Lintons Beauty World, one of Kenya’s leading beauty retailers, has introduced its first African perfume line in a bid to diversify its portfolio and challenge the dominance of European and Middle Eastern fragrance houses in the local luxury market.
The retailer has partnered with Scents of Africa, a Ghanaian brand whose fragrances are formulated with indigenous ingredients such as Nigerian ginger, Madagascan clove, and South African buchu.
The perfumes, adorned with African names, represent a significant departure from the long-standing consumer loyalty to French and American brands like Dior, Chanel, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, which typically retail in Kenya for anywhere between Sh10,000 and Sh100,000.
Scents of Africa is positioning itself as a premium, niche alternative. However, its sales manager, Loice Muforo, admits that consumer perception remains a major hurdle. “Unfortunately, there’s still a lingering assumption that products made in Africa are substandard,” she said. “But our perfumers are the same ones behind global luxury brands. The quality is on par, what we’re battling is perception.”
Kenya is being used as a launchpad, with plans to scale across East Africa. “If we gain acceptance here, it makes it much easier to enter neighbouring markets like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania,” Ms Muforo added.
Bezi & Fik, a fragrance from Ghana’s Scents of Africa line, on display at a Lintons store in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Pool
For centuries, Africa has been a source of inspiration and botanicals for the world’s biggest beauty companies, but it has very few luxury brands such as Senegalese perfume brand Réserve en Afrique, South African-born Niche Parfums and Nigeria’s Catherine Omai.
Experts say the challenge has been lack of extensive distribution channels, global-wide marketing efforts and strong brand recognition. Many affluent Africans also prefer cult brands.
“In Africa, international brands are still seen as a status symbol and as an aspirational purchase,” said Rubab Abdoolla, a consultant at market research firm Euromonitor International.
Africa also lacks a known scent profile in the way the Middle East is associated with the dark and woody oud.
The entry of Scents of Africa comes as Kenya cements its status as a key hub for luxury beauty in sub-Saharan Africa. French multinational L’Oréal has previously identified the country as one of its top three regional markets.
Notably, fragrances are now outpacing skincare and cosmetics in sales growth, driven by increased grooming awareness, the influence of social media, and Nairobi’s rapidly developing retail sector. There is growth.
“The fragrance category has become both our largest and fastest-growing segment,” said Dennis Gikunda, director at Lintons. “We break it down into designer fragrances, niche collections, and offerings from large houses like L’Oréal Lux.” According to Mr Gikunda, consumer tastes are evolving rapidly.
“We’re seeing a stronger appetite for bold, intense scents. Niche lines, in particular, are gaining traction. West African markets are already quite advanced in this area—Kenya is just beginning to catch up.”
Bellua, a fragrance from Ghana’s Scents of Africa line, on display at a Lintons store in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Pool
This shift in consumer preferences is reflective of a broader trend: the desire for exclusivity and identity through fragrance. While traditional designer labels still dominate, a segment of Kenyan consumers is increasingly drawn to high-end niche perfumes—those that offer distinction from mass-market scents and a more personalised luxury experience.
Still, Scents of Africa faces a branding challenge in a market where ‘luxury’ is often synonymous with Paris or Dubai. Success will hinge on whether the brand can redefine African-made as aspirational—and convince buyers that homegrown can also mean haute couture.
