Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review May 2017 | Page 26

Ethnic Care
A beautiful opportunity
for localisation
times to supply local customers with imported
product also resulted in ongoing shortages in the
By localising the production of hair care
products that were initially imported from the
US, J Strickland Africa is set to have a positive
impact on economic development and job
creation in South Africa. Pharmaceutical
Cosmetic Review shares the story behind the
launch of this modern manufacturing facility.
L
marketplace. ‘At times, the parent company took
three to four weeks to produce stock for South Africa. The
shipping lead times were long too, ranging from eight
and 12 weeks,’ Norman explains.
These challenges presented Norman and her
team with an ideal opportunity to establish a local
manufacturing operation, with the vision of producing
the parent company’s Ethnic hair care products
under license.
To turn her dream into a reality, Norman fi rst
approached the Trade and Investment Kwazulu-
ocated in Westmead, Pinetown, in KwaZulu-Natal, J Strickland Natal (TIKZN), which then referred her to the Industrial
Africa is the brainchild of CEO, Wendy Norman. Before the Development Corporation (IDC). She presented a solid
manufacturing facility was established, Norman imported business case, showing the strong potential of the
J Strickland & Co’s Ethnic hair care products, and for the company to become a market