Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Chapter 5

The informal trade of Cassipourea

flanaganii as a cosmetic in

South Africa

Michelle Cocks^1 and Tony Dold^2

ABSTRACT

A rare forest tree, Cassipourea flanaganii (Schinz) Alston (Rhizophoraceae),

has, in the last 25 years, been harvested indiscriminately for sale in informal

herbal markets and amayeza (Muthi) stores in South Africa. The bark is

removed, often resulting in the death of the tree, and sold locally and nationally

as a skin lightening cosmetic known as umemezi in both Zulu and Xhosa

languages. The effect of uncontrolled harvesting has had negative consequences

on the ecology of the species and its habitat. It is, however, an important

means of income to poverty stricken peri-urban women who are reliant on the

sale of wild harvested plant material to support their families. The findings of

an ecological survey of C. flanaganii and a survey of the socio-economic

conditions of the trade of its bark is presented.

INTRODUCTION

As early as 1936, Hunter reported that a light skin complexion was favoured

by Nguni women (amaXhosa) and was considered attractive. Furthermore,

she noted that women made use of ‘Tambookie grass’ (Cymbopogon,

Hyparrhenia or Miscanthidium (Smith 1966)) as a strong bleaching agent by

means of chewing the roots and applying the saliva to the face at least twice

a day (Hunter 1936). This desire for a lighter complexion has not diminished in

recent times and various cosmetics, both natural and synthetic, are still used

today.

Common name Part of the Management Degree of Scale of Geographic

resource used transformation trade range

Umemezi Bark Wild Low National Small

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