Valerie Obaze is at the helm of one of the largest black, female-owned skincare brands to emerge out of Africa. R&R Luxury however, represents more than just an African based product range, it is leading a quiet revolution in Ghana that protects and empowers the women who gather the Shea nuts and work in R&R’s dedicated factory. Established as R&R’s social arm, The Women of the Savannah Development Project, is committed to paying above average prices to the women for their produce, providing business training, Health & Safety training and protective clothing to keep the women safe as they work in the fields. By eliminating the middleman, Valerie is able to support the women by providing an improved lifestyle that often results in a better quality of life.
Valerie, age 40, is herself an inspiring entrepreneur, a generous philanthropist and doting mother. After successfully founding her brand R&R Luxury in 2010, following the birth of her first child, she is growing the business with a clear vision to becoming one of Africa’s leading beauty brands with a supply chain solely in Africa utilizing the healing and powerful indigenous plants found in abundance in Ghana such as Shea and Baobab.
Valerie’s goal is to employ over 500 people of which the majority will be mostly female shea nut aggregators and processors in the rural north of Ghana. Through WSDP, these women will be trained to produce more than just shea, ensuring their livelihood during seasonal downtime.