James and Polly are the type of people who immediately make you feel at home, whether that’s going round for lunch in their house or meeting them out and about; they have a warmth about them and they bring this very much into their family life with their children Sienna and Oscar

Even though he has a nomadic spirit, Beks has his heart and his feet very much in Africa soil and he strives to leave his own positive impact on the continent through his passionate commitment to it's wildlife and it’s people. I first met Beks around 2014 through my work in safari lodge interior design when I did some design work for his safari company, African Bushcamps.

Amelie has an infectiously positive energy; always happy, always smiling! I first met Amelie through her French cousin who also was a SOUL customer and had told her about SOUL…she soon becoming a regular ‘pop-in’ into the studio, often with one of her gorgeous children in tow; she soon started bringing her friends…each time she would say ‘I'm not going to buy any more SOUL today - I'm going to be good’ and then a few hours later I’d often get a message asking me if the piece she loved was still there and could she in fact take it! 

I was lucky enough to spend my high school years living on a nature reserve, with wildlife literally drinking from our swimming pool! We are a nature-loving family and my mom has always placed huge emphasis on our connection to the earth. She always taught us to be still and to harness the joy of the simple, ordinary moments in life. We could sit for hours, in the winter sun, eating oranges and simply noticing the way the light changed throughout the day, with no attachment or expectation.

Africa is where my ancestry lies and I feel connected to this land spiritually. I like to call Africa Mamawethu, meaning our mother. Africa seeks to nurture and nourish all who live in it. There are two pieces that are connected to my African roots as a Venda person. One being the elephant necklace as elephants are the totem animal of my clan, waMasingo, and the other being the cowrie ring which represents water, an important aspect of Venda culture and spirituality. 

I have always loved scent and the power it has on bringing you into a moment, a memory… Nics and I first met when she bought her first SOUL pieces from our studio, during our chat she told me about her beautiful brand, Petrichor Oils and we ended up doing a trade swap of jewellery for oils!  Petrichor means 'the smell of the earth after rain', a smell so distinctive to many parts of Africa, and Nics really conjures up a connection to the earth with her evocative scents all made using small batch, locally sourced, essential oils.  

Bea and Hezron are the kind of people you want to be friends with - warm, welcoming and kind.  I first became friends with Bea after meeting her at The Shala yoga studio (https://theshala.co.za) in Cape Town where Bea was my teacher.  It was not long before Bea started wearing layers of SOUL jewellery!  After 10 years of living in South Africa, Bea encouraged Hezron to move to her beautiful home country, Italy, where they now live.

James has always preferred to take the road less travelled.  With an English childhood but with a natural curiosity for unusual places; travel has taken him to living in some unique countries, including Romania, Columbia, to name a few...  Now living in Cape Town, James is running  a successful travel company, Untravelled Paths (http://www.untravelledpaths.com), offering the intrepid traveller a taster of his favourite locations.

We’d describe Zayaan as a botanical alchemist; playing with indigenous flora/fauna and vegetables as she ferments, pickles and experiments with their capabilities. Visiting her home to photograph her is like witnessing magic in action; with bottles and tinctures and a wild garden to excite the senses…