Some stories begin with a wound that becomes a calling. Sonto Pooe’s began at eight years old, in the hands of of a hairdresser who braided her hair so tightly she couldn’t sleep for days. Most children would have simply moved on. Sonto carried the memory forward, quietly, until it became the foundation of something the continent had never seen before.
Born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal by a single mother who was a teacher by profession, Sonto grew up in a household where education was non-negotiable and responsibility was worn early. As the eldest of three girls, she learned to lead before she had language for it. She learned to be resourceful before she understood that word. She also learned, in the way that children do when money is scarce and imagination is plentiful, that she could create things. She taught herself to sew. She taught herself to do hair. By her early teens, she was doing both for her community and earning from it.
The world, however, had other plans mapped out for her. She studied Quantity Surveying, then moved into civil engineering, excelling in both. She was capable, credentialed, and entirely certain that this was not her life’s work. The decision to walk away from a stable professional career and start again was not impulsive. It was the most honest thing she had ever done.
In late 2015, Sonto launched Nativechild informally and more formally in 2016. A clean, plant-based hair and body care brand specially beneficial for people of color. She started with one product: a hair growth castor oil. She was the visionary, the production team, the website developer, the customer care agent, the social media manager, and her own hype squad. What she lacked in infrastructure, she made up for in precision. She understood the market from the inside. She was not studying her customer. She was her customer.
Nativechild grew with a speed that surprised even Sonto. The brand moved from her kitchen to an outside room to an office to a warehouse, and then into a bigger warehouse still. It secured shelf space in Checkers, Pick n Pay, Clicks, Shoprite, Game, Dischem and now Walmart. It expanded beyond South Africa’s borders into Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana, and the United States. What started as one product is now a full range of vegan, paraben-free, plant-based formulations that have earned multiple awards and a fiercely loyal customer base. The team that began as two people has grown to nearly fifty.
Nativechild also made history quietly and without announcement. It became the first Black-owned hair and body care brand to build an e-commerce presence and sell online in South Africa. That achievement lives alongside a broader mission: to educate consumers about the dangers of harsh chemicals absorbed through skin and scalp, and to change the global beauty narrative so that natural, kinky, coily hair is no longer seen as a problem to be managed but a crown to be celebrated.
Sonto has never been interested in fighting giants. She has always been more interested in serving a people who were underserved, building a brand that people who looked like her could call their own, and proving thatquality does not have to be a luxury.
She is a mother, a wife, a philanthropist, and a speaker whose story has the rare quality of being both extraordinary and deeply, unmistakably human. She is proof that what looks like a detour often turns out to be the road itself.
Entertainment SA caught up with Sonto Pooe to talk about her journey, overcoming beauty myths and what being a 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award finalist means to her.
1. Nativechild literally started in your kitchen with a single bottle of castor oil. What is the most chaotic experiments you have faced?
Oh my kitchen saw things! I was experimenting with different formulations, testing efficacy, trying to get the right combination of herbs and their %’s right. Sometimes a batch would be too mild and in other instances , too strong and I would have to start from scratch. But honestly the most chaotic part was not even the experiments. It was the fact that I was the visionary, the sales team, the website developer, the marketing team, the social media expert, customer care, the receptionist, the production team, the design team, my ownhype squad lol. All of that happening all at once . Then the demand started growing much faster than I had anticipated. I was stretched beyond words. The working hours are long, the juggling of production, sales, marketing, customer experience. There were days which turned into years running on very little sleep, trying to manage production, customer service, retailers, marketing, and family all at the same time. But here we are still standing, still growing and equipped with actual experience you can’t read from a book.
2. You championed natural afro-textured hair when chemical relaxers were the default or go to option. What was the most skeptical reaction you received back then when you told people you were betting everything on natural hair?
Unfortunately the world has programmed many to think people of color are ugly, our hair is untidy / unprofessional and that we need to look a certain way to be considered beautiful. I came from the end of the perm era and the beginning of the relaxing era. If it’s a hair trend I have tried it all. But Yho! The scalp burns from the relaxers, perms, the receding hairline, I had to take control of my own crown.
People could not understand why I would leave a stable career in engineering to make hair products. And why natural hair specifically when the market was dominated by chemical products. Some thought it was a phase that would not last. But would you believe me if I told you I didn’t even think of them? I didn’t. I knew what I wanted to offer the market had not been done and so I could not achieve it by looking at them. I’m a believer and I work hard, so it never even crossed my mind that I could not do it. Also being my own target customer, I knew the needs of our target market from experience, I live it everyday.
Quite frankly I was happy to be under radar as it would allow me to build my roots undisturbed. The world has since caught up.
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3. Leaving a stable corporate job to brew hair products must have taken a lot of courage. What was the ultimate ‘no turning back’ moment during your early entrepreneurship times?
I had this dream for far too long, being crippled by uncertainty and just fear to walk into my own truth and what that would mean for me and those around me. I think since we are dynamic beings we can all do many things but there is one thing that you can do really, really well and that sets your heart on fire. Once I was in engineering I realized this is not my life’s work. I had to make the decision to start afresh and abandon what I felt like would not be a fulfilling life long term.With the encouragement of my husband I made the jump and decided to follow my passion. I had no clue where to start so I started with school and to learn all the different aspects of running a cosmetic manufacturing business. I hate the idea of not reaching my potential. I knew I had so much more in me and so Idecided to go for it and push through all the challenges that came my way.The real no turning back moment was when the orders started coming in faster than I could fulfill them. I chose to grow into the pressure instead of running from it. I kept reminding myself that if God trusted me with the vision, then I had to trust myself enough to carry it. From that point there was no going back.
4. Seeing Nativechild on shelves of retail giants like Clicks and Dis-Chem for the first time must have been surreal. Did you ever casually stand nearby your products to see if people were picking them up?
Listen, I would be lying if I said I have not done that! At the time there were giants dominating the shelves and very few brands that truly represented people like me. We were entering spaces where many people would have assumed we did not belong. So seeing NativeChild move from my kitchen into major retailers like Clicks, Checkers, Pick n Pay, Dischem, Shoprite and Spar was surreal.
I think that moment represented boldness for me because it was proof that African brands built with purpose, quality, and authenticity can stand confidently on the same shelves as global giants. Watching someone pick up a NativeChild product and put it in their basket confirms everything you have sacrificed for. I do not think that feeling will ever get old.
5. What is one wildly accepted “hair care rule” that you absolutely disagree with?
That you need heat to manage or style natural hair. Avoid using heat, it destroys the strength and vitality of your hair. So many people do not realize the cumulative damage. Similarly the same with using relaxers. This concoction of chemicals is extremely toxic for your body as it is absorbed via your scalp. It is part of the reason we exist. To help remove years of conditioning and for everyone to walk in their power ‘through hair.
6. As a 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award finalist, if Nativechild were to release a limited-edition “Bold Woman” self-care kit, what is the one non-negotiable item that must be inside to make women feel like royalty?
Nativechild Curl enhancing custard. This is highly moisturising, easily detangles, conditions hair, softens and defines curls . Anyone struggling with hard, breaking and untamed hair, this is your product. Kids whose hair is difficult to manage, this will improve their hair experience and eliminate tears. Clean, nourishing, plant based goodness that makes you feel good but is also functional.
7. What is one common mis-conception people have about Nativechild?
That we are just a haircare brand. We are a conscious brand, very much aware of the impact of cosmetics in the environment and people. We have combined haircare and wellness which is something that has been non-existent. And we are at the forefront of brands who genuinely care about the people we serve and our planet. Our products are clean, plant based, which means we are doing our bit to make this world a better place whilstinstilling self confidence in our customers. Our packaging is recyclable which also helps with the fight against global warming.
People also sometimes assume that because our products are clean and plant based, they must be expensive. That is not the case at all. Clean beauty you can afford! You will not find this goodness at such affordable prices! Quality that won’t dent your pocket. It’s created with your health in mind. Plenty of products now that cater for natural hair but they are not necessarily kind to you.
