Maca Scents: How a husband-and-wife duo is redefining affordable luxury in fragrance

What started as a side hustle and a love for smelling good has blossomed into a thriving fragrance brand gaining traction both locally and beyond.

Pretoria-based Maca Scents, founded by Siya and Trycia Simelane, is quietly but confidently disrupting South Africa’s perfume industry, offering high-quality, affordable fragrances with a personal touch.

At its core, Maca Scents is rooted in an inspiring entrepreneurial journey, a clear sense of purpose, and a deep understanding of what customers really want from their scent experience: authenticity, inclusivity, and lasting power.

From distributor to brand builder

Before launching his own brand, Siya Simelane spent years distributing perfumes for other companies. But a persistent thought lingered, why build someone else’s legacy when you can build your own?

“As a distributor, it always felt like I was helping grow someone else’s brand,” Siya said.

“I always intended on eventually making the shift and building my own. Every time I bounced ideas off my wife, then my girlfriend, she would always say, 'Just do it!' Eventually, I did,” he told Business Report. 

The pandemic might have been a time of global uncertainty, but for Siya, it offered clarity. With business slowing down, he returned to the drawing board and began mapping out his dream, what would eventually become Maca Scents, officially launched in 2020.

A brand for everyone who wants to smell their best

Guided by the philosophy that “everyone deserves to smell their best,” Maca Scents is reshaping the local fragrance market by blending premium perfume oil concentrations with minimalist packaging, all at accessible price points.

“We do our best to maximise the quality of perfume we produce,” Siya said.

“But we keep the packaging classy and no-frills. While navigating an industry defined by exclusivity and luxury pricing, we’ve found that simplicity is not only sustainable but also speaks to our audience,” he added.

Inclusivity is another cornerstone of the Maca Scents brand. Siya’s inspiration to cater for people with sensitive sinuses and skin came from his own family.

“My mom struggled with sinus issues, and my wife had both sinus and skin sensitivity. It opened my eyes to how many people are excluded from the fragrance experience.”

What sets Maca Scents apart

Unlike many international and local brands that flood South Africa’s shelves with Eau de Toilette (EDT) formulas, Maca Scents prioritises Eau de Parfum (EDP) and Extrait de Parfum, more concentrated and longer-lasting perfume types.

“In 2024, we launched our Intense range, Extrait de Parfum, which has double the oil concentrate of an average EDP. Customers are often surprised by how much longer our scents last compared to their usual buys,” Siya said. 

To further support the evolving needs of their market, the brand also introduced refillable perfume atomisers, compact, travel-friendly, and reusable options that encourage sustainability while letting customers sample different fragrances.

Their home fragrance range and upcoming car diffusers are a natural extension of the brand.

“We recently launched wedding fragrance packages at the Bridal Expo and received incredible feedback. Our goal is to offer a complete, sensory experience,” he said. 

Building customer loyalty one scent at a time

While Maca Scents operates primarily online via www.macascents.co.za, the brand maintains strong personal connections with its customers—thanks to on-the-ground activations, markets, and expos in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and KwaZulu-Natal.

“Our customers range from those who love the finer things in life to someone who just wants to smell good while doing a grocery run. We want to be their one-stop shop. Many people don’t know the difference between EDT, EDP, and Parfum. We make it a point to explain that, without gatekeeping,” Siya added. 

Entrepreneurship, family, and the road ahead

With over four years under their belt, Siya and Trycia run Maca Scents as a tight-knit, family-driven business. Siya holds a BCom qualification and has a background in sales across industries like lighting, publishing, and electrical supplies. Trycia, a Social Sciences graduate, is an integral part of the operation, managing logistics, testing new scents, and being, as Siya puts it, “my sounding board, guinea pig and most useful support structure.”

Looking to the future, Siya envisions a self-sustaining fragrance house with a respected place in South Africa’s beauty industry.

“I see Maca Scents becoming a household name. Once it’s strong enough to stand on its own, I’d love to explore new ventures,” he said.

For now, the duo continues to focus on expanding their reach, exploring retail partnerships, and beefing up their digital marketing efforts, including plans to bring on a dedicated team for social media growth.

A legacy of accessibility and quality

Maca Scents isn’t just about smelling good, it’s about making quality accessible and building a brand that reflects both ambition and heart.

With its unique blend of affordability, education, and high-performance fragrances, Maca Scents is proving that the scent of success doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag.

BUSINESS REPORT