Maison Sheba FAQ: Fragrances, Delivery & Refills

Yes. Maison Sheba is an independent South African luxury perfume house, founded in 2022 and, in our own words, “born from the heart of Africa”. As an African perfume brand, each of our fragrances draws on African languages, places and stories, from the KwaZulu-Natal coast to the Western Cape. Read our story on our About page.

Our fragrances are created by founder and perfumer Katleho, who is self-taught. Pelo was the first original fragrance made for the house, and Maru honours the name Katleho’s late grandfather chose: Maru Matsho, “dark clouds”.

Every scent carries an African name, our way of keeping the house rooted in where we come from. In Sesotho, Pelo means “heart”, Atamela “come closer” and Maru “clouds”; Leloko means “family” in Sesotho and Setswana, and Kaelo is Setswana for “guidance”. In isiXhosa, Kumkani and Kumkanikazi mean “king” and “queen”, and Ingxaki means “problem”. In isiZulu, Nkanyezi means “star” and Phakade “forever”.

Two are named after places: Amanzimtoti, the KwaZulu-Natal coastal town whose name is said to come from King Shaka’s words “Kanti amanzi mtoti” (“the water is sweet”), and Benguela, after Benguela Cove in the Western Cape.

Extrait d’Afrique is our name for the twelve perfumes in our collection. Each is an extrait de parfum, the most concentrated strength of perfume, offering a rich and long-lasting scent experience, and “d’Afrique” is what makes it ours: every one carries an African name and tells an African story. Explore the full Extraits d’Afrique collection.

We don’t put a number of hours on it, because skin, climate and how much you apply all play a part. Our perfumes are extraits de parfum, the most concentrated strength of perfume, offering a rich and long-lasting scent experience, and some, like Atamela, are quiet by design: soft, lasting and intimate, sitting close to the skin rather than filling the room. See what customers say on our Reviews page.

Kumkanikazi is a unisex perfume, while Nkanyezi was composed as a study in luminous femininity. Most of our other scents are described by their story and notes rather than by gender, so the best way to find yours is to wear them: the Discovery Set lets you try eight before you choose a bottle.

Choose by the notes you love most. For oud, try Pelo, Leloko or Ingxaki; for sandalwood and woods, Le Santal (Kumkani, Leloko, Kumkanikazi and Maru); for fresh, sunlit scents, Le Vert (Amanzimtoti, Benguela and Nkanyezi); for gourmands, Atamela (caramel, poached pear and spiced rum) or Maru (shortbread, vanilla and musk); and for warmth and spice, Kaelo or Phakade. Still deciding? The Discovery Set lets you try eight.

Each Extrait d’Afrique comes in a 10ml and a 50ml bottle. To sample first, the Discovery Set lets you choose any eight of our fragrances in 2ml sizes.

Yes. Pelo, the heart of our house, also comes as a Body Wash and a Body Lotion made to be used one after the other, and for the home as a hand-poured Candle and a Reed Diffuser. Shop Body Care and Air Care.

You choose any 8 of our 12 fragrances, each in a 2ml size, so you can find your favourites before committing to a full bottle. The set is R649.99, and you can even buy one to share. Build your Discovery Set.

Yes. Buy a Discovery Set by 1 November 2026 and you get R400 off a full 50ml bottle. Add the 50ml bottle to the same order and the R400 comes off automatically at checkout, or come back later and use code DISCOVERY400, valid until 30 November 2026 (one per customer, using the same email address).

We officially reopen on 15 October 2026. Until then, our 10ml and 50ml bottles, Pelo body care, candle, reed diffuser and perfume refills are on pre-order and ship from 15 October 2026. Only 20 bottles of each perfume will be available, so the Discovery Set, which is in stock now, is the best way to choose yours before the sale goes live.

Delivery within South Africa is R125, and free on orders of R1,850 or more. Need it sooner? Contact us by email, WhatsApp or Instagram and we will arrange express shipping for you.

We ship twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Orders placed between Friday evening and Wednesday before 12:00 ship on Wednesday; orders placed between Wednesday evening and Friday before 12:00 ship on Friday. Delivery then usually takes 3–4 business days, so a Wednesday dispatch should reach you by the following Tuesday and a Friday dispatch by the following Thursday.

Yes. Our digital gift card comes in values from R500 to R4,000, arrives instantly by email and can be used on all Maison Sheba perfumes at maisonsheba.co.za, in full or across several purchases.

WhatsApp or call us on +27 66 223 1420, email support@maisonsheba.co.za, or message us on Instagram at @maisonsheba_rsa. You can also write to us through our Contact page.

Our full Returns & Refunds terms are in our Terms of Sale. Some items, including personal care goods, sale items and gift cards, cannot be returned, so please email support@maisonsheba.co.za before sending anything back and we will confirm whether your item is eligible.

Yes, as long as it’s an original Maison Sheba bottle. Order a Perfume Refill for your scent and within 48 hours we’ll email you instructions and the address for sending your empty bottle to our studio. You’re responsible for posting your bottle safely, ideally in its original packaging. Refilling begins once it arrives, and we’ll package the refilled bottle securely for its trip back to you. Refills are currently offered for Atamela, Benguela, Ingxaki, Kaelo, Kumkanikazi, Maru, Pelo and Phakade.