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South Africa’s beauty industry isn’t just lipstick and lotion. It’s a high-stakes business, a billion-dollar arena where visionaries have carved out fortunes with nothing more than grit, timing, and a sharp sense of what people want on their skin and in their hair.
From the apartheid era to Instagram-driven empires, these seven South Africans turned beauty into bankable gold. They’ve proven there’s money in melanin, gold in rooibos, and a fortune to be made wherever vanity meets vision.
Herman Mashaba
Founder, Black Like Me
Before he was mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba was South Africa’s hair-care kingpin. In 1985, against the backdrop of apartheid restrictions, Mashaba launched Black Like Me, a hair-care line designed for Black South Africans. What started in a small factory quickly became a national staple. Black Like Me made Mashaba a millionaire many times over and set him up for his later political career. His journey remains a masterclass in identifying underserved markets—and serving them brilliantly.
Annique Theron
Founder, Annique
In 1968, Annique Theron discovered that a simple rooibos tea could soothe her colicky infant. That revelation sparked a cosmetics empire. She founded Annique, a skincare brand infused with the antioxidant-rich tea, long before “natural” became a buzzword. By the 2000s, her rooibos-based products were being sold by thousands of consultants across the country.
Abe & Solly Krok
Founder, Twins Products
The Krok brothers didn’t invent skin-lightening products, but they mastered the business of selling them. In the 1950s, they founded Twins Products, turning it into a money machine with brands like Topiclear and BioClaire. Critics slammed the products as perpetuating harmful beauty standards. But the Kroks didn’t flinch. They took the cash and diversified, snapping up stakes in casinos, hotels, and even the Apartheid Museum. By the time they retired, their portfolio was worth hundreds of millions.
Unaiza Suliman
Founder, UniQBrows
Unaiza Suliman isn’t your typical beauty mogul. With a sharp business acumen and unrelenting drive, she’s been growing her skincare and cosmetics empire brick by brick. Her products—sleek, high-quality, and globally inspired—have found homes on vanities from Joburg to Dubai.
Nonkululeko Williams
Founder, Luminous Era
Nonkululeko Williams saw a gap in the market and ran straight through it. Her company, Luminous Era, is focused on skincare for melanin-rich complexions—a segment the big brands have long ignored. With its SPF-rich formulations tailored for darker skin tones, Luminous Era has become a major success in South Africa and secured Williams her own place among South Africa’s beauty millionaires.
Ian Fuhr
Founder, Sorbet
Not a product maker, but a beauty titan, nonetheless. Ian Fuhr started Sorbet in the early 2000s, building South Africa’s largest salon chain into a R116 million sale by 2017. His genius? Marrying top-tier service with franchise discipline. From manicures in Joburg to skincare across the region, he built the backbone behind the cosmetics experience.
