Leafline
What does your company do?
Leafline manufactures washable sanitary wear using the natural fibres taken from the leaf of the Cayenne pineapple. This fibre forms the absorbent inner of all the products. The company is based in the rural Eastern Cape, and we train abled and disabled members of our community to sew and manufacture the products.
All Leafline products are washable and reusable and can be used for p to 2 years before they need replacing.
What is your biggest success?
Our biggest success has been that we are now in 30 SPAR stores in the Eastern Cape and will be in 600 stores nationwide by the end of the year. Our success also lies in the ability to employ and train abled and disabled adults to sew and supply sanitary towels to 1000 learners in our community through donations and CSI initiatives. Leafline has also managed to make an impact on the environment with limiting the use of disposable sanitary towels and nappies in the area.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
As an entrepreneur there are daily hurdles to overcome, from financial to logistics. I can easily say that our largest hurdle has definitely been trying to reintroduce a washable sanitary product back into the market. The company has improved on the original design by using a natural fibre on the insides which replaces the gel in the disposable nappy. This remains a challenge, however the company is finally starting to gain traction after 5 years of incredible hard work.
