The Makeup Fair Series enters Southern Africa with industry meetups in Zimbabwe, Zambia

The Makeup Fair Series announces its first Southern African industry meetups, signalling a new phase in its continental expansion strategy.

One of Africa’s most enduring beauty trade platforms is extending its footprint beyond West Africa.

The Makeup Fair Series (TMUFS), widely recognised as Nigeria’s pioneer beauty trade fair, has announced the launch of curated industry meetups in Zimbabwe and Zambia this April—its first deliberate entry into Southern Africa and a clear signal of its continental ambitions.

Scheduled to take place in April 2026, the meetups will be hosted as intimate breakfast and evening dialogues, bringing together makeup artists, beauty entrepreneurs, distributors, and key stakeholders within each country’s beauty ecosystem.

The format is designed to foster meaningful engagement in relaxed settings that prioritise connection over transaction.

The choice of format reflects a deliberate market-entry strategy. Rather than launching immediately with a full-scale trade fair, TMUFS is approaching new markets through listening, engagement, and relationship-building—laying the groundwork for long-term ecosystem development.

“Our goal is to build strong, connected beauty ecosystems across African markets. These meetups allow us to engage directly with local communities, understand market dynamics, and establish meaningful relationships before launching full-scale fairs.”
— Omolola Faleye, Founder, The Makeup Fair Series

Founded in 2012 by Omolola Faleye, TMUFS has evolved from a single event in Abuja into a multi-city trade platform, delivering over 135 editions across 14 cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Kano, Owerri and Benin.

The platform attracts approximately 16,000 attendees annually and hosts more than 400 participating brands, with an exhibitor return rate consistently exceeding 85 percent.

Its operating model combines exhibitions, direct-to-consumer sales, and business networking—providing beauty brands with structured access to visibility, distribution channels, and market growth.

The Zimbabwe and Zambia meetups represent the first phase of a broader, phased continental expansion. While TMUFS has not disclosed its next target markets, the approach signals a strategy anchored in local ecosystem engagement ahead of full-scale rollout.

The expansion comes amid sustained growth in Africa’s beauty and personal care sector, where demand continues to rise for platforms that connect brands directly with consumers and distributors.

Industry observers will be watching closely. If successful, TMUFS’ model could offer a scalable blueprint for pan-African beauty commerce—built not through rapid rollout, but through deliberate, relationship-led expansion.