Actress Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of Camagu. Image: Talia Hamid

Actress Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of Camagu.

Image: Talia Hamid

Scent of success as Fundi Zwane releases two of her own fragrances

Actress and producer Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of her own fragrance, Camagu.

Actress Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of Camagu. Image: Talia Hamid

Actress Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of Camagu.

Image: Talia Hamid

South African actress and businesswoman Fundi Zwane produces the online show Living Lit with @FundiZwane and is the founding director of The Phezulu Phambili Collective.

Now Zwane is set to release her debut fragrance, Camagu, by Fundi Zwane.

Audiences know the Port Shepstone-born actress for her role as Rethabile in the SABC1 soap opera Generations. She also appears as kaMadonsela in e.tv’s drama series Imbewu: The Seed.

How Zwani dreamt up Camagu

According to the 35-year-old business creative, the idea for the fragrance came about “a few months ago”. With her team’s help, she looked at projects with “good synergy” to help her express her brand.

“It seemed like the perfect time to action a project that leads me back into my collective passion for business, creativity and the beauty industry,” says Zwane.

Overall, she describes the creative and collaboration process as “seamless”. However, just when the project was in its final stages, the lockdown was imposed in South Africa.

“That challenged us to find new ways of doing things. It was an exercise of ‘stretching’, but very good in helping implement new systems to the business as a whole,” Zwane says.

Actress Fundi Zwane. Camagu scent perfume Image: Talia Hamid
Actress Fundi Zwane. Image: Talia Hamid

There is power in the name

Zwane pays tribute to her African heritage through naming her fragrance Camagu. The word “Camagu” is an isiXhosa term for when one is in a “space of deep gratitude”.

“Camagu, for me, is a unanimous agreement. It means: be honoured, thank you, may it be so,” she explains.

She believes that a name holds great power and attributes personality and “movement”.

Unisex scent

Actress Fundi Zwane branches out to the perfume business with launch of Camagu. Image: Talia Hamid
Fundi Zwane is launching two Camagu perfumes, one of which is unisex. Image: Talia Hamid

While the Camagu Femme fragrance targets the classic, confident woman who loves the notion of journey and self-discovery, Zwane’s Camagu Oud scent stretches across gender boundaries.

The unisex Camagu Oud scent is for those who understand the value and potential of their masculine and/or feminine energy. Both men and women can wear this perfume.

“Understanding that the palate of both male and female is not linear was not simple. Cross-pollination and the science of capturing a powerful unisex scent has not been easy. However, as expected it’s our best seller so far,” she says.

A fragrant collaboration

Zwane partnered with Kwazulu-Natal-based Saltwater Marketing Group to release her products.

“When we confirmed the final scents for both the Femme and OUD and I first saw the official images and video they blew me away,” she says.

She decided to use Saltwater after years of working on other projects together.

“It’s a blessing to be a business owner who understands that you are only as powerful as your collaborations,” says Zwane.

Moving forward, she would like each person to have an experience with Camagu.

She would like her audience to “enjoy the chemistry between body and scent” and in turn, let the “love story unfold”.