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Marula breaks into beauty market

29 August 2002 The Marula tree, one of South Africa’s oldest natural resources, has gained a prime position in the highly competitive beauty industry. What started in 1995 as a project for empowering rural women has become a thriving commercial enterprise, with domestic and global sales of US$1.2-million expected by 2005. Based mainly in the Limpopo Province, Marula Natural Products (Pty) Ltd incorporates the sustainability of the fairly abundant, indigenous Marula tree with business development aimed at creating viable businesses for rural areas. The project produces a completely natural, high-quality oil which has come as something of a miracle for the cosmetics industry - marula oil is high in natural anti-oxidants and oxidative stability, making it a perfect combinant for global skin care products. The project also produces marula fruit pulp, a flavourful natural base for a drink with four times the Vitamin C of orange juice. Marula Natural Products use no artificial farming methods, no pesticides and no artificial additives. Preparation is entirely organic. Over 2 400 women from rural communities benefit from the manufacture of the products. They are involved in either picking the fruit or extracting the marula oil from the marula nut. Marula Natural Products (Pty) Ltd was one of eight southern African enterprises to be showcased by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development under the WK Kellog Foundation-funded "There’s Another Way That Works" project. SouthAfrica.info reporter