Why Africa-beauty’s global rise will not follow the K-beauty playbook

African beauty brands are increasingly gaining international attention, but industry voices say the rise of A-beauty will not follow the highly polished, trend-driven path of K-beauty. Instead, its global potential lies in formulas that prioritize performance and are rooted in heritage, climate realities, and regional diversity.

Personal Care Insights speaks with industry experts from South Africa-based Standard Beauty, Ghana-rooted Africana Skincare, and Natura Africa, a natural cosmetics brand founded in Namibia, about the regions’ cosmetics growth trajectories and how it is set to expand internationally.

“I see strong potential for Africa-beauty to become a global movement,” Tatiana Martinez, founder of Africana Skincare, says.

“African beauty is rooted in functionality, heritage, and natural efficacy rather than short-term trends. What makes it distinctive is its use of time-tested rituals, multifunctional formulations, and indigenous ingredients combined with modern cosmetic science.”

Martinez says that European consumers are increasingly drawn to African beauty stories because they feel authentic, inclusive, and aligned with sustainability and wellness values. However, these attributes of A-beauty are largely a result of the very challenges that prevent African brands from scaling internationally.

“Many African brands innovate under constraints like cost pressures and supply variability,” a spokesperson for Standard Beauty says. They explain that these pressures are what give African beauty its unique appeal, as it often produces simpler, more functional formulas with strong consumer relevance.

This distinctiveness, however, is not always immediately recognized as valuable in global beauty markets.

“At present, many global consumers do not yet associate Africa with modern beauty trends,” Katja Wittneben, co-founder of Natura Africa, tells us.

“K-Beauty, for example, is often linked to highly perfected aesthetics and technologically driven routines. A-beauty would have an entirely different appeal that is grounded, authentic, nature-focused, and deeply connected to tradition.”

Regional demand

African beauty markets differ significantly from one another. But across the board, demand is shaped by relevance to local conditions and cultural context.

Africa’s rich biodiversity underpins A-Beauty’s performance-led, function-first formulations.“In Ghana and across West Africa, the beauty and personal care market is growing steadily, driven by a young population, increasing urbanization, and greater awareness of skin care and hair care tailored to melanin-rich skin and textured hair,” says Martinez. 

She explains that there is also a renewed pride in African-made products and traditional beauty knowledge. “While local purchasing power can be uneven, demand for quality, effective, and culturally relevant products continues to rise.”

Southern Africa mirrors the uneven purchasing power. While Natura Africa’s Wittneben has observed steady growth in the Namibian beauty sector over the last decade, she notes that the market remains relatively small, and only a limited share of local consumers can afford premium natural cosmetic products.

“Tourism, therefore, remains our strongest driver of demand — international visitors are highly receptive to locally made products featuring African botanicals,” she says.

Defining A-beauty

Beauty consumers increasingly seek clean formulas, and Innova Market Insights data indicates that 51% of consumers consider a product “clean” if it has natural ingredients. Moreover, the market researcher’s data shows that the number one trend in beauty in 2025 was “function over form,” indicating that consumers globally prioritize long-lasting quality and functionality-driven performance in beauty products.

A-beauty is well-positioned to meet these demands, as the continent boasts rich biodiversity and indigenous formulation knowledge, enabling the development of performance-led cosmetics.

“Ghana and the wider West African region offer ingredients with strong global potential, including shea butter, baobab oil, moringa, black soap, and cocoa-derived ingredients. These are already recognized internationally, but brands are now elevating them through refined formulations, improved sensorial profiles, and clear efficacy claims,” Martinez says.

Wittneben adds that several botanicals from the Southern African region are already attracting global attention. “Marula oil is widely used internationally for its nourishing and antioxidant properties. Kigelia extract is recognized for its firming effects and its ability to improve skin texture. Bulbinella, similar to aloe, is valued for soothing irritated or sun-stressed skin. Meanwhile, rooibos extract is rich in antioxidants and effective for formulating calming actives.”

“Balms, such as shea-based blends for very dry or sensitive skin, are extremely popular among local customers with skin conditions. These textures are still relatively uncommon in parts of Europe, presenting an opportunity for market differentiation,” she adds.

A young, urbanising population is driving demand for culturally relevant beauty across African markets.The appeal of A-beauty is also closely linked to cultural and ecological contexts. “Traditional rituals around skin nourishment, scalp care, and protective styling resonate well with global consumers seeking holistic beauty routines,” Martinez says.

Wittneben echoes this, explaining that personal care ingredients are not purely valued for their functional benefits — they are embedded in local customs and traditional knowledge.

According to her, many ingredients have been used for generations in traditional practices, such as gifting marula oil at a baby girl’s birth, or regarding baobab trees as sacred in certain cultures.

“The strength of A-beauty lies in its celebration of nature, heritage, and the diverse beauty of African people — a narrative that is powerful, but not yet mainstream,” Wittneben says.

“For A-beauty to become a global movement, consumer mindsets would need to broaden beyond the ‘high-gloss’ ideal of beauty.”

Challenges to scaling A-beauty

Africana Skincare expanded into Spain in 2023. According to Martinez, one of the biggest challenges for African-founded brands is scaling manufacturing while meeting international regulatory standards, particularly for markets like the EU.

“Operating in Europe has required strong investment in compliance, transparency, and consumer education,” she says.

Moreover, many key African botanicals are wild-harvested, and their availability depends heavily on rainfall and seasonal harvests, which makes supply inconsistent.

“Sourcing consistent, high-quality raw materials and navigating logistics can be complex. Many brands address this by producing locally where possible while partnering with certified laboratories or manufacturers abroad, and by focusing on a limited but well-curated product range.”

Local rituals and real environments shape how beauty products are formulated across Africa.Standard Beauty shares these challenges, with the spokesperson noting that local production can be limited or expensive at a small scale, which pivots business strategies toward imports. However, imported components often have long lead times.

“Packaging is frequently imported, which creates cost volatility. Some brands are shifting to local packaging where possible, designing for fewer components, and exploring refillable options,” the spokesperson says. 

Natura Africa’s Wittneben also says packaging and many ingredients must be imported to Namibia from South Africa, and even there, certain packaging formats remain difficult to source. Eco-friendly or innovative packaging solutions are among the most limited.

There are also high costs associated with sourcing materials internationally. “Packaging and raw materials are often cheaper and more accessible in Europe or Asia, making it harder for African brands to remain price-competitive,” she says.

Wittneben notes that the local manufacturing ecosystem is still emerging, and industry associations are working to establish set standards, particularly in the areas of oil production and processing.

Beyond set quality controls, Standard Beauty looks toward increased support for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-ready facilities, including formulation labs, and packaging production. “Establishing GMP facilities would help reduce dependency on imports and improve speed to market,” the spokesperson explains.

Despite these challenges, Wittneben says A-beauty brands are growing with the help of improved training and regional collaboration.

“To help Africa’s beauty industry scale globally, greater support is needed in areas such as access to funding, export infrastructure, harmonized regional regulations, and technical training in cosmetic science and compliance,” Martinez says. 

“Stronger protection and valorization of indigenous ingredients would also ensure that value remains within African communities as demand grows internationally.”