Entrepreneur Success Story

A ‘Bluuming’ Business with a Bright Future

Join us as we delve into the women’s health and wellness space with Chantel, the co-founder (alongside her husband) of Bluum. Inspired by the personal struggles of women seeking effective solutions for their hormonal challenges, they embarked on a journey to create a supplement range that prioritises transparency, safety, and efficacy. We spoke to her about their entrepreneurial journey, including the complexities of building a successful brand while navigating import and export logistics.

What inspired the creation of Bluum?

Bluum was inspired by women seeking natural support for hormonal challenges, with a mission to help women thrive and flourish in every season of life. It is also an extension of my own personal hormone healing journey.

How did you identify a gap in the market for PMS and menopause supplements?

We found the market to be saturated with generic “hormone balancers” which were not working for women transitioning from perimenopause to menopause. This confirmed the need for targeted nutritional solutions for women at different life stages, from PMS to post-menopause, inspiring us to create specialised products for each phase.

Who is your target market, and how do you effectively reach and engage them?

Our supplements are specifically formulated to support all women searching for a natural alternative to hormones. The Bluum Woman is informed and proactive about her wellness, choosing Bluum for its commitment to purity, efficacy, and personalised care. We reach our Bluum women through our online store and trusted brand partners (including Wellness Warehouse, Faithful to Nature and smaller e-retailers and health shops).

How do you differentiate Bluum from other brands in the health and wellness space in South Africa?

Our mission is to educate and empower women across all seasons of life to take control of their well-being with natural solutions that are safe, effective, and backed by science. We are also one of the few small health supplement brands that have taken the initiative to register with SAHPRA and undergo stringent due diligence to ensure compliance and transparency of what is actually in our product formulations.

You have chosen to package your products in pouches that need to be imported. Why have you chosen to use this specific type of packaging and have you experienced any challenges with the import logistics? If yes, how have you overcome these challenges?

We intentionally chose small, light, and flexible pouches over glass / plastic bottles because they are more convenient, travel-friendly, and environmentally sustainable. Pouches reduce shipping costs, minimise breakage risk, and offer a modern, user-friendly experience, especially for the woman on the go. We would have loved to support a local pouch supplier however they are not geared to support smaller brands like us with reasonable pricing at lower MOQs. The importation of pouches has certainly been an interesting experience as you quickly need to get familiar with the customs clearance rules and regulations to avoid any additional costs or delays in shipment which may have a ripple effect on your production plan. The best tip: make sure you get the required documentation from your supplier and make friends with at least 2 reliable custom clearance brokers so you can flag any expected shipments in advance and get your customs clearance invoice asap.

Your finished products are currently exported to a stockist in Namibia, and you offer the option of international shipping on your online store. What are your plans for the future, do you plan on targeting any specific markets?

Thanks to Import Export License company, we are able to have the option to export products to Namibia and to dream even bigger and eventually expand to Europe, the US and other African countries. For the moment, we offer direct to customer international shipping through TUNL for our international Bluumers.

What advice do you have for South African brands that are starting to navigate import and export logistics?

Step one: partner with Import Export License to save you the admin fuss and give you all the import/export tips. Step two: ensure customs is provided with the correct information and in the required form – trust me it will save you a lot of time and energy! Overall: make sure you partner with reputable businesses who share and align with your values to ensure success in every market you expand to. There are endless opportunities, stay up to date with industry trends, persevere and remain dedicated to what you stand for and believe in.