Aesthetic, Wellness Industry: Need To Valorise Sector

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Aesthetic, Wellness Industry: Need To Valorise Sector

17 oct. 2021 03:54

The sector has been expanding in the past few years though most of its activities are still in the informal sector.

T he beauty and wellness sector has experienced undeniable growth in recent years in Cameroon, offering many opportunities in both industry and services. Wrongly considered until now as an area reserved for young people school dropouts, the professions of beauty and wellbeing are gaining grounds in our country where beauty institutes are sprouting up like mushrooms registering an affluence. Even government vocational training centers are adapting training to meet the industry market. Today, young men and girls compete in skills that are as diverse as they are varied, as many citizens are concerned about their appearance and their well-being as the days go by.

A casual look of the sector portrays the high level of informal activities especially in the domain of services. As for training, the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training has waded in developing the training modules as well as guiding training institutions. On the other hand, random training of others in beauty salons in the neighborhoods still persist. As informal practices take precedence in the industry, prices for their services are determined by each and every one.

Cognizant of the growing demand of these services and the expanding industry, the Ministry of Arts and Culture has created an Aesthetic Pool in the ministry to better organize actors and harness the potentials of the promising sector. In an audience granted the President of the Inter-professional Association of Beauticians and Wellness industry, by the Minister of Arts and Culture last year, issues concerning the valorization of the sector were discussed. Mrs Ngo Yebga Gisele Raphaelle stated the need to valorize the sector which was hitherto abandoned sector. To her, the industry contributes through its value chain to add value to local products mushrooms, carrots, snails, paw-paw amongst others to produce cosmetic products that are competitive on the national and international market.

The sector is also clad in massive importation of materials especially for hair styling. One of the most imported product in the country is wick that goes into the beauty industry. Given that the product is not produced locally, all wicks (human hair) in Cameroon are imported from South America, Asia and Europe. Names such as Peruvian hair, Brazilian Hair, Indian Hair and Cambodian Hair are common in Cameroon markets with exorbitant prices. Some cost as much as FCFA 150,000 and more.

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