SAVPOC started germinating in 2018 and the business was co-created in 2019 by two vegan sisters of colour- Monique and Nicole van Vuuren who grew up on the Cape Flats. They wanted to provide affordable and healthy alternatives to their community and at the same time, provide a platform for a collaborative entrepreneurial experience that centres around community enrichment, health and wellness
Monique van Vuuren
SAVPOC Director
SAVPOC’s director is a certified herbalist, artivist and PhD candidate passionate about collective conciousness, collective care, and collective wisdom.
Nicole van Vuuren
SAVPOC Director
SAVPOC’s co-director is a physiotherapist, aka ‘the dry-needling empress’, and pilates instructor who takes a holistic approach to healthcare. Her community-based private physio practice houses SAVPOC’s range of self-healing plant-based elixirs. Nicole incorporates SAVPOC’s teas, juices, and immune-boosting nibbles into her special incentive programme she developed for community-enrichment.
v(ǂ)gausen
v(ǂ)gausen means self-healing in Khoekhoegowab and it is the name of SAVPOC’s plant-based range of elixirs paying homage to indigenous South African roots as well as Indonesian/Cape Malay heritage. The v(ǂ)gausen range is an offering of Indigenous wisdom and a tribute to superfoods which are mindfully packaged to protect Mzansi’s resources and natural environment. It is SAVPOC’s aim to dispel the myth that indigenous knowledge is mainly of cultural and symbolic value, with limited practical use in practices of self-care, health care and wellness.