RESEARCH PROJECT. DATA. INSIGHTS. CASE STUDIES.

RESEARCH PROJECT. DATA. INSIGHTS. CASE STUDIES.

African heritage + Innovation = power.

Let’s transform heritage into wealth.

What is this about ?
This is research project on creative industries on the African continent with a focus on key transformative sectors : fashion, contemporary crafts, design, beauty and lifestyle.

Why this Matters ?
Africa’s creative sector is rich with talent, ideas, and heritage—but often held back by informality, fragmentation, and lack of support. Transforming Heritage into Wealth is a research-led initiative that aims to do more than diagnose the problem—it focuses on understanding the blueprint of success in the African context, building a roadmap for creative entrepreneurs and providing a data backed approach to the creative sector.

We're asking:

  • Consumers : How do Made-in-Africa goods move across the continent and beyond ?

  • Creatives : What do they need to grow, scale, and thrive in Africa?

Understanding the blueprint, building a roadmap !

We listen, analyse, co.create with entrepreneurs and plan a set of actions based on data to unlock the creative economy in sectors such as fashion, beauty, design & contemporary craft sectors.

Research methodology

Grounded in local’s realities, Powered by Data

We're combining numbers with nuance.
Our hybrid approach blends quantitative surveys—powered by our partner Kasi Insight—with in-depth, community-led focus groups across Africa : MEET UPs:

🧠 We listen. We learn. We co-create.

How we work:

  • National consumer surveys across 5 west African countries

  • Creative meetups in key cities in West-Africa

  • Deep-dive interviews with designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs

  • Case studies

Meetups & Milestones

Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going

This is not only virtual —we’re gathering, face-to-face, across the continent.

✅ In Lagos, we sparked dialogue with emerging creatives in Fashion
✅ In Dakar, we welcomed creative voices from across creative sectors.
🔜 Coming soon to Ghana, Côte d’ivoire, and Benin.

These meetups are safe spaces for creatives to speak, connect with their peers, share their challenges, imagine and build a future together.

  • Meet-up @ Café One
    Thursday May 29, 2025
    4 PM - 8 PM

    RVSP closed

  • Meet-up @ Ibis
    Thursday July 10th 2025
    5PM - 8PM

    RSVP closed

  • Meet-up @ TBC
    Date TBC

    RSVP not open yet

  • Meet-up @ TBC
    Date TBC

    RSVP not open yet

  • Meet-up @ TBC
    Date TBC

    RSVP not open yet

Racines & Futur : Retour sur le Mois de la Mode Bénin 2025 — une célébration du dialogue entre générations, de l’innovation responsable et de la richesse du patrimoine textile. Des défil&eacut
African Design Week, organisée par @africadesignschool , a rassemblé les voix et talents qui façonnent le design africain d’aujourd’hui et de demain. Entre débats sur l’économie créative, pa
How is Africa’s creative ecosystem currently building sustainable, global brands while staying true to its roots !? This conversation started last May in Gaborone with - Nelly Wandji, our founder - Zara Odu founder of @designers_consociate
Dive into the shopping habits behind “Made in Africa” fashion in West Africa! Our ongoing study, with 973 participants so far, reveals a strong preference for local products, key differences between Nigeria, Benin, Senegal & Cote d
🚀 Votre marque peine à atteindre vos objectifs malgré vos efforts ? Vous n’êtes pas seul(e) : beaucoup de créatifs rencontrent les mêmes obstacles : ventes stagnantes, message flou, difficulté à c

Get involved

creatives

Your
story 
matters

Your work matters. Share your journey
— join a focus group or survey.

Your
voice 
matters

consumers

What do you buy ? Help us understand the demand for MADEINAFRICA

Institutions

Your
contribution
can shift the dynamic

Support data-driven programming that moves the sector from fragmentation to formality.

Testimonies & feedbacks

« Global brands are asking Africans to recycle, reuse what we did not create. While we recycle, they keep on creating, their mess become our problems. We should not be sitting in Nigeria, solving other people problems, we have our own »

Abasiekeme UKARINEH
Founder & Creative Director ÉKI KÉRÉ

« Across the continent, i am learning new models that are working. How can we combine them all and create a continental blueprint ? »

Rhoda AGHUNO
Founder L’haude Africa

« There is a mindset shift we should all be comfortable with.»

Damilola ADEMILOKUN
Founder Obsidian Advisory

« It is only by listening to our needs and understanding our realities that we can adapt solutions to our contexts and not copy/paste or impose imported models.»

Khadija Aisha BA
Founder L’artisane Shop

« To meet, share, exchange and develop solutions together for the creative sector is a step forward.»

Houria SAMMARI
Co.founder Tisserand Dakar

« This was the first time I felt my challenges were shared—and solutions were possible.»

Dalanda Detta SOUMARE
Founder Maison DETTA

Key insights (emerging themes)
What Creatives Are Telling Us

  • 🔍

    Sourcing is a hidden struggle.
    Designers can’t grow without consistent access to materials

  • 💡

    Creativity is just 20% of the work.
    The other 80% ? Operations, sourcing, finance, logistics.

  • 📈

    The demand is there.
    Consumers in West Africa want Made-in-Africa products—they just need access.

  • 🧱

    Informality is the barrier.
    Scaling creative businesses means building stronger systems.

Our partners