Namibia is famous for its animals in the Etosha national park, the quaint coastal town of Swakopmund and the high dunes at Sossusvlei.
My favourite soul-soothing and mind-mending region however is the South. With its endless vistas, pink hued landscapes and granite gneiss boulders loosely scattered around, it is impossible not to let your mind wander onto its own journey.
The Namib desert has always had a special hold on me. Just the sheer size of it (running along the Atlantic Coast of Angola, Namibia and South Africa; stretching southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa). The variety of sand and rock on display is best visible when driving along the magnificent D707 from Aus up along the NamibRand Nature Reserve towards Sesriem.
The sleepy and unassuming settlement of Aus sits in a very special place. With its very cowboyish history of a German WWI defence location, a wild West 1908 diamond rush and a short-lived, but lucrative karakul market in the 1950s in its back pocket, it now quietly prepares the traveller for the arrival to the beautiful Klein Aus Vista Lodge, aptly accessible by crossing the historical railway line connecting Lüderitz to the inland.
The area around Klein Aus Vista is simply breathtaking and is best experienced on a hike or by following the various mountain bike trails set out on the farm. As one says, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and the mindful traveller that spots finer details will find a surprise at every corner. What at a distance appears as a vast landscape with lots of sand and rocky outcrops, up close discloses an array of tiny little mesembryanthemums, succulents & wildflowers that bloom according to the seasons.
It is here where a young girl from a family of 5 siblings experienced a wonderfully free-spirited childhood. Sophia Snyman always did mind the small things and was taught by her grandmother and mother to see the detail in the desert during each season. She regularly accompanied her family on walks and so developed her love for botany at a young age. The irregular and sometimes freaky weather conditions in this area were exceptionally interesting for young Sophia, as she could recall playing in the snow in August and then again pick beautiful wildflowers after a particularly good rainy season.
The desert is known to take from animal and man, as is clear in the heavily fluctuating population of the wild horses, with the weather conditions that can reach freezing temperatures overnight. However, it also gives back, when it prolifically blooms and grows in parts where you would least expect it. For me, it is the humbling vastness of the area that makes you connect to earth itself.
Fast forward and Sophia’s journey went from studying botany to a career in banking, whilst finding her passion and solace in experimenting with essential oils, creams, and lotions.
A competition issued by the millennium challenge account of the USA formed the catalyst needed for her to research and produce a wholesome and nourishing range of body products based on Namibian natural ingredients. She researched and sourced Namib myrrh (Commiphora wildii) from the Ovahimba community in Opuwo’s distillery factory, which formed the basis for “Desert Secrets”, a proudly all-natural Namibian body product range which took the winning prize in 2013.
Besides myrrh, the Eudafano Women’s Cooperation in Ondangwa became a sustainable supplier of rich Marula oil (Sclerocarya birrea) and nourishing Tsamma melon (Kalahari Citrullus lanatus), as well as her reliable source of Mopane oil (Colophospermum), chosen for their incredible properties.
As time went by, Sophia kept testing Namibian raw materials such as (Ximenia americana), an oil which is derived from the wild sour Plum tree kernels. This oil is purchased from Tulongeni Twahangana Coop, founded back in 2012 where 98% of their 1000 members are female. Is it coincidence that this oil has wonderful anti-aging properties which are much loved by women in the world?
One of my personal favourites in the Desert Secret range remains the solid perfume, which is encapsulated into the inner core of the Makalani palm tree (Hyphaene petersiana) nut. This Namibian bestseller item is often used by our local carvers as they quickly carve your name into the nut for a unique souvenir item that you will find hard to resist. Sophia ingenious design combines a truly unique scent with an artisan container and provides an extra income for many Namibians.
In 2020, after the world experienced one of its darkest hours, a rare and special event occurred in the Namib desert. Thanks to good and abundant rains, the desert showed its most beautiful and gentle side through a blanket of a multitude of blooming flowers. These fragrant flowers send their symphony of scents over miles and miles, as if wanting to send a message of hope to humankind that one should always keep faith. As this beautiful experience nourishes far more than just the soul, Sophia found her inspiration in the colours and scents of the purple “blousporrie” (Heliophila deserticola), the “harige botterblomme” (Hirpicum echinus) and the bright yellow calendula (gazania lichtensteini)i and Aus daisy (Arctotis fastuasa), to just name a few. And so, the second range Desert Blossom was born.
Based on her principal formula of all natural and 99% locally sourced Namibian ingredients, her special formula of caring body products was enriched with the refreshing scents of a desert in bloom.
Besides the body care products already known by this brand, Sophia added some products that make it very easy to relax and to caress the mind and spirit conjunctively.
Once showered, creamed & enveloped in a Desert Blossom body spray, a scented eye pillow will ensure that you transport your mind & soul amid a field of dancing flowers in the breeze. Made from 100% linen, the eye mask is filled with desert Snowbush flowers (Eriocephalus scariosus), handpicked from the desert, and mixed with flaxseed. All depressive thoughts and worries soon evaporate and nature silently heals you from within.
The original Desert Blossom wax tablet for your hanging cupboard or drawers prolongs this feeling of freedom and space and accompanies you on your daily schedule.
Sophia is an active woman in perpetual motion, and she constantly researches and develops new ideas to contribute her part to less fortunate communities, effectively motivating them to keep going strong and remain the architects of their own lives.
In the pipeline for this year are an increased presence through The Narrative Namibia and to globally represent brand Namibia and its natural beauty. New prototypes are being tested that are still only known to her, but we will ensure that you will be the first to see, smell and hear the whispers of Desert Secrets and Desert Blossom.
Written by: Sonia Noirfalise- Corsini