Our Story

OUR STORY🤍
A dream we were meant to build together. A brand I built in her honour.

A Dream We Planned Together

Before XOXO Scrunchie was a brand, it was a conversation between two women who loved each other.

My mother-in-law MAMA MARY - was an Oncology Nurse Specialist. A healer by profession, and a creator by heart. She knew how to sew beautifully, and when she retired, she had a dream: to start a small business making something with her hands. I couldn’t sew a stitch, but I believed in her completely. So I said, “I’ll handle the marketing, you make the magic.”

That was the plan. XOXO Scrunchie was going to be ours.

Then Life Had Other Plans

Mama was diagnosed with cancer. The woman who had spent her entire career fighting for patients - who understood illness better than almost anyone - now faced it herself. And in 2025, she passed on.

She left behind her sewing machine. And she left behind a dream that was never finished.

So I Finished It For Her

I had never sewn before. But I sat down at her sewing machine, and I learned. Slowly, imperfectly, with shaking hands and a full heart. I taught myself everything - how to cut, how to sew, how to build a website, how to run a business. Everything Mama and I were supposed to figure out together, I figured out alone.

And the frustration that had always lived in the back of my mind — the fact that I could never find scrunchies big enough for my beautiful braids — became my purpose. I was going to make scrunchies that actually fit women like me. And I was going to do it in her name.

In December 2025, XOXO Scrunchie launched. 🎀

What We Make

Every scrunchie is handmade by me - Tumi Mabitsela - right here in South Africa 🇿🇦. From our signature XXL Scrunchies designed for big, voluminous hair, to our clever Scrunchies with a hidden zip pocket, to our adorable Kids Range - every piece is made with intention, care, and a little piece of Mama in every stitch.

I name each scrunchie after family, people and moments that mean something to me. Because these are not just hair accessories. They are love, made wearable.

To Every XOXO Girl

Whether you are in Johannesburg or London, Cape Town or New York — if you have big hair, big dreams, or simply love something beautiful and handmade, this brand is for you.

Thank you for supporting a one-woman business, a South African dream, and the memory of a woman who believed that retirement was just the beginning. This one is for you, Mama. 🤍

With love,
your daughter, Tumi Mabitsela 🤍

Founder, XOXO Scrunchie