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African Sales Company

African Sales Company is a privately owned company which operates across three commercial pillars, namely distribution, retail and communication. The core pillar is as a distributor of leading international fine fragrance and cosmetic brands within Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa. We hold the sole distribution licences to represent various leading brands in the region.

Yes, they are. The acronym “ASCO” stands for African Sales Company.

African Sales Company was established in 1937. We look forward to our centenary in 2037.

Our core business of distribution is in fine fragrance and cosmetic products. We are also the distributors of Jiffy Steamer in Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa, and our Homewares business distributes our a unique collection of silverware and glassware, various décor goods and various items of fashion accessories, such as scarves, shawls, pashminas and pareos.

Not with regards to fine fragrances and cosmetics, and Jiffy Steamer. We are the official distributors of these brands which we represent, providing market access to Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa.

For Homewares, we are the owners of the products we supply – we source and have goods manufactured particular to our specifications for our clients.

Yes, only for Decorware products. All other products are imported directly from our Principal Suppliers.

We are represented in the following countries in South African Customs Union (SACU):

  • South Africa
  • Botswana
  • Lesotho
  • Namibia
  • Swaziland

and through Nuance-SSA in Sub-Saharan Africa:

  • Angola
  • Mozambique
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Kenya
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Nigeria

We offer our services to Principal Suppliers and directly to brands in the luxury, fine fragrance and cosmetics industry.

Our head office is located in Midrand, Johannesburg. We also have regional offices in the Western Cape (Cape Town), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban), the Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth), Namibia (Windhoek) and Botswana (Gaborone).

Nuance–SSA

Nuance – SSA is our trading company for our business expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa, currently trading in Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Vendome

Vendome exclusively represents the interests of PCDO – Parfum Christian Dior Orient FZCO – in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

African Sales Company is the founding and holding company which directs our business operations in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.

Vendome exclusively represents the interest of Parfum Christian Dior Orient FZCO – i.e. Parfum Christian Dior’s Affiliate in United Arab Emirates.

Jiffy Steamer

Learn more about Jiffy Steamer via the international website or the South African website.

Skins Cosmetics

Learn more about Skins Cosmetics via the official website.

Velvet Luxe

Learn more about Velvet Luxe via the official website.

Color Café

Learn more about Color Café via the official website.

Principal Suppliers

A Principal Supplier is a term used to describe a company which owns brands or holds the licences for brands owned by (Fashion/Celebrity) Houses – this includes manufacturing their products or goods, defining marketing strategies, managing global operations, and selecting distributors, like African Sales Company, to represent the interests of their brands in world markets.

An Affiliate is a term used to describe a domestic subsidiary belonging to a Principal Supplier.

Under African Sales Company:

  • Air-Val International
  • blackIUp Paris
  • Brand Agency London
  • Coty
  • Euroitalia
  • Parfums Salvatore Ferragamo
  • LVMH Fragrance Brands for Givenchy and Kenzo
  • Mäurer & Wirtz
  • Molton Brown
  • Procter & Gamble South Africa
  • Puig
  • Uriage
  • Richemont for Cartier
  • Jiffy Steamer

Under Nuance–SSA:

  • blackIUp Paris
  • Coty
  • Clarins
  • Clinique
  • Dior
  • Dolce and Gabbana
  • EuroItalia
  • Elizabeth Arden
  • Estee Lauder
  • LVMH Fragrance Brands for Givenchy and Kenzo
  • Mäurer & Wirtz
  • Puig
  • Tom Ford
  • Uriage
  • Revlon
  • Richemont for Cartier

Under Vendome:

  • PCDO – Parfum Christian Dior Orient FZCO

First and foremost, we are African, proud of our roots, offering a unique service and value, with market access as a distributor into Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our track record proves integrity, transparency, competence, developed trade relationships, and dedication to the category of fine fragrances and cosmetics. Our brand and product management services and the value to our Principal Suppliers include the entire go-to-market process. We offer highly specialised sales, marketing, training, display, business intelligence, and supply chain logistics.

Brands

We represent the following brands in Southern Africa:

  • 4711
  • Antonio Banderas
  • Baldessarini
  • black|Up Paris
  • Calvin Klein
  • Carolina Herrera
  • Cartier
  • Chloé
  • Christian Dior
  • Comme des Garçons
  • Diptyque
  • Disney (various brands in the franchise)
  • Escada
  • Givenchy
  • Gucci
  • Hugo Boss
  • Jean Paul Gaultier
  • Joop!
  • Kenzo
  • Lacoste
  • Lottie London
  • Marc Jacobs
  • Missoni
  • Molton Brown
  • Olay
  • Paco Rabanne
  • Prada
  • Quorum
  • Roberto Cavalli
  • Salvatore Ferragamo
  • Stella McCartney
  • Tabac
  • Colors de Benetton
  • Uriage
  • Versace
  • Jiffy Steamer

No, we don’t. We represent the fine fragrance and cosmetics lines of the brands we distribute.

All the products of the brands that we represent carry factory guarantees and warranties, each specific to their international standards and policies.

If you have any problems with any products purchased from Authorised Resellers, please Contact Us to assist you with your queries or concerns.

Please note that goods purchased through unauthorised resellers (i.e. if they’re grey imports or counterfeits) will not be covered by the brands guarantees and warranties.

Becoming a Client

We have various processes and criterion for us to represent brands on behalf of clients. If you are interested in becoming a client, please contact us via our Become a Client page, where we can assist with more information and any related queries.

Authorised Resellers

You can find a list of our Authorised Resellers here, or you can Contact Us to confirm if any retail stores selling our brands are authorised.

We wish to assist you in purchasing authorised and original products of the brands which we represent.

Applying to Resell

We follow a selective distribution model and carefully explore sales opportunities for retail chains and independent outlets in our category. In the best interests of the brands which we represent, we ensure that these luxury brands are listed with Authorised Resellers that comply with the set criteria particular to each brand.

For more information about this, please contact us via our Applying to Resell page.

Online retailers must adhere to the general category requirements, the main of which is to have fixed premises retail as a base requisite. This means you are required to have a brick and mortar retail store authorised to sell our brands first, in order to be considered to then sell them online.

Grey Imports & Counterfeit Goods

Grey is the trade of goods through distribution channels that are legal but unintended by the original manufacturer – i.e. without the authorisation of the brand owner or the authorised representative of that brand in that country. Because they are imported without the control measures to ensure quality, they are not covered by manufacturers’ guarantees and warranties.

Counterfeit goods are illegal and are replicas or knockoffs of the original product. They are produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. Counterfeit goods have a reputation for being lower quality and may even include toxic elements. Dealing in counterfeit products is a criminal offense.

Grey imported goods are often difficult to identify, because they are the original products. The law requires that consumers be told by these grey import resellers that the products have been imported without the approval or licence of the registered owner of that trademark.

Counterfeit
goods are usually easier to identify. They often are especially bad replicas; not showcasing the quality expected that original product or the packaging, and often includes the deliberate misspelling of the brand or product name, using a similar style or design.

To report grey imported or counterfeit products of the brands which we represent, you can do so via our Southern Africa page. You may also report suspected counterfeit products directly to the National Consumer Commission.

Careers at African Sales Company

We’re always on the lookout for talented people to join our unique company. You can easily view what positions are available and submit your CV quickly and easily via our Careers section.

African Sales Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to inclusion and diversity. We understand the importance of building a better future for all races and genders.

B-BBEEE is an integral driver of economic and social transformation in South Africa. We assist with individual empowerment through studies and training, and are committed to align our business in the workplace and in society with the national transformation agenda and national demographics.

We have three broad categories of positions available at African Sales Company: head office, sales & marketing and in-store. To learn more about positions are available for each, please see our Careers section for full details.

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