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If you’ve tried to buy shea butter recently, you’ve probably noticed two things: it’s harder to find, and the price has surged. No, you’re not imagining it — there’s a global shea butter shortage, and it’s affecting suppliers and customers everywhere.
We source our unrefined shea butter directly from our own women’s co-op in rural Ghana. That gives us a front-row seat to what’s going on, so here’s the scoop: why shea butter is in short supply, why the price is rising, and what you can do in the meantime.
It really comes down to four main factors:
SUPPLY
DEMAND
ECONOMICS
BIG BUYERS
Let’s break it down.
Let's start with where unrefined shea butter comes from.
Unrefined shea butter is a natural fat extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, which is native to Africa. These shea nuts are produced in about 21 countries, almost entirely in West Africa. The biggest producers are Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso — together accounting for over 70% of global shea nut production.
Recently, however, several countries neighboring Ghana have placed temporary bans or restrictions on raw shea nut exports. Their aim is to encourage more local processing instead of just exporting raw material. But the reality? It’s choking supply, leaving Ghana to shoulder global demand almost on its own.
On the other side of the equation is demand — and it’s skyrocketing. Shortages of vegetable oil and cocoa butter have caused both food and chocolate makers to turn to shea butter as an alternative. From household cooking to large-scale chocolate manufacturing, everyone is using unrefined shea butter.
This surge means the shea butter that once went mostly into skincare is now competing with the global food industry. And that competition drives prices up for everyone.
To make matters more challenging, Ghana’s currency, the cedi, has strengthened significantly in the first half of 2025. While that might sound like good news for Ghana, it also makes exports more expensive in dollar terms — and those costs are passed down the line.
Finally, large buyers from China and India have entered the picture in a big way. They’ve set up warehouses in Ghana and are pre-purchasing shea nuts before they’re even produced. This leaves the women who harvest the nuts indebted to fulfill those contracts, which means smaller buyers — like us — get squeezed out of supply until those massive orders are met.
Phew! That was a lot.
All these factors add up to one reality: prices are rising everywhere, and supply is tighter than ever.
At Isivuno Naturals, we’ve had to adjust our pricing for raw, unrefined shea butter. We know price increases are never fun, but we remain committed to offering the best quality unrefined shea butter available in South Africa.
But wait, there’s good news: we’ve secured a shipment of freshly produced shea arriving in mid-October. This will help keep us stocked for about half a year — so rest assured, we’re doing everything possible to keep South Africa supplied with the shea you love.
Try refined shea butter — it’s still available and works beautifully in many formulations.
Explore alternatives — mango butter and avocado butter are both nutrient-rich and versatile.
Shop our shea-based products — look out for our luxury soaps and shea aloe cream bases.
The global shea butter shortage is real, but we’re working hard to navigate it for you. Once our shipment lands, we encourage you to stock up while supply lasts.
Thank you for supporting fair trade, women-powered sourcing, and natural products that make a difference.
Author: Zipho Tefu
A writing and social media intern at Isivuno Naturals. When he's not unpacking the world of raw natural ingredients Zipho enjoys writing, creating music and content creating.
