a tool to rewrite their economic stories.
“Confidence is not about pretending life is perfect. It is about saying, “In the middle of everything, I still choose to show up.” A simple bottle of perfume, used with that mindset, can become a quiet but powerful part of that choice,” said Bathabile.
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