By Sitha Maliwa
Zesipho Mncwango isn’t just running the perfume game – she owns it. The brains (and bold personality) behind The OfficialPerfumePlug, Zesipho has turned a scent obsession into a full-blown fragrance phenomenon. From your fave influencer’s IG shelfie to A-list vanities, her curated scent collections are everywhere – and trust, if you know, you know.
Once just another beauty girlie with a dream, she’s now the it-girl of South African scent culture – named Glamour’s Next Gen Woman of the Year and a DStv Content Creator of the Year nominee. Oh, and the industry? They’re watching. Because Zesipho isn’t just setting trends – she’s rewriting the whole rulebook.
With that signature mix of perfume know-how, digital confidence, and just the right amount of sass, her followers don’t just like her – they listen. She’s the girl who can tell you what fragrance matches your energy and get it sold out by the weekend.
Fragrance? That’s just the beginning. Zesipho is building an empire – and let’s just say, we’re all here for the glow-up.
What motivated you to become a social media influencer?
The magic of my journey lies in its unexpectedness – I never set out to become a content creator or digital entrepreneur. As a marketing professional with a background in global luxury cosmetics brands, I grew increasingly frustrated with how exclusive and intimidating the world of fragrance and perfumery can be – it’s an industry that prides itself on those qualities.
The OfficialPerfumePlug is the perfect combination of an online platform where I strive to share my love for perfumery, pop-culture and social media in a way that makes Fragrance and perfumery more accessible and helps others feel empowered to explore and appreciate the power of scent.
What keeps you passionate about it?
Learning and sharing about the art and craft of Fragrance is my happy place. It is humbling, awe-inspiring and [hella] crazy that The OfficialPerfumePlug has become South Africa’s biggest fragrance-dedicated online platform with over 100,000 followers across social platforms, but I would still be doing this if it were just me and 10 followers learning, discovering and sharing about fragrances together. And now it’s helping me renovate my mother’s kitchen at our home in the village [laughs]
How do you engage with your followers to build a strong community around your brand?
The one word that sets The OfficialPerfumePlug apart: Credibility
My unique superpower is that people know and trust that I have the fragrance knowledge and expertise to influence. In a world where social media has become a catalogue and editorial lookbook, my intention in building a reputation as the go-to thought leader who people can trust with credible information on fragrances they should purchase is powerful beyond words.
I had a recent experience; this single moment was the crystallisation of the intention I set with The OfficialPerfumePlug
I was at a beauty festival recently and someone recognised me from social media while I was sniffing some fragrances. They asked if the fragrance I had in my hands was worth them trying – it’s one that has been getting a lot of social media buzz. My response to them was, “It’s worth the hype.” To which they responded, “I don’t trust the hype, but I trust you”
That moment was everything!
Can you share a specific campaign or collaboration that you’re particularly proud of?
My journey is very unique – I’ve launched and managed campaigns *and* I’ve been part of campaigns. I’ve truly been on both sides of the camera.
In my career, I’ve had spearheaded fragrance launches and campaigns for luxury fragrance brands, and that helps me to carefully select the fragrance brands I partner with in order to grow my craft and become a fragrance connoisseur. It has been a profound experience to now be on the other side of the camera, collaborating with iconic brands, in being the one who gets to share about the fragrances directly with consumers.
The recent Comfort campaign was a major ‘pinch-me’ moment.
To be part of a game-changing fragrance innovation that will elevate the way South Africans experience and enjoy fragrance as part of their everyday lives through their fabric softener is remarkable. I adore working with the Comfort team because of how intentional they are about fragrance – it’s really at the heart of what they do.
How important is authenticity to you when creating content?
Authenticity and Credibility go hand-in-hand for me and my OfficialPerfumePlug community.
Audiences are very perceptive – they can tell when they’re watching the real thing. That’s why when I’m not in the right space to be creative and create content, I put the camera down and come back to it when I can share from a place of authenticity. I’ll still be somewhere sniffing fragrances; getting my zhuzh back to then come tell you about whatever fragrances I discovered though [laughs]
What do you think about the growing trend of influencers using bots or other manipulative tactics to inflate their follower count?
Cue that TikTok sound “Bombastic side eye. Criminal offence side eye” [laughs]
You’ve got to be so clear about your intentions when you enter into any career path, particularly one in the public eye. Nothing that isn’t done with clear and good intentions can last – that’s my value system, that’s how I was raised.
What trends do you see emerging in social media, and how do you plan to adapt to them?
I don’t actively chase trends. I create content that feels right because it’s what my audience and I enjoy. If there is something topical, I will only hop on it if it feels right, not because it’s what the algorithm wants.
But here’s The OfficialPerfumePlug on the next big fragrance trends:
1) Democratisation: A shift to affordable ways to experience fragrances. Think fragrance discovery sets and inspired-by dupes
2) Unisex and gender-fluid fragrances: My view is that this is long overdue because gender in fragrances is all marketing and social constructs anyway
3) No DNA, just RSA: The rise of impeccably crafted local brands
4) Scent Layering: With the rise of social media hyper-sharing and inspired-by dupes, everyone seeks a unique signature scent, which can be best achieved through layering
5) Wellness in fragrance: We are seeking fragrances that can positively shift emotional well-being. Did you know that lavender is proven to have calming properties? That’s why my bed linen and pyjamas always have the aroma of Comfort Calming Lavender
Have you ever felt pressured to compromise your values for brand deals, and how did you handle it?
This is like a real inside scoop and moment of authenticity: I politely declined a really significantly paying brand campaign recently.
It was for a brand whose fragrances I wouldn’t wear or recommend to my community – intuitively, that means I couldn’t showcase those fragrances on The OfficialPerfumePlug because the platform is about guiding people to spend their hard-earned money on fragrances that are worth it.
I was so proud of myself because it affirmed my commitment to my credibility.
Sana, I’d probably have so many luxury designer bags and the fragrance closet of my dreams if I said ‘yes’ to every fragrance brand campaign, but I know that this kind of integrity will pay off in the long run.
How do you feel about the idea that many influencers are simply ‘selling out’ by partnering with brands that don’t align with their personal brand?
Shu! Great question, and challenging to answer because I can only speak for myself and not for others’ motivations. It’s absolutely no secret that social media can feel like every creator is selling some brand and some of these can be incongruent with their brand.
I’m in the fortunate position that having clarity about the strategic positioning of The OfficialPerfumePlug as the credible thought-leader and that this is first and foremost a hobby and happy-place, means there is no room for me to do anything that I’m not entirely passionate about. An example is the collaboration with Comfort, which made sense not because Comfort is a fabric conditioner, but because this is a brand that is just as passionate as I am about next-level fragrance experiences.
10. What goals do you have for your social media presence in the next coming months?
The vision for The OfficialPerfumePlug extends far beyond social media. I’m proud of the meteoric rise to being South Africa’s largest fragrance-dedicated social media platform, but it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about meaningful, quality content and it’s about helping people to appreciate the craft of perfumery while honouring my personal joy in it. I envision The OfficialPerfumePlug becoming a part of South African popular culture and ultimately becoming an ambassador and representative for South Africa on the international fragrance scene. Oh, and to finish renovating my mother’s kitchen [laughs]. – @NewsSA_Online