The flair and vibrancy of color sparkling throughout African culture is unmistakable. Clothes, body art, jewelry, accessories and even the vibrant colors of food markets, are examples of color’s firm place in the culture of most African tribes.

Adornment isn’t new to Africans or African culture. Skin ornamentation such as painting, scarification and tattooing, as well as the practice of decorating with paint or pigment, has been practiced since at least 4000 BC. The northern Namibian Himba tribes and the Sudanese all relied on ochre. Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics to enhance their lips and cheeks with red colorants as well as the well-documented kohl eye paints for upper and lower eyelids originally made out of soot.

Decorative body art has always been a source of pride in African culture. A sign of social status, ethnic background, tribe or group affiliation. A symbolic part of traditional rituals, events and festivities. West Africans, for example, from Cote d’Ivoire or the Yoruba people of Nigeria use geometric patterns in white clay, which is a symbol of spirituality.

From wrappers to amulets to jellabas, the significance, patterns and the use of color is symbolic in dress as well as body art. The choice of colors and patterns for most African tribes communicate a message.

Agents of Change

Since their debut in Africa, color cosmetics have evolved from kohl eye paints to a mobile commodity, spreading rapidly between culture and communities, weaving practices of the past to a new form of complimentary accessory and artistry. Color cosmetics today to the African woman are portable, personal and public, and at the same time an extension of the age-old tradition of adornment.

The sub-Saharan African economy is expected to be worth $2 trillion by 2021. At the same time, while the rest of the world is getting older, Africa still has a young population. Sixty percent of the entire continent is below 25 years of age, so it’s no wonder that the race for market share is fiercely competitive. The market leaders by country are South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, followed by the five emerging key markets—Kenya, Tunisia, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, according to Euromonitor International.

There are several factors propelling growth—a rise in literacy, increased financial independence for women due to their joining the workforce, an urbanized and globalized young population thanks to internet access, and a middle class that’s tripled in size in the past 30 years. All of these factors fuel Africa’s demand for cosmetics.

A Dynamic Landscape

While local manufacturing remains challenging for both international and local companies, the lack of infrastructure to support the local entrepreneurs means that these local entrepreneurs are forced to outsource production and face the challenges of importing their finished products.

Like other regions, the cosmetics market in Africa is segmented by face, eyes, lips and nails, but there are niche products targeting very specific needs, too. Commonly used lipsticks, concealers, foundations, eye liners, blushes and false eye lashes are much sought-after products.

L’Oréal and Revlon have had long-standing success in Africa. In 2011, L’Oréal created a zone-specific structure for Africa and the Middle East and opened regional commercial hubs in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya.

Two years later, The Estée Lauder Companies ramped up its activity in Africa by adopting a city-centric launch across major African cities. Distribution and sales were focused on ELC’s best performing global brands, Clinique and MAC. Targeting Africa’s emerging middle-class population as well as the established middle class and the affluent population, both brands have flourished.

ELC’s move marked the first time that these brands were available in Africa outside of the “informal” market, which can be described as brand activity that falls outside the regulated economy and tax system. Most cosmetics without official brand presence are bought at retail overseas and brought in by entrepreneurs without paying the appropriate duty or taxes. This means there is no retail standard pricing and activity is hard to measure.

Still, regional growth outside of South Africa is limited due to the lack of availability of retail space and traditional department stores.

Issues & Answers

“South Africa in the mid-2000s was leading the race. The post-apartheid era and its structured market meant that the color cosmetics industry had room to flourish,” recalled Eryca Freemantle, founder of EATOW (Embracing All Tones of Women) and a consultant and global beauty strategist focused on people of color.

According to Euromonitor International’s Color Cosmetics in South Africa country report that was published in August, L’Oréal South Africa continues to lead the color cosmetics market with a 13% value share in 2019. Local brands at the start of the millennium, like Nigeria’s House of Tara, Banke Meshida Lawal and Suzie Beauty of Kenya, identified a gap in the market—demand from educated consumers looking for affordable and professionally applied makeup to match the TV shows and international trends they were regularly exposed to as a result of the availability of cable TV.

Following the international success of brands like Mary Kay and MAC, these professional makeup-artists-turned-entrepreneurs created successful local brands that serve the African consumer and its growing professional market. Their business and revenue strategies include education, franchising, e-commerce and professional makeup application services.

Some entrepreneurs have even formed partnerships with international brands by acting as approved retailers to make them readily available at more affordable prices to the informal market in their own brick and mortar retail spaces. All of them represent strategic decisions that not only promote growth but also provide solutions to the consumer demand and the need for economic independence for the average African woman.

“House of Tara has always been consumer centric, adapting to our customer needs in order to stay relevant,” asserts Rhema Akabuogu, head retail artist, House of Tara.

New entrants like Zaron Cosmetics and Trim and Prissy in Nigeria are making use of digital solutions and DTC models. With counterfeiting still an issue and the lack of a structured retail market, younger brands are retaining profit margins and finding success selling direct to consumer.

“Our customers are working professionals who spend a significant amount of time at their desks and on social media. As a result, we have found success with e-commerce, using influencers and WhatsApp,” said Fatima Ugochuckwu, founder and CEO of Trim and Prissy.

Euromonitor notes that social media influencers are contributing to sales growth, particularly among younger generations.

The Future in Color

The “face beat” generation is driving color cosmetics sales in Africa. According to Euromonitor International, COVID-19 is expected to similarly impact sales across categories. Interestingly, however, lip products are expected to continue to register the best performance, despite the number of people wearing face masks. Eye makeup is expected to post the second-best performance.

Local brands are responding to consumer demand in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With video calls and live social media recordings at an all-time high, they are reaching their customers by making use of digital solutions; social media, instant messaging for personalized shopping experiences, influencer collaborations for tutorials and user generated content. I’ll take a closer look at the impact COVID-19 is having on the beauty industry in my next column.

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Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao
Malée, Founder
[email protected]

Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao is an entrepreneur, influential speaker, sought-after brand consultant and freelance columnist with a focus on Innovation, sustainability and leadership in the cosmetics, luxury goods and start-up industries. As the founder of Malée, Africa’s first global luxury fragrance and body care brand, an advisory board member at Innocos, the world beauty innovations summit, Oriaikhi-Sao has established herself as a leader in the African-made luxury goods market. She has been featured on CNN, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail. She hosts the podcast Third Culture Africans, and inspires a vast audience with entrepreneurial and lifestyle Insights at zezeonline.