Uniwax
Uniwax is an Abidjan-based West African wax print fabric manufacturer and retailer, founded circa 1970, producing authentic dual-sided wax fabrics and digitally customized textiles. It sells through e-commerce, 8 Woodin stores, 62+ resellers, and international points of sale to fashion consumers, designers, and bulk uniform buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersAbidjan
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Uniwax does
Uniwax is a West African wax print fabric manufacturer and retailer headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, operating from a single integrated factory in the Yopougon Industrial Zone. Founded circa 1970, the company produces authentic African wax fabrics using a traditional wax-resist dyeing process in which the first color is applied to both sides of the fabric, followed by an allover cover and additional colors in the Wax Block line, with optional gold, silver, or copper embellishments. For custom orders, the company layers a digital direct-printing process on 100% cotton, enabling personalized medallions, photos, text, and color combinations. The product portfolio spans three core lines (Wax Block, Wax Print, Sublime Wax) plus a premium Signature Collection and a Gold variant tier, sold in standardized 2/4/6-yard cuts.
The company operates a multi-channel distribution model combining its own e-commerce platform (uniwax.com), 8 branded Woodin retail stores in Abidjan, 62+ authorized resellers across Côte d'Ivoire, 8 international points of sale spanning Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and France, and last-mile delivery via DHL Express, Jumia Logistic, and La Poste. Customer segments are dominated by fashion-conscious individual consumers in West Africa, supplemented by fashion designers using the fabrics for bespoke work and enterprise buyers ordering corporate uniforms in minimum 3,000-yard batches. Pricing is per-unit in FCFA, ranging from ~15,000 FCFA (Signature) to ~26,000 FCFA (Wax Block Gold) per 6-yard cut, with checkout supporting Visa, Mastercard, and the four leading West African mobile money rails (Orange Money, MTN, Moov, Wave).
The company is structured as an Ivorian société anonyme with CFAF 4.15 billion registered capital and a 501-1,000 employee base. In February 2026, Compagnie Ivoirienne de Coton (Coic) acquired a majority stake in Uniwax, marking a return to Ivorian control and establishing the basis for vertical integration into cotton supply.
Uniwax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uniwax
- Legal name
- UNIWAX
- Website
- https://uniwax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Uniwax is an Abidjan-based West African wax print fabric manufacturer and retailer, founded circa 1970, producing authentic dual-sided wax fabrics and digitally customized textiles. It sells through e-commerce, 8 Woodin stores, 62+ resellers, and international points of sale to fashion consumers, designers, and bulk uniform buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uniwax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- African Wax Print Fabric Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Textile Product Mills (314), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)
- SIC
- Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Cotton (2211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bath & Kitchen Linen Manufacturing (Towels/Washcloths/Bathmats/Dish Towels) (IMAOAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hospitality & Institutional Home Textiles Manufacturing (Hotel/Hospital Bedding & Towels) (IMAOAKAI)
Keywords
Where Uniwax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abidjan
Offices4 records
Markets served
Uniwax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Retail: Sale of wax print fabrics through e-commerce and retail stores. Products include Wax Block, Wax Print, Gold variants, Sublime Wax, and Signature collections. Sold in cuts of 2, 4, or 6 yards.
- Custom Fabric Orders (Pagne à la Demande): On-demand custom fabric printing service where customers can personalize designs with colors, medallions, photos, and text. Minimum order of 2 yards, maximum 2,994 yards.
- Uniform/Bulk Orders: Corporate uniform printing service for companies and associations. Orders start from 3,000 yards for custom designs.
- Delivery Services: Revenue from paid delivery services including home delivery and point relay delivery in Abidjan, and international delivery through DHL Express.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wax Block fabric - standard wax print with vibrant colors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wax Block Gold fabric - with gold embellishment for special occasions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wax Print fabric - minimalist two-color design printed on both sides |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wax Print Gold fabric - with gold embellishment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sublime Wax - premium quality wax fabric |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom/Personalized fabric - digital print on 100% cotton |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature collection - exclusive travel-themed designs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Uniwax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uniwax is an Ivorian manufacturer of authentic West African wax print fabrics, producing wax-resist dyed 100% cotton fabric in collections such as WAX Block, WAX Print, Sublime Wax, and Gold variants. The company sells directly to consumers via e-commerce, 8 Woodin retail boutiques in Abidjan, 62+ authorized resellers across Côte d'Ivoire, and international points of sale. It also offers a digital Pagne Personnalisé custom-printing service and bulk Uniformes services for corporate clients (minimum 3,000 yards).
Product overview
Uniwax is a West African wax fabric manufacturer and e-commerce platform based in Côte d'Ivoire, operating for nearly 50 years. The product portfolio centers on three core product lines: WAX Block (the flagship product featuring 1-3 additional colors applied over base dye for vivid appearance), WAX Print (two-color fabric identical on both sides), and Sublime Wax (premium variant). Each core line is available in standard, Gold (festive embellished), and various pattern sizes (floral, geometrical, maxi, mini). A key differentiator is the Pagne Personnalisé (Custom Fabrics) digital customization service enabling customers to add personal photos, text, and medallions to fabrics via online tool. The Signature Collection represents a premium designer sub-brand with exclusive artistic patterns. The company also offers an Uniformes bulk enterprise service for corporate uniform orders of 3,000+ yards. Products are sold in standard cuts (2, 4, 6 yards) with pricing in FCFA across multiple price tiers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Woodin: Retail store brand for UNIWAX products; Woodin stores serve as the primary retail outlets for UNIWAX wax fabrics and African prints across Côte d'Ivoire.
Products and services
- WAX Block Fabric The flagship Uniwax wax fabric product characterized by the application of one to three additional colors in harmony with the base dye pattern, creating a colorful and vivid appearance. Made from 100% cotton, approximately 120 cm wide, sold to consumers for personal fashion, traditional attire, and special occasions.
- WAX Print Fabric Two-color wax fabric design where the first color is applied on both sides following a dyeing process and a second color is applied throughout the design, producing a fabric identical on both sides with high color fastness. Sold at 16,000 FCFA per 6-yard cut.
- Sublime Wax Fabric Premium wax fabric product line offered alongside the standard WAX Block and WAX Print collections, targeting buyers seeking higher-grade material at 19,000 FCFA per 6-yard cut.
- Pagne Personnalisé (Custom Fabrics) On-demand digital customization service that allows consumers, designers, and organizations to personalize African fabrics with selected patterns, 1–4 colors, medallions, personal photos, and text, printed on 100% cotton via direct digital printing. Minimum order is 2 yards and maximum is 2,994 yards.
- Signature Collection Premium designer sub-brand of Uniwax featuring unique artistic patterns including Carnet de Voyage (travel theme celebrating Ivorian landmarks), Pixels, Signature 2, Esquisse, and Signature d'Arlett. Sold at 15,000 FCFA per 6-yard cut.
- Uniformes Service (Bulk Custom Uniform Printing) Bulk custom fabric printing service for companies and associations requiring large quantities (minimum 3,000 yards) of custom designs for corporate uniforms and organizational attire. Orders are handled through the Uniwax Commercial Service.
Quantifiable outcome
- Products delivered within 5-15 working days for standard orders
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Uniwax
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Uniwax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature4 records
Uniwax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Uniwax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Prang (Tissus Prang): Prang is a West African wax print fabric manufacturer with a strong presence in Ghana and neighboring markets. It directly competes with Uniwax in the affordable, mass-market wax print segment for individual consumers and resellers.
- Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL): ATL is a leading Ghanaian textile manufacturer producing printed and woven fabrics for West African markets. Comparable to Uniwax in regional scope, manufacturing footprint, and target customer base of African fashion and uniform buyers.
- Sunflag Nigeria: Sunflag is a Nigerian textile manufacturer producing woven and printed fabrics, including products targeted at African apparel markets. It is a regional peer given its overlapping customer base and product categories within West Africa.
- Ghana Textile Printing Company (GTP): GTP is a major Ghanaian wax print fabric manufacturer serving West African markets. It competes directly with Uniwax in the regional wax print category, with similar end customers and distribution into West African retail.
Direct peers
- Vlisco: Vlisco is the historic Dutch-origin global leader in wax print fabrics, producing branded African prints (Vlisco, Uniwax's Woodin brand was historically linked to the Vlisco group). It is the most direct comparable in terms of product, customer base, and brand positioning in authentic African wax print.
Emerging players
- Da Viva: Da Viva is a West African textile and fashion brand with a comparable product mix of printed fabrics and ready-to-wear, serving similar African consumer and diaspora markets as Uniwax.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Uniwax social profiles
Digital presenceUniwax compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Uniwax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uniwax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Uniwax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uniwax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Uniwax
What does Uniwax do?
Uniwax is an Ivorian manufacturer of authentic West African wax print fabrics, producing wax-resist dyed 100% cotton fabric in collections such as WAX Block, WAX Print, Sublime Wax, and Gold variants. The company sells directly to consumers via e-commerce, 8 Woodin retail boutiques in Abidjan, 62+ authorized resellers across Côte d'Ivoire, and international points of sale. It also offers a digital Pagne Personnalisé custom-printing service and bulk Uniformes services for corporate clients (minimum 3,000 yards).
Is Uniwax a public or private company?
Uniwax is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Uniwax founded?
Uniwax was founded in 1970. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Uniwax based?
Uniwax is headquartered in Abidjan.
How does Uniwax make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Retail is the primary driver. The others are custom Fabric Orders (Pagne à la Demande), uniform/Bulk Orders and delivery Services.
Who are Uniwax's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Prang (Tissus Prang), Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL), Sunflag Nigeria and Ghana Textile Printing Company (GTP). Vlisco is listed as a direct peer. Da Viva is listed as an emerging player.
Does Uniwax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uniwax.
What industry is Uniwax in?
Uniwax's product category is African Wax Print Fabric Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAKAB, Bath & Kitchen Linen Manufacturing (Towels/Washcloths/Bathmats/Dish Towels), with a secondary code of IMAOAKAI, Hospitality & Institutional Home Textiles Manufacturing (Hotel/Hospital Bedding & Towels). Its NAICS code is 314 and its SIC code is 2211.