Media Partner: From searching for familiar African brands while living in London to building one of Africa’s leading creative ecosystems, Bukky Asehinde has spent the past decade helping entrepreneurs gain the visibility, connections and confidence to reach international markets. Through Bellafricana, TALES she is championing a new generation of African brands by creating opportunities that go far beyond commerce. Ahead of this year’s TALES, themed The Secret Story, she speaks to ALT about building an ecosystem for creative businesses, why access matters more than talent and her vision for the future of African creativity.
“I see Bellafricana becoming one of the world’s leading gateways to discovering African brand”. Bukky Asehinde
ALT: Bellafricana began with your search for African brands while living in London. How did that experience shape your vision?
Bukky: People often assume Bellafricana began because I wanted to build a marketplace. It didn’t. It began because I was looking for a home.
When I moved to London, I found myself searching for the brands that had always made me feel connected to Africa, the fashion, the beauty products, the homeware, the craftsmanship. I knew these incredible brands existed, yet somehow, once I stepped outside the continent, they became almost invisible.
That moment changed me.
It made me realise the challenge wasn’t creativity. It was discoverability.
How could a continent so rich in creativity be so difficult to find?
That question continues to shape everything we do today. Bellafricana exists to bridge that gap, to make African brands easier to discover, easier to trust and easier to access, not because they need sympathy, but because they deserve a place in the global marketplace based on the quality of what they create.
ALT: You often say the challenge is access, not talent. What needs to change to give African creatives more global opportunities?
Bukky: After working with thousands of creative entrepreneurs over the last decade, I’ve become even more convinced that Africa doesn’t have a talent gap, we have an access gap.
Our creatives don’t lack ideas or craftsmanship. What they often lack is proximity to buyers, retailers, investors, strategic partners and global opportunities.
Too many brilliant businesses remain hidden simply because they never get the chance to be seen.
We need to stop asking whether African brands are ready for the world and start asking whether we’ve built enough bridges for the world to discover them.
That’s why Bellafricana exists. That’s why we created TALES. We don’t just create platforms; we create access. Because one introduction, one retailer, one feature, one conversation, one consumer, can completely change the trajectory of a business.
ALT: Why was it important to create Bellafricana as an ecosystem rather than simply an online marketplace?
Bukky: Because businesses aren’t built through transactions alone.
They’re built through relationships, visibility, education, mentorship, confidence and community.
A marketplace can help someone make a sale.
An ecosystem helps someone build a business.
Over the years, I’ve realised that founders often need more than customers. They need someone who believes in them before the market does. They need opportunities to learn, collaborate, test new markets and tell their stories.
Bellafricana was never designed to sell products.
It was designed to build sustainable creative businesses.
That’s a very different mission.
ALT: TALES has become a major platform for African brands in the UK. What has surprised you most since launching it?
Bukky: The biggest surprise has been discovering that people don’t just want to buy products, they want to understand the people behind them.
Visitors ask about the founder before they ask about the price.
They want to know where something was made, why it was created and what inspired it.
That reminded me that stories create connection, and connection creates value.
That’s exactly why this year’s theme is The Secret Story.
Every beautiful product has a story that most people never see, the risks, the sacrifices, the failures, the resilience and the faith that made it possible.
Those are the stories we want the world to experience.
ALT: What inspired you to open TALES House on Oxford Street, and what makes it different from a traditional retail space?
Bukky: After running TALES, one thought kept coming back to me.
Why should African brands only have a home in London for a few days each year?
TALES House was born from that question.
I didn’t want to create another retail store. London already has plenty of shops.
I wanted to create a home for African creativity, a place where brands could test international markets, tell their stories, build customer relationships and grow with confidence.
TALES House isn’t simply about selling products.
It’s about changing perceptions.
When people experience African brands in a beautifully curated space, something shifts. They stop seeing them as “African brands” and simply recognise them as exceptional brands.
That’s the future we’re building towards.
ALT: African creativity haw been gaining global attention well over a decade now. How can brands ensure they benefit from that growing interest?
Bukky: Attention creates opportunity, but preparation determines whether you can sustain it.
Global consumers are increasingly looking for authenticity, craftsmanship and cultural richness, all qualities African brands have in abundance.
But authenticity alone isn’t enough.
Brands must also invest in consistency, quality, customer experience, operations and storytelling.
Your heritage may open the first conversation.
Your excellence is what keeps people coming back.
The brands that will lead the next decade are those that honour their roots while building businesses that meet global standards.
ALT: What qualities do you look for when supporting creative entrepreneurs through Bellafricana?
Bukky: Great products will always catch my attention.
But character is what keeps my attention.
I look for founders who are teachable, consistent and committed to growth.
People who are willing to receive feedback.
People who continue showing up when progress feels slow.
Entrepreneurship will test every part of who you are.
Talent might get you noticed.
But resilience, humility and discipline are what build businesses that last.
ALT: Collaboration is central to your work. Why do you believe working together is so important for the creative industries?
Bukky: I’ve never believed that collaboration is optional.
I believe it’s how industries are built.
For too long, many creatives have worked in isolation, believing they have to compete for limited opportunities.
My experience has shown me the opposite.
When founders collaborate, ideas grow faster, audiences expand, resources stretch further and opportunities multiply.
Bellafricana has only come this far because people chose to believe in a shared vision.
TALES exists because of collaboration.
TALES House exists because of collaboration.
The future of African creativity won’t be built by one person or one organisation.
It will be built by an ecosystem that understands we rise higher together.
ALT: What advice would you give to African creatives who want to take their businesses to international markets?
Bukky: Don’t wait until opportunity comes before you prepare for it.
Build your business as though the world is already watching.
Know your customer.
Understand your numbers.
Invest in your systems.
Refine your storytelling.
Deliver excellence consistently.
International markets aren’t looking for perfection.
They’re looking for brands they can trust.
The more prepared you are before the opportunity arrives, the more confidently you’ll be able to embrace it when it does.
ALT: When you look ahead, where do you see #Bellafricana and TALES in the next 10 years?
Bukky: I don’t dream about Bellafricana becoming famous.
I dream about African creativity becoming impossible to ignore.
I see Bellafricana becoming one of the world’s leading gateways to discovering African brands.
I see TALES taking place in cities across the globe.
I see TALES House becoming a recognised destination where people instinctively go to experience the very best of African creativity.
But beyond our own growth, my greatest hope is that we’ve helped thousands of founders build businesses that outlive us.
If, in ten years’ time, African brands no longer have to fight to prove they belong on the global stage, then I believe we will have fulfilled our purpose.
ALT: What can we expect from the upcoming event?
Bukky: This year’s TALES is our biggest and most curated edition yet, but more importantly, it’s our most meaningful.
Under the theme The Secret Story, we’re inviting people to look beyond the products and discover the journeys behind them.
For 17 days in the heart of London, visitors will experience exceptional brands from across Africa and the diaspora through fashion, beauty, lifestyle, food, art and design.
But TALES has never been just about shopping.
It’s about conversations, culture, wellbeing, creativity and connection.
It’s about meeting the founders, hearing the stories, understanding the craftsmanship and appreciating the resilience behind every brand.
Because when people connect with the story, they connect more deeply with the product.
And that’s the experience we want every visitor to leave with.
Thank you, ALT, for the opportunity to share the Bellafricana journey. We look forward to welcoming everyone to TALES and continuing to champion African creativity on the global stage.
