Freda Obeng-Ampofo is transforming raw Ghanaian ingredients into luxury skincare, empowering women, and promoting African heritage globally.
Before KAEME became one of Ghana’s most admired luxury skincare brands, there was a woman with glowing skin, global experience, and a burning question: Why is Ghanaian shea butter celebrated everywhere except under our name?
Freda Obeng-Ampofo didn’t wait for someone else to fix that. In 2016, she founded KAEME, a premium cosmetics brand built on rich natural ingredients, culture, memory, and purpose. Today, Obeng-Ampofo is redefining African skincare and creating a legacy that blends science and African tradition.
KAEME – luxurious Ganianian beauty
KAEME, which means “remember me” in Akan, is Freda’s way of ensuring Africa’s beauty traditions are never forgotten or underestimated. The brand transforms raw ingredients like shea butter and black soap into luxurious, easy-to-apply products that compete with anything on international shelves. Their products include shea soufflés, handcrafted soy candles, nourishing liquid black soap, and African-print toiletry bags.
All products are made in small batches, free from additives, and driven by women.
Every ingredient in KAEME’s range is sourced from women’s cooperatives in Ghana. Freda’s team collaborates with groups like Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA) in Juaso to keep traditional black soap production alive while protecting the environment and supporting livelihoods. Her background uniquely positions her to lead advocacy initiatives.
She has degrees from Gordon College (USA) and Sciences Po (Paris). She has gained experience advocating for African issues at USAID, the European Union, and Capitol Hill; she could have built a career anywhere else. Instead, she returned home to invest in a vision that celebrates African culture.
During COVID-19, when KAEME’s store had to close, Freda continued paying her staff without layoffs or excuses. Her decision gained international recognition, including features on CNN International, Quest Means Business, and CNN Business, where she discussed how leading with heart is astute business.
Since then, KAEME has expanded into markets across West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire. The brand launched on Amazon in 2023 as a certified woman-owned and minority-owned business, reaching customers across the diaspora and beyond. Locally, the Labone-based team maintains high standards, ensuring that every jar of soufflé or bar of soap feels like a love letter from Ghana.
KAEME has won Skincare Brand of the Year three times (2021, 2023, 2024) and received the CSR Project of the Year award for its work in Juaso. Freda Obeng-Ampofo has also spoken at international platforms such as Ambition Africa in Paris and the Choiseul Africa Business Forum, where she advocates not only for KAEME but for the brilliance of African luxury overall.
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