Heritage
A house, in its own words
The house was founded by Tanal Ghandour, a Ghanaian entrepreneur who grew up surrounded by the aromas of West African markets and rural farms. In interviews Ghandour explains that the brand emerged from a desire to give African raw materials a dedicated platform after years of seeing them used only as accent notes in overseas houses. The first public launch occurred in 2022 with the release of Laïka, a fragrance that highlighted Ghanaian palm wine resin and coastal ambergris alternatives. Within the same year the line expanded to include Nefee and Rakh, each drawing on distinct regional botanicals such as shea butter husk and kola nut. By 2023 the portfolio grew with Bellua and Bézi, marking the brand’s commitment to a seasonal cadence that mirrors the agricultural calendar of Ghana. In 2024 Scent of Africa introduced FIK and Gleti, two scents that were presented at the Accra International Fashion Week and received coverage in IRK Magazine, where Ghandour reiterated the mission to “celebrate African soul through scent.” The brand’s evolution has been documented in several independent outlets, including a feature on the NY Product Design Awards website that notes the house’s local production model. While the company remains privately held, its trajectory reflects a broader movement of African artisans establishing niche perfume houses that operate from source to bottle within their home countries. Scent of Africa approaches perfumery as a dialogue between terroir and narrative. The brand’s creative brief asks each perfumer to start with a single indigenous ingredient—whether it is the smoky bark of the African mahogany, the bright citrus of the Ghanaian orange, or the earthy musk of the West African baobab—and build a structure that respects the material’s natural character. Sustainability is woven into this process; sourcing contracts prioritize smallholder farms that practice intercropping and avoid synthetic pesticides. The house also invests in community workshops that teach traditional extraction techniques, ensuring that knowledge passes to the next generation. Transparency guides the brand’s communication: ingredient lists are published on the website, and each launch is accompanied by a short essay that situates the scent within a specific cultural or ecological context. This emphasis on story‑driven composition aims to give wearers a sense of belonging rather than simply a fleeting fragrance trend.