Africa Imports

What Africa Imports does

Africa Imports is a US-based, privately held B2B e-commerce wholesaler of African and Afrocentric products, founded in 1999 and headquartered in South Hackensack, New Jersey. The company operates a single BigCommerce-based storefront that catalogs over 11,000 SKUs across perfume oils, fragrance and essential oils, health and beauty, soaps, clothing, accessories, jewelry, artwork, fabrics, and musical instruments, with 150 or more new items added each month. It is accompanied by dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps, multi-currency storefront support (USD, GBP, CAD, AUD), and integrated checkout via PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Afterpay, Affirm, and Braintree.

The company serves a long tail of small business owners, wholesale resellers, and individual buyers in the US and selected international markets, with same-day shipping for orders placed before 2pm EST, free shipping on US orders above $500, and free customer pickup at the New Jersey warehouse. A dropshipping program allows resellers to sell without holding inventory, while a Knowledge Hub of educational content and Business Startup Kits targets aspiring entrepreneurs and artisan/maker customers. Africa Imports also markets a Brooklyn-made sub-brand, Sunaroma Soaps, representing limited owned-product activity within an otherwise distribution-led model.

Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale product sales with suggested retail markup, plus transaction-fee dropshipping revenue; no funding rounds, M&A, or institutional ownership has been disclosed. The company claims to be the largest US wholesale supplier in its category and holds BBB accreditation, but no revenue, headcount-trend, or unit-economics data is publicly available.

Name

Africa Imports

Legal name

Africa Imports

Website

https://africaimports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Africa Imports is a US-based, privately held B2B e-commerce wholesaler of 11,000+ African and Afrocentric products, serving small retailers, resellers, and artisans since 1999 via a BigCommerce storefront, mobile apps, and a dropshipping program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Distribution of African and Afrocentric Products

NAICS

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (424), Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers (4243)

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Import & Bazaar-Style Variety Stores (CRAEAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

Keywords

• Wholesale distribution
• Afrocentric products
• Fragrance oils
• Ethnic beauty supplies
• African apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

South Hackensack

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: The company generates revenue through B2B wholesale sales of African and Afrocentric products. Retailers purchase at wholesale prices and resell to consumers at suggested retail prices. The company offers over 11,000 products across categories including clothing, oils, soaps, health/beauty, jewelry, artwork, and musical instruments.
2. Dropshipping Services: Africa Imports offers dropshipping services where resellers can sell products without holding inventory. The company ships directly to the reseller's customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Africa Imports is a wholesale supplier operating an e-commerce storefront that sells African and Afrocentric products to retailers and resellers, with a catalog of over 11,000 SKUs covering perfume oils, fragrance and essential oils, health and beauty, soaps, clothing, accessories, jewelry, artwork, fabrics, and musical instruments. The company adds approximately 150 new products monthly, supports dropshipping for partners who sell without holding inventory, and ships orders placed before 2pm EST the same day from its New Jersey warehouse.

Product overview

Africa Imports is the USA's largest wholesale supplier of African and Afrocentric products, operating as a single unified e-commerce platform built on BigCommerce. The product portfolio centers on over 11,000 wholesale African products organized across major categories: Perfume Oils (designer and traditional scents), Fragrance and Essential Oils, Health & Beauty (including African Hair Care, Skin Care, and Natural Health Care), Soaps (African Black Soaps, Sunaroma, Madina, Nubian Heritage), African Clothing (dashikis, dresses, kaftans, plus size), Accessories, Jewelry, Artwork, Fabrics (mud cloth, Ankara, Kente, Kuba), and Musical Instruments. The platform also offers Business Startup Kits and special promotional pricing through sales events. Approximately 150 new products are added monthly, and the company provides dropshipping options for resellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Perfume Oils Wholesale perfume oils including designer brand oils, men's oils, women's oils, and unisex oils, featuring brands such as Bath & Bodyworks, Carolina Herrera, Creed, Maison Francis, Tom Ford, and YSL, intended for retailers, fragrance brands, and resellers.
• Fragrance Oils Wholesale fragrance oils for candle making and home fragrance applications, sold to retailers, candle makers, and home fragrance resellers.
• Essential Oils Wholesale essential oils including blends, healing oils, sprays and extracts, and carrier oils, intended for aromatherapy, skincare, and craft producers.
• Health & Beauty Products Wholesale natural health and beauty products covering Aphrodisiacs, Bitters & Detox, Sea Moss, Shea Butter, Toothpaste & Dental, Turmeric, African Hair Care (Chebe, shampoos, conditioners, beard care, hair oils, pomades), African Skin Care (acne products, bath salts, butters, eczema/psoriasis treatments, healing oils, lotions, skin care kits), and Natural Health Care (herbal deodorants, herbal remedies, healthy teas), sold to retailers and resellers.
• Soaps Wholesale African soaps including African Black Soaps, Liquid Soaps, Madina Soaps, Nubian Heritage Soaps, Shea Olein, Sunaroma Soaps (made in Brooklyn with essential oils and free from harsh chemicals), and Soap Sets, featuring natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut, turmeric, cocoa butter, and traditional black soap for acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
• African Clothing Wholesale African clothing including dashikis, dresses, skirts, pants, tops, kaftans, t-shirts, children's clothing, plus size clothing, formal clothing, swimwear, and clothing made in Africa, featuring Kente fabric items and mud cloth robes for retailers and resellers.
• Accessories Wholesale African and Afrocentric accessories including handbags, hats, belts, shoes, scarves, ties, keychains, folding fans, sashes, and African-themed bags, intended for retail resellers.
• Jewelry Wholesale African jewelry including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, jewelry sets, and men's jewelry, with featured items such as Fula Gold Earrings, Ghana Trade Bead Bracelets, and Rasta Ankh Beaded Necklace & Earring Sets for retail resellers.
• Artwork Wholesale African artwork including masks and wood carvings, dolls, fans and baskets, home decor, and museum pieces, intended for home decor retailers and cultural product resellers.
• Fabrics Wholesale African fabrics including authentic African mud cloth, African print fabrics, Ankara print fabrics, Kente cloth, and Kuba cloth for designers, tailors, and textile retailers.
• Musical Instruments Wholesale African musical instruments including African drums and drum accessories, shakers, bells, and other African musical instruments for cultural retailers and music stores.
• Dropshipping Services Fulfillment service that lets resellers and online sellers offer Africa Imports products without holding inventory, with the company shipping orders directly to the reseller's end customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% satisfaction guarantee - full refund or exchange for any reason within 30 days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• AfterpayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfterpay is integrated as a Buy Now, Pay Later payment option, allowing customers to split purchases into installment payments. This partnership helps customers afford larger wholesale orders.
• AffirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffirm provides financing options for customers to pay for purchases over time, supporting higher order values for wholesale buyers.
• BBB (Better Business Bureau)moderateOthersAfrica Imports is accredited by the Better Business Bureau in S. Hackensack, NJ, demonstrating commitment to trustworthy business practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Afrikrea: Online marketplace for African fashion, art, and crafts connecting African producers with global buyers. Directly comparable to Africa Imports on African-product catalog scope and cross-border B2B orientation, though Afrikrea leans more marketplace-style and less bulk wholesale.
• Kulu Crafts: US-based wholesaler and retailer of African crafts, beads, jewelry, and home goods. Closely mirrors Africa Imports on product categories (jewelry, fabrics, carvings) and on serving US-based resellers and retailers in the African-products niche.
• Novica: Online marketplace specializing in handcrafted artisan goods with strong African product representation (jewelry, home decor, apparel). Comparable to Africa Imports on catalog overlap in African artisan categories, though Novica is more retail-facing than wholesale.
• Alaffia: US-based brand and producer of African-inspired natural beauty and personal care products (shea, coconut oil, skin and hair care). Comparable to Africa Imports on the African-sourced natural beauty product category, though Alaffia operates primarily as a branded manufacturer/retailer rather than a wholesale catalog.

Broad incumbents

• Faire: Large B2B wholesale marketplace serving independent retailers across categories. Comparable to Africa Imports on the wholesale-to-retailer motion, but operates as a broad generalist platform that also surfaces African/Afrocentric brands alongside many other categories.
• Tundra: Zero-fee B2B wholesale marketplace serving retailers and resellers across a wide range of categories. Comparable to Africa Imports on the wholesale e-commerce distribution model and SMB retailer customer base, but operates as a broad generalist rather than an African-specialty curator.
• Handshake (Etsy Wholesale): Wholesale marketplace operated by Etsy for independent brands selling to retailers. Comparable to Africa Imports on the SMB-buyer discovery and bulk-ordering motion, with overlapping handmade, beauty, and apparel categories that include African-origin sellers.

Regional players

• Ankorstore: European B2B wholesale marketplace connecting brands and independent retailers across categories including fashion, beauty, and home. Comparable to Africa Imports on the B2B wholesale marketplace model and SMB retail buyer, though primarily focused on the European market rather than the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/afseller
• Facebookfacebook.com/AfricaImportsWholesale
• Instagraminstagram.com/africaimports_
• Pinterestpinterest.com/africaimports
• TikToktiktok.com/@africa_imports
• Xx.com/AfricaImports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Imports