Leather – The most traded commodity you didn’t know about. Did you know that the total value of the annual trade in leather is estimated at 1.5 times the value of the meat trade; more than five times that of coffee and more than eight times that of rice? Yes, it is amazing, because most

Soaps and detergents are two of the fastest selling products in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category. Just take a moment to imagine a day in your life without soap. It‘s simply unimaginable. The size, fragrance, color and cost may be different, but everybody (rich and poor) uses some kind of soap every single

Toilet or tissue‘ paper deserves a special mention because it‘s one of fastest growing products in the personal hygiene category. In many rural areas of Africa, water is commonly used to clean up after using the toilet. Other common materials are leaves, waste paper and earth. These materials are preferred because they cost nothing. But

Is there anyone on this globe that spends more money on hair products than African women? It‘s a serious question and the answer looks like: clearly no. According to Euromonitor International, people in South Africa, Nigeria, and Cameroon alone spend about $1.1 billion on hair care products every year! We mean to say: wow! That

Technically speaking, any substance used to beautify and promote the attractiveness of the human body is a cosmetic product. This makes cosmetics a very large product category that includes makeup (also known as color cosmetics), fragrance, facial skin care and hair care. The market for cosmetics and beauty in Africa is huge and still growing.

If you live in the developed world, what you‘re about to read next may sound shocking to you. Did you know that a large portion of rural African women do not have access to decent sanitary protection during menstruation? In many instances, young girls use feathers, newspaper, old rags, mud and other less dignifying‘ stuff

Apart from boosting self-esteem, good grooming has become a social standard. Nobody appreciates a person who shows up with unkempt hair at work, school or social gatherings, right? More people are catching up with the fact that looking good is good for business. Most African urban men tend to have a regular haircut and ensure

The demand for laundry services is growing across Africa for a couple of interesting reasons. Since only a few people can afford washing machines, washing, which is commonly done by hand in many parts of the continent, has always been and remains a tedious and time-consuming process. A growing number of people in the city

For many families, feeding a baby represents the largest cost element after the baby is born. As the number of full-time nursing mothers and housewives drops across Africa, baby foods and infant formulas are increasingly supplementing or totally replacing breast milk which has always been the traditional source of nutrition for babies. For the benefit

Across Africa, diapers are commonly available in two main forms – reusable cloth diapers and disposable diapers which are made from synthetic materials. Households usually purchase large volumes of diapers when a baby is born because soiled diapers need to be changed on a regular basis to avoid skin problems like diaper rash (also called