Africa in a bottle: Scent of Africa expands its global footprint in luxury fragrance

Ghana-based Scent of Africa is emerging as a homegrown luxury fragrance house with growing global ambitions. Founded in 2016 by Tanal Ghandour, the brand brings together international perfumery expertise with African cultural heritage, producing fragrances that both celebrate the continent’s diversity while simultaneously appealing to a worldwide audience.

“Scent of Africa is a fine fragrance house proudly based in Ghana,” says Loice Muforo, Sales Manager at Scent of Africa. “Its mission is to honor Africa by showcasing the continent’s rare olfactory treasures and celebrating its rich heritage while embracing innovation, quality and authenticity.”  

Through its distinctive scents, thoughtful design and storytelling rooted in culture, the brand is steadily shaping a new vision of African luxury on the international stage.

Storytelling at the heart

Storytelling drives the heart of Scent of Africa’s identity. “Every creation begins with authentic African narratives,” Muforo notes. The brand draws inspiration from legends, myths and cultural symbols, translating them into fragrance concepts that reflect the continent’s breadth and diversity.

Its formulations highlight ingredients sourced throughout Africa’s unique terroir, including South African buchu, Egyptian cassie, Somali incense and Madagascan black pepper. These rare materials create a sensory bridge between African tradition and modern, high-end luxury.

Scent of Africa combines these ingredients with contemporary design and international perfumery expertise. The bottles, created in collaboration with Swiss-Ghanaian architect Kurt Merki Jr., feature a cap shaped like the African continent atop a globe-inspired base. “It symbolizes Africa at the center of the world,” Muforo explains. The design reinforces the brand’s message of cultural pride while offering collectors and fragrance enthusiasts a visually distinctive product.

Sustainability and local impact‍

‍Sustainability is central to Scent of Africa’s operations. All fragrances are produced locally in Ghana, helping to shorten supply chains, create skilled jobs and develop expertise within the region. “We work closely with fragrance suppliers that prioritize sustainable and ethical sourcing to ensure that our ingredients are responsibly produced,” Muforo says. Looking ahead, the brand plans to introduce a refillable bottle option for 2026 to further reduce packaging waste.

Global expansion

Travel retail has become an important channel for Scent of Africa when it comes to connecting the brand with consumers seeking discovery and authenticity. The Eternal Legends collection, now eight fragrances strong, is available across African hubs including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Ethiopia, as well as on select airlines.

“Travel retail is a significant platform for us because it connects us with a diverse audience of global travelers,” Muforo notes. The brand tailors its formats to meet traveler expectations: ten-milliliter individual bottles and discovery sets allow consumers to sample multiple fragrances, while travel-friendly sets and gifting options appeal to duty free shoppers.  

“As an African brand, our first priority remains strengthening our presence within Africa while simultaneously expanding into high-potential international hubs,” Muforo says. As the brand expands into international markets including the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, it seeks to meet growing demand for culturally authentic luxury products.  

Looking ahead, Scent of Africa aims to strengthen its presence in travel retail by expanding partnerships with airport retailers, increasing in-store visibility and investing in marketing, logistics and supply chain improvements to support growth in regional and international markets.

Through its focus on narrative, design, sustainability and distribution, Scent of Africa is positioning African luxury fragrance within the global market. Its expansion highlights both the growing influence of African brands and the increasing diversity of voices in the luxury sector.