What’s That Fragrance: Still bottling happiness, five years later.
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Five years ago, we introduced our readers to a small but ambitious fragrance brand founded by two Johannesburg cousins with a simple but powerful idea, to create beautiful scents that people could afford and enjoy every day.
Today, What’s That Fragrance (WTF!), founded by Catherine Thompson and Jenny Arthur, continues to grow while staying true to the spirit that first inspired the business.
The two South African cousins, both based in Johannesburg, combined their individual passions to create something unique. Catherine developed her candle-making skills while living in the United Kingdom, while Jenny had always been drawn to the world of perfumes. When their interests aligned, What’s That Fragrance was born.
From the very beginning, the founders knew that understanding their audience would be key.
“We had to understand the market language and who we wanted to sell our product to,” they shared when the brand first launched. “In today’s business environment, doing research before introducing a product is essential. It helps you understand why you’re starting and what your goal really is.”
With Jenny raising two daughters in their twenties, the pair quickly recognised a gap in the market: young people wanted trendy fragrances, but they also needed them to be affordable. That insight helped shape the brand’s identity, a range of luxury-inspired scents designed for tertiary students and young professionals.
But what truly set their fragrances apart was quality.
“Our fragrances stand out because of their longevity,” they explain. “We mix imported fine fragrance oils to a parfum standard, a 1:4 ratio and customers often compliment how long the scent lasts.”
Those early days were not without challenges. Like many small businesses, cash flow was one of the biggest hurdles. Without major capital backing, every rand had to be carefully managed.
“Profit went straight back into the business,” they recall. “When you run your own company you have to be willing to learn everything, technology, marketing, budgeting and advertising.”
To navigate those challenges, the founders invested in knowledge, attending webinars, listening to podcasts and networking with other e-commerce entrepreneurs.
Their journey began humbly in March 2019, selling their first products from a small table at a friend’s garden market, just two weeks after the idea had taken shape.
Since then, the brand has steadily grown. What started with fragrances expanded into candles, diffusers and room mists, and their products eventually found shelf space in one of Johannesburg’s larger retail pharmacies, a milestone that validated their vision.
But for Catherine and Jenny, the real highlight has always been their customers.
“We’ve developed a bit of a cult following for our diffusers and scented candles,” they say with a smile. “People come back again and again, telling us they’ve never had diffusers that last so long or candles that smell this good. That makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Their mission remains unchanged: to make luxury-inspired fragrances accessible to South Africans who appreciate quality without the luxury price tag.
Despite the growth, the process is still deeply personal. Every perfume, diffuser and room spray is assembled and packaged by hand, with care and attention poured into each bottle.
For Catherine and Jenny, it’s more than a business. It’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest ideas, when combined with passion, consistency and community support, can grow into something truly meaningful.
And five years later, What’s That Fragrance is still doing exactly what it promised from the beginning: spreading happiness, one beautiful scent at a time.
For more, visit: What’s That Fragrance
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