African beauty brands are increasingly breaking out of local markets and going global. Malée Founder Zeze Oriaikhi shares her insights...
Malée launched in South Africa in 2010. How has the brand has grown since?
I started Malée on my bed with a notepad in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was really just an idea. Fast forward almost five years and we now have a catalogue of 58 products and four fragrances. In our first four years we grew our sales revenue 200% each year. We have a standalone flagship retail concept store and now supply some of the top hotels in sub-Saharan Africa with amenities. But we still have a lot of growing to do as we try to develop Malée into a global brand.
What was the inspiration behind Malée?