The African Haircare Market is showing signs of substantial growth with an anticipated adaption rate of 6.78% CAGR from 2024-2028. In a recent report, it was stated that the industry is expected to escalate by USD 1.2 billion within this period. With a continuous innovation of products which are designed to meet various hair types in Africa, market growth is being spearheaded notably by rising haircare enterprises, predominantly led by females at a regional level.
One key challenge to the progress of this market could be the problem of counterfeit products available in East Africa. The counterfeit goods do not only pose potential risks to the customers, but can also hurt the revenue principles of well-established brands. The key players in the market include companies like Amka Products Pty Ltd., Bhuman Waterless Skincare, Canviiy LLC, Combe Inc., Coty Inc., Curls in Bloom, Davines Spa, Henkel AG and Co. KGaA, Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., L’Oreal SA, MOROCCANOIL, Nubian Crown Hair, Revlon Inc., Shiseido Co. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., The Procter and Gamble Co., and Unilever PLC.
The African haircare market expansion owes significantly to the entrepreneurial spirit of African women who are introducing innovative products. For example, Rebundle was launched by Ciara Imani May in 2021, which offers synthetic hair options made from plastic such as Braid Better, using banana fibers catered towards black women. In 2020, Bread Beauty Supply was launched by Maeva Heim, serving an array of black haircare products like shampoos, deep conditioners, and oils.
The market diversity in the African haircare industry is impressive with products ranging from shampoos, conditioners, oil, serum, hair coloring products and different hair styling products such as wax, hair sprays, and gels. The dominance of the shampoo sector is attributed to consumers’ keen interest in cleansing hair. With prevailing hair health issues, including hair loss, premature graying, and dandruff, the demand for hair oils, conditioners, and hair colors is experiencing a surge.
Hair health can be influenced by many factors, including blood circulation, infections and itching, stress and anxiety, pollution, exposure to ultraviolet sun rays, and more. Conditions like alopecia areata and other hair loss conditions are becoming prevalent, which is driving demand for cosmetology services. Hairstyling tools like hair straighteners and curlers are also highly popular, and e-commerce platforms provide convenience for purchasing haircare essentials.
Despite the challenges, the African haircare market provides significant opportunities for businesses, with popular products including shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, hair colors, and a range of hair styling products. Some hurdles include access to quality products due to limited distribution networks, high pollution levels, and medical conditions such as dandruff, dull hair, alopecia areata, and infections.
The haircare market in Africa is large and diverse, potentially aiming to meet the various needs of its vast population. With the haircare segment providing service to various medical conditions like inherited hair loss and aging, social media is playing a pivotal role in promoting trends and products related to haircare. With e-commerce making it easier for consumers to access these products, the African haircare industry holds great promise for the future.
