Big Spenders: Africa’s Luxury Goods Market

IN 2017, Nafal Hassani-Mohamed became frustrated when he was unable to purchase a high-quality suit for his wedding day in Kenya.

Travelling frequently around eastern Africa for his employer, the Trade and Development Bank, the infrastructure finance specialist had little time to venture outside the continent to source the item. Reluctantly, the husband-to-be sent his measurements to friends in France who arranged to export an ill-fitting wedding suit.

Two years later, Hassani-Mohamed is the managing partner of Quintessence Tailor, a Nairobi-based luxury suit company which claims to match designer brands like Hugo Boss or Armani on quality.

“I can confidently say that the quality we offer here is better than most of the suits you find in Europe, the United States and Dubai,” he told African Business at his showroom in the Kenyan capital.

After clients are measured for size, the suits, which retail for between $750 and $2,000, are