Kenyan billionaire heiress Mary-Ann Musangi's Haco signs Ghana manufacturing deal

Haco Industries Kenya, the consumer goods maker run by Mary-Ann Musangi, the daughter of the late Kenyan billionaire Chris Kirubi, has signed an agreement with a Ghanaian company to manufacture and distribute its Amara skincare lotion in Ghana.

The partner, Ayewa Aberfur, will contribute its product development and manufacturing capabilities and its knowledge of the Ghanaian market, Citizen Digital reported. The company said the Ghana operation is part of a wider West African strategy to produce closer to consumers and strengthen regional supply chains.

"Our partnership with Ayewa Aberfur brings together technical expertise and local knowledge to establish a strong foundation for manufacturing Amara in Ghana, while creating opportunities to strengthen the African value chains that support our brands," Musangi said.

The deal names the partner behind an expansion Haco first announced in April. At the time, Musangi said the company would enter Ghana through a joint venture with an undisclosed local firm and expected to begin operations by the end of that month.

Growing without building factories

Haco is not building its own plant in Ghana. Under the model Musangi described in April, the Ghanaian partner provides the production capacity and equipment, while Haco supplies raw materials made in Kenya. "We are not investing in factories and in equipment," she told Business Daily at the time, declining to disclose the size of the investment.

The approach lets Haco get products onto shelves quickly while keeping spending low. Nigeria and Senegal have been identified as its next markets.

The company is also trying to use more African raw materials. It sources argan oil and jojoba from North Africa, shea butter from Ghana and Uganda, cocoa butter from across West Africa, and moringa, canola, coconut, baobab oils and aloe vera from Kenya.

The Kirubi inheritance

Haco was founded in 1974 by Chris Kirubi, one of Kenya's best-known industrialists. Musangi became managing director in February 2019. When Kirubi died in June 2021, he left 80% of his estate to Musangi and her brother, Robert, and she took over the management of his businesses in media, manufacturing, technology, real estate and finance.

The family is now weighing the company's future ownership. Haco has been exploring an initial public offering or a strategic investor as part of the Kirubi family's succession planning, The Africa Report reported earlier this year.

Musangi has also taken on a larger role in Kenyan industry. In July, she was elected vice chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, and she was named Woman Industrialist of the Year in 2025.