The OKA Team

In France...

The human adventure called “OKA Cosmetics” (Guinea and France) features a whole range of players divided between the two countries.

In France, they are based in Carry-le-Rouet, Aimargues and Toulouse.

Karim

Founding partner – Sales Director

The OKA adventure’s founding father, Karim has spent the last 10 years moving heaven and earth to set up a sustainable, fairtrade partnership between his two cultures.

Part French, part Guinean (and from Marseilles), he travels to Guinea at least twice a year to manage commercial development and sales events.

Photo d'Audrey

Audrey

Partner – Administration & Coordination

Audrey deals with all of your product questions and orders, by both email and phone.

And when she’s not dealing with customer contacts, she’s multi-tasking, including certification, accounting, and a whole range of other duties.

Brigitte

Partner – Customer Relations

After 20 years working in independent sales, Brigitte brought along bags of energy and motivation when she joined the OKA adventure in spring 2018 !

Between events, she actively participates in every aspect of the company, from product brainstorming to communication, and including banking relations, making her something like the team’s collective personal assistant.

Logo OKA France Cosmetics

Maïlis

Partner – Web & Communication

Maïlis is our Web 2.0 woman, with a mind that combines mathematics & creativity (yes, it’s possible).

If you have a sales question, get in contact with Brigitte or Karim ; if you need a quote or an invoice, go straight to Audrey ; if you’re after media for your OKA communication, then Maïlis is the person you’re looking for.

... and in Guinea

In Guinea, the team mostly comprises women for the entire manual phase (harvesting, sorting, cleaning, drying and processing), with the men mainly involved in managing the machines (grinding, crushing, sealing bags for dispatch).

Here you can see some of them with Karim during one of his field trips.

Quelques unes des collectrices Guinéennes autour de Karim

OKA : how it began

Illustration de Combaz dans le Sat'info 155 de Satoriz

Illustration : Combaz, satoriz.fr, Sat’info n°155

For over a decade, Karim has turned his double nationality into an opportunity and an asset to create a bridge between his 2 nations.

Thanks to its rich, varied resources (including water), Guinea Conakry is often referred to as the breadbasket of West Africa.
Karim, with his quick mind and love of beauty, quickly recognized that to help over there and build over here in France, shea was the perfect solution.

This exceptionally rich and lavish shea butter, unique in the world, features in the Guinean pharmacopeia.
After a long journey in a difficult country, OKA, which comes from Original KArité, the French word for shea, was established in 2015.
It was the start of a genuine human adventure.

In Africa, Karim organized the involvement of COPRAKAM, a 4,000-member cooperative, and two NGOs : Trias and ATC.

In France, the company’s development kicked off with the arrival of Audrey in 2016 and Brigitte in 2018.

Full of ideas and projects, OKA France Cosmetics aims to offer innovative, simple products that totally respect the entire supply chain, from producer to consumer.