Swaady Martin-Leke is Queen of African luxury products

Swaady Martin-Leke prides herself as a custodian of Africa’s rich culture and history.

This Ivorian entrepreneur creates luxury products using the continent’s natural resources, produced by African artisans.

After an eventful, high flying 11-year career at GE, where she held leadership positions in several divisions across the world (including acting as the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa of GE Transportation and acting-CEO for GE South Africa Technologies), she decided to follow her passion for African culture & heritage and founded YSWARA, a growing home-grown African global luxury brand.

Products include gourmet tea, chocolates and home and accessories collections such as home ware, spoons, home fragrances and artisan jewelry.

Swaady Martin-Leke aims to capture true African luxury as well as preserve and promote Africa’s endangered cultural heritage by revisiting the continent’s ancestral craftsmanship.

YSWARA is currently present in 4 countries -South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and France — with 15 different direct and indirect retail points.

YSWARA creates exceptional products made in Africa and gourmet teas are part of the products we offer within our Art of African Living collections.

Today, her products range from Gourmet, Home and Accessories collections which include chocolate, home ware, spoons, home fragrances and artisan jewelry.

When Swaady Martin-Leke launched the brand in December 2012, she focused on her teatime collection to raise the awareness of high-quality African teas.

But her mission and vision were never to be just an African tea company. It was bigger than that. It is to promote and preserve Africa’s rich culture and history through exceptional products made with our natural resources by African artisans.

In doing that, her company supports the export of value-added African products, foster a dialogue between tradition and modernity, combining traditional techniques with contemporary designs, participate in the cultural survival & rebranding of Africa and act as an ambassador to the preservation of Africa’s artistry and expression.

Swaady Martin-Leke wanted to produce a luxury brand that was truly African in origin, nature and tradition. All her products are sourced from Africa and crafted by local craftsmen and artisans, combining traditional techniques with modern designs.

YSWARA supports some of Africa’s top creative talents and believe in an authentic African luxury marrying both economics and social values.

YSWARA is global in essence and while, still a very young company but already present in 4 countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, France) with 15 different retail points both direct and indirect.

They are present in Sub-Saharan Africa’s top 3 luxury centers : Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lagos as well as cities like Abidjan and Paris.

One can experience their gourmet collection in 6 Hotels and Restaurants including the famous Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela completed the writing of his book “a Long walk to freedom”.