In recent years, Kenya has cemented its position as a growing hotspot for the global beauty industry, emerging as a key player in the East African region. According Statistics, Kenya’s beauty and personal care industry is currently valued at $2.3 billion in 2024, a market projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.78% (2024-2028). Compared to other popular East African countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan which have $391.90 million in revenue, $69.75 million in revenue and $25.59 million in revenue respectively, Kenya is emerging as a beauty hotspot from the region, with key contenders such as Ethiopia expected to generate up to Revenue of $5.12 billion in 2024.
Kenya’s economy has demonstrated considerable resilience and dynamism, making it an attractive destination for international businesses, including global beauty brands. In 2014, Estée Lauder Companies launched a MAC Cosmetics store in Nairobi, Kenya. Through Lintons Beauty World—a multi-channel retail business that has grown to 30 stores in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kampala, founded by Drs. Joyce Gikunda and Edward Gikunda—other beauty brands such as Clinique, Clarins and Lancome, distributed in the Kenyan market. In 2011, French beauty giant L’Oréal chose Kenya to launch a new subsidiary as part of its plans to enter the East African market. “[This] will be the hub for expanding the group’s operations in East Africa, a region that also includes Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia,” he said in statement. “These are dynamic markets with a large number of potential new consumers,” he continued. The company also acquired Kenya’s Interconsumer Products Limited, makers of Nice & Lovely brands – an acquisition described as “worth billions of Kenyan shillings”. Unilever, P&G and PZ Cussons are some of the many conglomerates that have started in Kenya.
Kenya’s beauty industry has seen remarkable growth, driven by several key factors. Last year, CosmoProf Worldwide held its first dedicated CosmoTalks specifically for Africa, following the publication of a report on the challenges and opportunities on the continent. The publication cited Kenya as one of the fastest and safest beauty hubs on the continent. “The cosmetics and beauty market is growing steadily in Africa, following the big trends of demographic growth, urbanization and rising middle class incomes,” says Francesco Gastaldon, Partner and Country Manager – Italy of Kili Partners, consultancy, development company business and projects that helps clients access growth opportunities and markets across Africa. “Among the most interesting markets are South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya,” he continues.
Apart from international entrants, the country has also been home to local brands that have gone global. There has been the rise of local beauty brands that have contributed to Kenya’s rise as a beauty powerhouse. These brands have tapped into the unique needs and preferences of Kenyan consumers by offering products that specifically target African skin and hair types. Sneha Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Uncover Skincare, tells BeautyMatter that the beauty market in East Africa and sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most underserved in the world, especially due to a lack of market understanding. “Knowledge is the cause of poor service,” Mehta tells BeautyMatter. “In Uncover, we rely on data. We started with a survey, getting to know and understand women. When we figured it out Why, we essentially created a solution to deal with that.” The pure beauty skincare brand uses South Korean skin care technology to formulate science-backed products for inked skin, made with indigenous ingredients from Africa.
In 2022, Kenya’s Uncover Skincare raised $1 million to expand its skincare range. “Products [we noticed] On the shelves were basically import-export games that didn’t have POC in mind as their primary focus. hence, Uncover,” she tells BeautyMatter. “Living here for more than a decade and building a brand [in Kenya] it opened us up to enormous possibilities [of the beauty industry] here that is growing fast,” says Mehta. “Firstly, pan-African trends are present here as well. So think about an incredibly young population, a rapidly growing population, and the growing middle class citizens,” he continues. This has not only boosted the local economy, but has also put Kenyan beauty products on the global stage, making it an attractive destination for beauty brands.
As local brands are one of the main drivers of the industry, there is also an interaction between the retail industry and global brands. Kenya’s wholesale and retail trade sector grew by 5.7% in the first quarter of 2023, a slight acceleration in the growth rate compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022, according to Statistics. “For brands looking to explore the Kenyan market, there are several key issues to keep in mind. Understanding the local consumer is crucial,” Galib Virani, CEO of third-generation beauty retailer SuperCosmetics, tells BeautyMatter. SuperCosmetics has a portfolio of brands such as Paco Rabanne, LaRoche-Posay, CeraVe, Revlon, L’Oréal Paris and many more. “Kenyan consumers discern value, quality and authenticity and we have a loyal 20-40 year old age group who have shopped with us,” continues Virani.
With leading retailers like SuperCosmetics, proliferation of the beauty market in Kenya has become easier, further boosting the economy. It was among the first retail brands like L’Oréal. SuperCosmetics has up to five luxury retail doors opening at strategic locations spread across Kenya. “With every door we open, we strive to elevate the expression of beauty in Kenya and create a model that we can take to East Africa and then eventually West Africa,” says Virani. In order to appeal to the tastes of international and local consumers, they have a doctor and a team of clinical nurses who analyze skin conditions before prescribing skin cosmetics.
Kenya’s emergence as a global beauty hotspot and contender for dominance in the East African region is a remarkable development. The country’s strong buying and selling capacity, combined with a dynamic beauty market, has positioned it as a key player in the industry. With a keen understanding of the local consumer and a strategic approach to market entry, beauty brands can take advantage of the huge opportunities that Kenya offers.