For generations, African women have been soothing and nourishing their skin with shea butter - a moisturising paste derived from the revered shea nut. Senegal has an abundance of shea trees, but lacks the infrastructure to capitalise on this so-called 'African gold'. Most of Senegal's shea nuts are processed at low grades or sent abroad to be manufactured by foreign companies.

Mame Diene, a business school graduate from Dakar, hopes to reverse this trend through her company, Karistal. Founded in 2005, Karistal produces and distributes cosmetic products since 2007 made from shea butter and other local ingredients, such as mango butter and baobab oil, to Senegalese and international markets.

"In Africa, people believe in the magical properties of the balms and lotions we put on our skin," says Mame, who received her Masters of Information Systems from the University of Glasgow. "What Karistal tries to do is to take that magic and, using rigorous scientific methods, put it into our products."

Mame hopes to revive ancient African beauty practices, modernizing them while preserving their organic character. At a cosmetics tradeshow in California in 2005, she realized that there was a significant opportunity for African products on the international market. She returned home to Senegal and formed a business partnership with her mother, who was already running three local companies of her own. "I get all my entrepreneurial instincts from my mother!" says Mame.

The mother-daughter team built a laboratory in Dakar in 2007. Later that year, they launched the company's first product line, Karistal - a range of "luxury" age-defying shea butter skin care products. The company has since launched two additional brands: Natifam, a mid-cost line of skin nourishing, regenerating products, and Klerdoz, a low-cost range of shea-based soaps and essential oils.

In the past, critics of African shea butter found it to be inconsistent and unreliable. According to Mame, Karistal stands out from the crowd thanks to the fine quality and high concentration of its shea butter. "We want all our brands to be recognized as products of the highest quality," Mame says. "We are using scientific research, expertise and processes to guarantee the consistency and quality of our products."

The company sources its shea nuts from a women's co-op in Kédougou, a small town in south eastern Senegal. The nuts are transported to Karistal's laboratory in Dakar, where the butter is extracted mechanically to preserve its natural bioactive ingredients. The result is an exceptionally rich, pure and lightweight product which retains the naturally rejuvenating and healing qualities of shea butter.

Having fine-tuned the production cycle, Mame is now focusing on distribution. The Karistal range is currently sold at the company's laboratory and at Orca, a high-end cosmetics retailer. Mame now hopes to go international and has initiated discussions with Whole Foods and CVS in the US. Soon, all Karistal products will become available to an international audience via the company's website.

In 2009, Mame aims to secure an international organic certification from ECOCERT, giving an added boost to her company's brand image. She also plans to build her own subsidiary in Kédougou to ensure the quality of her ingredients right from the source and create additional jobs for women.
Since winning, Mame has been focusing on the international expansion of her business. Earlier this year, she established a joint-venture with an American partner to sell her products in the United States. She is also discussing with French, Japanese and Canadian companies.
With the recognition gained from the Awards, she was interviewed both on print media and TV, national and international. This led to her meeting with several important ministers of her country (Minister of Social Affairs and Women Entrepreneurs; Minister of Trade; Minister of Industry and Small and Medium-sized Companies).
One of Mame’s major projects is the construction of her own factory in Kédougou. "Having my own factory is very important. I need to produce in-house if I want to control the supply chain and guarantee the quality of my ingredients." The prize money of US$ 20,000 was therefore invested to that end. A partnership with the Makeda Fund and talks with two other investors will also serve to develop this factory.
In addition, Mame has launched a new product made of 100% baobab oil. "The baobab is priced very high and its market is hugely promising."
Mame was nominated for the Best Female Manager of the Year Award by the Confederation of Senegalese Employers (MDES).