From 100 jars produced on dining hall table to the export of suitcases full of products and now, an exporter of pallets, chief executive officer of Solution Oasis Limited, Francesca Brenda Opoku, looks up to exporting containers of products to the world.
As a senior manager in a multinational company, her adrenaline for entrepreneurship and the desire to make a mark moved her to resign from the well-paying job to start producing natural skincare products.
Solutions Oasis is a private limited liability Ghanaian agro-processing company established in 2002.
Beauty Secrets brands
Under the Beauty Secrets, Kipenzi Naturals, and Exotic Man brands, Solutions Oasis transforms ethically trade certified shea butter and Ghana’s finest cocoa butter into authentic natural beauty and lifestyle goods.
The company adds value to exotic African butters, oils, and herbs to create premium ethical, wholesome, natural skincare products for the local and international markets whilst empowering communities.
Opoku, a hyper creative mother of two sons who was motivated to do something on her own instead of working in other companies, started her own business from her dining space in 2008.
Sharing her entrepreneurship journey of over 22 years with The Finder, she said she started with 100 jars of shea cocoa butter, which she produced on her dining table.
Now exports a number of pallets
Opoku said she expanded to supplying suitcases of products and now exports a number of pallets of products.
Her ambition is to get to the level of exporting containers of products across the globe.
Local and international markets
She serves both local and international markets, and the products are available in most supermarkets across Ghana and are very well patronised.
The demand for her products locally and international is reasonably good and she exports to Australia, Taiwan, Nigeria, Namibia and a number of other countries, but her largest market is the United States of America (USA).
In addition, one of her two sons based in the United States of America has an online store distributing her products.
The company currently offers direct employment to 15 workers whilst hundreds of women also supply raw materials to the company.
Most of her packaging material materials are locally sourced whilst she imports a few from China in addition to importing essential oils from the USA to undertake production.
Handmade and using manufacturing machines to produce
The production process is a combination of handmade and using manufacturing machines as well as packaging machines imported from China to produce the products locally.
AfCFTA, an opportunity to become a global brand
Opoku sees the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a great opportunity to expand across the continent to become a global brand.
She received good support from various state institutions as well as the United States Government through the US Embassy in Ghana.
From the Ghana Exports Promotion Authority (GEPA), she gained access to several market access programmes through referrals and participating in various trade fairs under the auspices of GEPA.
Support from Ghana Enterprises Agency
The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has also given the company fairs, provided training, assisted with product registration, among others, as well as COVID-19 alleviation financial support.
The Ghana Eximbank also supported the company with funding to expand its operations.
Under the auspices of the US Embassy, she participated in the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) in 2012. AWEP assists women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa.
Through the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), she joined approximately 30 African women entrepreneurs to the United States to attend professional development meetings and network with U.S. policymakers, companies, industry associations, non-profit groups and multilateral development organisations.
Long-term business growth opportunities
The three-week programme allows the AWEP participants to share best practices, discuss common challenges and learn about the global economy and factors that lead to long-term business growth.
She is also the President of the Alumni Association of the Ghana Chapter of African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP).
In 2013, she also participated in Vital Voices Global Partnership, a network of 18,000 change makers across 185 countries, each of whom is daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all.
Every year, she also participates in Ambassador’s grantees programme.
Opoku said the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa Trade hub has given her specific support, especially in relation to shea butter.
For her, the handholding support from USAID through continuous training promotes growth.
Opoku said the various programmes and support provided her with access to networks across the continent and given her exposure, growth as well as a lot of good business contacts.
Secured business partner through networking opportunities
Through the networking opportunities, a business woman she met in 2010 at Shea Alliance meeting is now her partner in the USA distributing her black soap.
Opoku said her success story has motivated a lot of young people venturing into agribusinesses.
Considering the varieties of agriculture products, she said a lot of attractive opportunities exist in the agric value chain businesses.
Touching on the challenges of the sector, she said that at a point, she almost returned to corporate world due to the plethora of challenges she was confronted with.
Progress is worth all the sacrifices
However, she said the current state of affairs is worth all the sacrifices she went through.
The Solution Oasis Limited CEO identified planning, attitude and resilience as critical attributes that entrepreneurs must nurture in order to succeed.
She noted that it takes a certain kind of personality and thinking in addition to the above qualities to endure the miseries before enjoying the fruits of entrepreneurship.
Opoku noted that when the adrenaline that moves a person to start a business settles, the entrepreneur is then faced with the miseries.
She said that without resilience, a certain kind of personality and thinking, an entrepreneur confronted with miseries is likely to quit.
The entrepreneur said there were times she missed assured income, the comfortable life where everything is paid by her employers since she was a senior manager.
Access to patient capital at affordable rates vital
According to her, getting access to patient capital at affordable rates has been a misery in her entrepreneurship journey, especially at the early stages.
However, she was swift to add that speaking to her former co-workers who are still employees, her decision to become entrepreneur is worth it.
Her success hinged on good corporate governance
She emphasised the role of good corporate governance to the success of her business and sees it growing beyond her for future generations to also enjoy the fruits she has planted and nurtured.
She foresees other products and brands emerging from her current business.
Business profile
In Ghana, the company supplies an elite collection of stores, including Duty-Free Shop at the Kotoka International Airport, all Shoprite outlets, Marina Mall, Palace Mall outlets nationwide, Koala, Maxmart and Evergreen.
On the international front, the company conducts business in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, America, and the Middle East on a global scale.
The product line is made up of natural products, including Beauty Secrets Shea Body Butter creams, lotions and body balms, Beauty Secrets 100% Natural bulk unrefined Shea Butter and Beauty Secrets All-natural African Black Soap enriched with shea butter infused with turmeric, honey, tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils.
Others are Beauty Secrets Cocoa Butter Skin Moisturizer, Beauty Secrets Handcrafted Shea Butter Soap with baobab, henna, moringa, neem; Beauty Secrets Shea Butter and Baobab Skin Brightening Cream, Beauty Secrets Neem and Tea Tree oil anti-acne cream, Exotic Man Body Wash and Exotic Man Shea Buttercream with Argan oil.
The products are certified by the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standards Authority assures of the safety and reliability of the products.
The company aspires for other certifications like Fairtrade, Organic and ISO 9001, NAFDAC, HAACP by December 2025.
Profile of Francesca Brenda Opoku
Francesca Brenda Opoku is a social entrepreneur and CEO of Solution Oasis Limited, a Ghanaian agro-processing company that manufactures the Beauty Secrets and Exotic Man ranges of natural beauty products made from ethically sourced African butters, oils and agricultural waste.
A key advocate of capitalism with a conscience, she actively invests in her community by working with several rural women’s co-operatives across Ghana whom she empowers socially and economically.
Her thriving business is fabric finely woven out of a combination of best business practices, traditional production processes, scientific research, innovation and business incubation for women and youth.
She feels it is a responsibility to share these experiences wherever it will serve a means of uplifting others all over the African continent.
She is a graduate of the University of Ghana Business School, participated in AWEP 2012, and fellow of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Programme and a member of the Global Shea Alliance.
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
