1. Programme Overview

Suave Designs (Pty) Ltd was honoured to be selected for the Partnering in Business with Germany initiative, a flagship programme by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

This programme empowers SMMEs from emerging economies to build long-term, sustainable business partnerships with German SMEs, with a focus on innovation, quality and global competitiveness.

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2. Strategic Objectives

• Facilitate business partnerships between South African and German SMEs

• Support product development aligned with EU standards

• Encourage sustainable innovation and international market readiness

• Strengthen local capacity for compliance and quality control

 

3. Key Collaborations

Evonik GmbH – Essen, Germany

We deepened our engagement with Evonik GmbH, a global leader in raw material innovation. While conversations began prior to the programme, our participation enabled direct in-person meetings with Evonik’s expert team to advance the development of our colour cosmetics and mineral sunscreen formulations.

 

🇿🇦 ORCHEM South Africa

Our collaboration with ORCHEM South Africa was pivotal. Special thanks to Jacques Strydom (Evonik Africa) and Tumelo Chipu (ORCHEM Lab Technologist) for enabling our technical visit to Evonik GmbH Essen and fostering this invaluable partnership.

 

🇩🇪 German Formulation Partner (To Be Announced)

We also forged a new partnership with a Germany-based company that will support:

• Product formulation oversight

• Regulatory testing

• Compliance with EU Cosmetic Regulations

• Marketing and Distribution of our BLOC SOLEIL Mineral Sunscreen Cremes

 

Future Cosmetics

This partnership ensures that our products meet international quality control standards, allowing us to confidently approach the European market.

 

4. Programme Outcomes

• Face-to-face technical consultations with German manufacturer

• Improved formulation strategies aligned with EU compliance

• New sustainable product development opportunities

• Strengthened R&D and quality control procedures

• Expanded network of global partners

 

5. What This Means for Suave Designs

This partnership marks a pivotal milestone in our growth. It confirms our ability to meet international standards and solidifies our position as an African company ready to compete and collaborate on a global scale.

We are proud to represent South African excellence and innovation, and we remain committed to using this opportunity to empower other SMMEs, contribute to local job creation, and promote sustainable development.