Magatte Wade Works to Re-brand Africa

On January 11, 2012, as part of its Inside Africa series, CNN reported on Magatte Wade, a young entrepreneur working to improve Africa’s economy one sip at a time, “After turning a traditional Senegalese drink into a hit American product, Magatte Wade is now trying re-brand Africa itself.”

In 2004, after returning home to Senegal, Ms. Wade was distressed to discover that cola had all but replaced her country’s traditional beverage, bissap, which is produced using hibiscus flowers. She returned to the United States and began work on developing Adina World Beat Beverages, a multi-million dollar beverage company that produces drinks based on traditional recipes from around the world. Her products include fruit drinks and organic coffees, sold throughout the U.S..

"My biggest pride was to know that it was possible, that the vision I had was possible and my vision was that the world is hungry for well-executed African brands," Wade said.

Building on her success with Adina, Wade has recently launched a skin care company, Tiossano, located in New York. The company is in its beginning phases of product development using ingredients indigenous to Senegal. Wade wants to turn around global perceptions of her country and of the African continent in general, “She argues that most people see Africa in terms clichés, such as safaris, tribal designs or people needing charity. Her goal is to change the perception that both Africans and non-Africans have of her home continent.” While her products are currently manufactured in the U. S., Wade’s plan is to move production to Senegal when Tiossano has generated sufficient profit. In addition to relocating in Senegal, her plan is to dedicate 10% of the company’s profits to an organization that will build leadership in the next generation of Senegalese. “If I have to share with people my deepest dream, that's the level at which I want to play -- not just do well for myself and even for my employees but I really want to make sure that the next generation is well prepared."