Johannesburg - Holistic healthcare focuses on treating the whole person, not only the symptoms of disease, taking mental and social factors into account. Rather than treating parts of the body individually, this view emphasises the importance of treating the whole body.
It encompasses the connection between mind, body, and spirit. The importance of natural products and traditional medicines can never be overstated. Zanele Dlamini, 36, founder of Jama Holistics as Makhosi uJama, established her holistic company in 2021 after she had graduated from ukuthwasa.
She needed something to do as she was waiting to do her masters or ukukhuphula ithongo. “Jama Holistics was called to me as part of the gift of healing,” Dlamini said.
Jama Holistics is a handicraft shop that offers traditional healing products as well as bath products for daily use. For bathing, they have bath bombs, bath salts, which are function-specific, cleansing balms and lip polish.
As a traditional healer, she has incorporated traditional medicines into her business, by offering isiwasho bath bombs. The company offers sea salt, which is isiwasho to cleanse off bad spirits and is a mixture specifically for unlocking and impepho which serves as a protective shield.
They also offer herbal products such as, umuthi wokukhipha isichitho (Isichitho is a witchcraft spell used by wicked people to make the victim less attractive to their partner or other people), intelezi Yokuzihlambulula (self-purification), and umuthi yokuchela igceke (cleansing the yard), umuthi wokulapha izinyawo (foot medicine) and other physical ailments.
“I hoped to offer isiwasho for cleansing in a much more eye-pleasing way and yet still fully effective,” Dlamini said. With a medical technology background, she has a foundation that has led her to the establishment of her company.
“Knowledge of science, chemistry, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and ethics are required in this business and being knowledgeable in both Western medicine and traditional healing makes this a balanced holistic approach to healing,” Dlamini explained.
She said what makes her business different is that Jama Holistics offers products that not only help the skin but also help people spiritually.
“This then helps you balance your own energy,” Dlamini said. A challenge she faced at the inception of the business was making the bath bombs especially in coastal areas and in summer due to high humidity, “That was my greatest challenge and it took them failing and I learned to figure out how to fix that.”
Another challenge was her financial management, which she dealt with by asking for help, re-doing calculations and pricing her products correctly. “I am still learning here and I am kind to myself about it,” she said.
Dlamini said with such an out-of-the-box idea people get sceptical about new things and they question the authenticity and that is understandable, “but I believe that there are things we can modernise (eg isiwasho) and things I haven’t figured out how to and perhaps don’t have to (eg imithi)”.
Jama Holistics products are available on Shopify, Instagram Twitter and TikTok.