When she saw a gap in the market for washable sanitary towels, Candy Androuliakos did not think twice. She took the opportunity to help those less fortunate who needed safe options. With a family background in the health space, it did not feel foreign to her.
Through this business, she is simply doing what matters and serving a real need.
Androuliakos was born at Victoria Falls and grew up between Bulawayo and Gweru in Zimbabwe. She later moved to South Africa, where she studied beauty therapy at the South African Beauty School in 1991.
She went on to work at the Royal Hotel in KwaZulu-Natal as a physiotherapist’s assistant, where she was later offered an opportunity in Botswana with the Khama family.
Innovation in healthcare
In 2002, she moved to Gaborone and helped set up and run a health centre. When her contract ended, she returned to South Africa in 2015 and settled in Bathurst, inland from Port Alfred on the Sunshine Coast, Eastern Cape.
“In 2018, while working at a retirement home, one of the residents asked me to create a washable, more cost-effective alternative to disposable nappies,” she says. While she could sew the outer garment, finding a suitable absorbent material proved challenging.
A turning point came when she saw a billboard at the Big Pineapple in Bathurst, highlighting the uses of pineapple fibre. “I approached a local farmer, got a sample, and began experimenting until I found a way to incorporate the fibre into fabric,” she explains.
She initially developed adult nappies, then children’s nappies, before demand shifted to sanitary towels.
“We now focus mostly on sanitary towels, supported by corporate sponsorships. The pads last up to two years, helping to address period poverty.”
She describes 2018 as a year of experimentation, testing products with elderly residents and refining designs. That same year, she registered the business and won the Innovation Hub GAP Green Awards, marking the start of her business, Leafline Pty Ltd.
In 2020, she won the SAB (South African Brewery) Foundation Disability Award, enabling her to open a factory and create jobs.
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Turning pineapple leaves into opportunity
When large orders come in, Androuliakos and her colleague, Mbali Chauke, work with a local farmer, who assists with transporting the harvested leaves. For smaller orders, the two collect the leaves themselves.
At the factory, the leaves are processed through a hammer mill, cleaned under high pressure, and dried in the sun to produce a white fibre.
“The fibre is then milled into a soft cotton and sewn into products like sanitary towels and children’s diapers.”
Winning the SAB Foundation Disability Award allowed her to open a factory and employ staff, including people from the disabled community. Today, she employs four full-time and three part-time workers.
She also credits her mentor, Anton Russel from the SAB Foundation, for guiding her through both growth and quieter periods.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. Securing consistent orders to sustain operations is difficult, as the business relies heavily on bulk corporate purchases, which are not always reliable.
Leafline products are stocked in Spar stores across the Eastern Cape, although they compete with more popular disposable options. She hopes to grow demand, with interest from Spar to expand into up to 600 stores.
The mindset behind the mission
Looking ahead, Androuliakos is focused on building awareness around the use of reusable sanitary towels and diapers, as she continues to grow both her impact and her business.
“My dream is for every person to have access to clean and safe sanitary products through corporate support.”
“I also want to train and employ more people, build a fully sustainable business, and expand our production.”
She has invested in developing her business skills, attending workshops through Fetola and the SAB Foundation, and completing a digital marketing course with the University of Cape Town.
In April 2025, Leafline was sponsored by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) with two hammer mill machines valued at R50 000 each and a leaf shredder valued at R80 000. These additions to her production line ensure the business is ready to provide a steady supply of quality products to organisations such as Rotary and Do Ubuntu, which donate the products to the less fortunate.
She notes that Fetola helped the business set up the fibre room behind their factory, a dedicated space funded through Fetola’s support.
These experiences, she adds, have strengthened her understanding of how to run and grow the business.
Androuliakos shares a few lessons for aspiring agripreneurs:
- Be confident in your vision and direction.
- Form partnerships that add real value.
- Seek strategic guidance from experienced mentors.
- Stay consistent, even when growth is gradual.
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