South African actress and beauty entrepreneur Amanda du-Pont has just received international recognition for her skincare brand, Lelive. She has been named one of the 13 finalists in The Business of Beauty Global Awards 2025 — and ranks 2nd under the Emerging Track category.
The Business of Beauty created these awards to shine a spotlight on innovative beauty founders from around the world who are making waves with their ideas and brands. In their announcement, the organisation shared:
“When we created The Business of Beauty Global Awards in 2024, we set out to identify a cohort of entrepreneurs from across the world who had unique potential, creativity and dynamism. We wanted to surface the next generation of founders who will shape our future industry.”
This year’s list is the result of a tough selection process. Over 100 beauty founders from 17 different countries and five continents applied. The competition was divided into two tracks: the Emerging Track, for new brands earning under $2 million (about R37 million) a year, and the Breakthrough Track, for growing businesses making up to $10 million annually.
Amanda du-Pont made the cut for the Emerging Track, which highlights startup brands that are showing strong potential and fast growth.
The Business of Beauty praised Amanda’s brand Lelive, saying:
“Lelive. Founder: Amanda du-Pont, South Africa. Lelive skincare was founded by Swazi-born Amanda du-Pont to showcase the quality and innovation of Africa to the world. After rapid growth in South Africa, the brand has launched in the UK, with features in Elle and British Vogue. Lelive blends the highest-quality African botanics with cutting-edge scientific actives for healthy, glowing skin.”
Amanda, who is well known for her work on screen, has successfully added “beauty founder” to her title, with Lelive gaining both local and international attention.
Her passion for promoting African ingredients and skincare innovation is clearly paying off. As she continues to grow Lelive into a global beauty brand, this nomination marks a proud moment — for Amanda, but for the African beauty industry as a whole.
