THEMBISA’S SCENT OF AMBITION

The perfume industry is probably one of the lesser explored fields of entrepreneurship in our townships. However, one of Thembisa’s own youths has identified this gap and gone all in. Zanele Millar Mndaweni from Thembisa is the owner of Canaries Fragrances.

The company produces fragrances for males and females, but also has unisex perfumes. The 29-year-old’s business is at 7265 Mpondo Street, Ivory Park. The products are of high quality and targeted at middle and upper-class individuals. Our product line is vast, producing a variety of fragrances for our large market. Quizzed about how she got into the business, Millar explains, ” Fashion and dressing up are my passions, but something was missing: passion.

Well, I needed a perfume to complete my look. I bought a few perfumes from other entrepreneurs in the perfume industry, and man, I didn’t like the quality, and they never lasted as long as I thought. That’s when I saw an opportunity, and I went all in researching perfume ingredients, suppliers and how people are providing the service. There was a huge gap, and that was my moment to shine.

“Since she started, Mndaweni is looking to repackage her business while providing quality perfume in ekasi. Canaries Fragrances, currently with 50ml bottles, is now looking to repackage its bottles into 15ml, 25ml, 30ml, and 50ml, with an estimated price of R30 to R150. Millar says she is looking into bulk reselling (find representatives all over, who can buy their products at wholesale prices) and sell them at a profitable price, but also have a standard retail price.

Zanele has a smaller venture that she started on the 1st of October 2025 called Canaries Beauty Co. ( it’s a lash salon, and all things Beauty is a separate entity. Canaries Fragrances is still looking into having lotions, ⁠home diffusers, ⁠car diffusers, and ⁠scented candles.The entrepreneur says they want to create amazing products and become a leader in the perfume industry, and wish to dominate the market with strategic marketing, excellent customer service and products. “Take action immediately. When you have an idea that you feel strongly about, act on it, then let the magic happen,” she concludes.

For more info, go to canaries_fragrances – Instagram, ⁠canaries_fragrances – TikTok, ⁠Millar Zanele Mndaweni – Facebook, and ⁠Ariesbabe_millar – Instagram