Page 27 - index_main

Around the same time, he began encourage more Africans, including small-
exporting to other countries with children
of African heritage, and has also created
an online portal to make it easier for
global consumers to access the product.
Customers can buy the dolls from the
Queens of Africa website for prices
starting at US$24.99, or through global
online retailer Amazon in the US and in
five other countries. He is also in talks
with several other e-commerce sites.
Seeking global scale
Indeed, given the difficult economic climate
in Nigeria, the need to drive sales in other
markets has become more urgent. Queens
of Africa now has representatives in the
African nations of Senegal and Benin, as
well as in France, the UK and Australia.
“We are looking at getting more
representation in as many countries as
possible,” says Okoya. “In general, the
increase we have seen in sales has been
a result of moving into new markets.
Thanks to expansion, we achieved 10%
growth in 2016.”
Okoya believes that, so far, the Queens
of Africa brand has only scratched the
surface. “As people get to know more
about our products through word of mouth,
sales have grown. But significant future
growth is dependent on securing new
customers in other parts of the world.”
As part of the international expansion
drive, Okoya has been diligent about
depicting multiple African ethnicities,
as well as a variety of traditional hairstyles
– from braids to afros – and realistic
African features.
US roadshow
He recently completed a roadshow in the
US, stopping in New York, Chicago, Los
Angeles, Washington DC and Houston to
meet with potential buyers in an effort to
expand the Queens of Africa footprint.
It’s a timely move and takes advantage
of the African Growth and Opportunity
Act (Agoa), a piece of US legislation that
provides duty-free market access to
the United States for qualifying sub-
Saharan African countries. The US trades
extensively with Nigeria and the current
administration has stated its desire to
in America have long needed to see
medium-sized businesses, to get their
goods to market in America.
The roadshow, Okaya says, was
largely driven by a desire to have a meet-
and-greet with the dolls’ fan base. “They
have shown us tremendous love and
support over the past year. The dolls are
more than moulded plastic to us and to
them – we aim to empower and enlighten
people that come into contact with our
dolls. The tour gave us the opportunity to
interact with customers and share more
insight about the goal of the whole project,
which is to empower girls of African
descent to be proud about who they
are and their heritage.”
Various African
ethnicities are
part of the range
Okoya continues: “One highlight
of the roadshow was that good sales
figures were achieved. The reaction to
the product was encouraging. Black girls
Taofick Okoya during an
interview with Roberta Edu
of the Skytrend News
portal in Nigeria
dolls that represent their likenesses and
experiences, and the market appears to
be ready for Queens of Africa.”
He continues: “What was amazing
about our visit was the number of kids and
adults alike who couldn’t wait to buy the
dolls. We also attended toy fairs where
we could meet with retailers. Our ultimate
goal is for our dolls to be sold by the major
stores in the US and we will continue to
work on this in the coming months.”
One of the reasons Okoya is keen on
the US market is because, he says, it is
structured in a highly efficient manner that
allows retailers to reach more consumers.
“In Nigeria, apart from the more middle-
class [chain] stores such as Shoprite
and Game, it’s difficult to be present in
multiple locations across several states.
The US has that distribution network
and [it] is immensely powerful.”
He also plans to introducing more
‘Queens’ representing additional African
countries. But is quick to point out: “As
much as we aim to empower children of
African descent, our dolls are not only for
Africans. We have girls of different races
all over the world who love them.”
Issue 4 2016 strategicmarketingafrica 25