L'Oreal eyes Africa's hair-care market
L'Oreal SA is trying to determine what African women want - and make money from it.
L'Oreal SA is trying to determine what African women want - and make money from it. In a dimly lit room in a laboratory near Johannesburg, a young woman pores over single strands of hair held in delicate copper tubes. A laser machine nearby draws a horizontal red line over the face of a motionless volunteer wearing a black T-shirt. "African consumers don't have great freedom to do what they want with their hair without pain, money and effort," said Alice Laurent, a 39-year-old French biochemist who built up the research centre from scratch after a five-year stint for L'Oreal in China. "I'd say that L'Oreal is quite a pioneer."The world's biggest maker of beauty products is hoping to capture a market that it estimates at 100million middle-class consumers. Unlike Europe, Africa holds the promise of high growth: the number of middle-class African women who live in cities and work outside the home will continue to grow for years to come. Their average age is an alluring 24. The idea is ...
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