We supply fresh, ethically sourced shea butter directly from our long-standing partner cooperative in northern Ghana. Available for personal use, soap making, skincare formulation, wholesale and industrial manufacturing.
We first started sourcing shea butter in 2015 for O’live Handmade Soaps, the natural skincare brand we had started after struggling to find products that worked well for our daughter’s eczema, sensitive skin and natural hair.
At the time, I knew that shea butter was a valuable natural ingredient, but I did not yet understand what properly made, fresh shea butter should look, feel or smell like. I wanted to source it directly and understand how it was produced rather than simply buying from another reseller.
That first shipment began as a small group buy. Once it arrived, the difference was immediately clear. Fresh shea butter should smell naturally nutty, earthy and clean. It should not have the stale or unpleasant smell that is sometimes accepted as normal.
We later travelled to Ghana and built a direct relationship with a women’s cooperative in the north of the country. Working closely with the producers helped us understand the labour, knowledge and care involved in transforming harvested shea nuts into finished butter.
Today, we import approximately 12 tonnes of shea butter each year and supply customers throughout South Africa. Some buy a single 100g tub, while others order wholesale, pallet or tonne quantities for their businesses.
“If it’s not good enough for our own products, it’s not good enough to sell.”
One of the biggest and least talked-about problems in the shea butter trade is age. We produce for our shipments after the current season's shea nuts have been harvested, rather than buying stock that has already been sitting in warehouses. Every shipment is made from the latest harvest, not ageing inventory.
Shea butter is often called women's gold because its production provides an income to women who are frequently the breadwinners in their families. We work directly with the same cooperative in northern Ghana, pay fair prices and have real visibility into how our shea butter is made and handled.
We are a South African shea butter distributor supplying quantities from a single 100g tub to bulk, pallet and tonne orders. A meaningful share of the approximately 12 tonnes we import each year goes to wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers across the country.
The same shea butter trusted by makers, skincare brands and manufacturers is available whether you're ordering one tub or one tonne. Many customers have probably used our shea butter through a larger retailer or brand without realising it originally came from us.
Quality shea butter starts long before it reaches South Africa, with the nuts of the African shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, the way they are harvested and how carefully the butter is produced afterwards.
Colour and texture vary naturally from batch to batch. Neither is a reliable sign of quality on its own. What matters far more is where the shea butter came from and how fresh it is.
The closest you'll get to shea butter in its natural state, retaining its naturally occurring fatty acids and characteristic nutty scent. It is a popular choice for body butters, cold process soap, lip balms, hair care and everyday moisturising.
View Unrefined Shea Butter →
Unrefined shea butter with natural Borututu root added during production, giving it a distinctive golden colour and traditional appeal. It is popular for body care, particularly during the drier winter months.
View Yellow Shea Butter →
Processed to reduce scent and colour, making it practical for formulators who want a lighter, more neutral base. It still offers strong moisturising properties, although customers looking for the least processed option often choose unrefined shea butter.
View Refined Shea Butter →
Shea butter is a natural, minimally processed product, so small variations in colour, firmness, texture and scent are completely normal. These differences are part of what makes genuine unrefined shea butter unique and are not necessarily a warning sign.
No. Graininess happens when different natural fatty acids cool at different rates after melting. It does not mean the shea butter has gone off or lost its moisturising properties. A grainy batch can be melted and cooled correctly if a smoother texture is preferred.
Our shea butter is sourced directly from our long-standing partner women's cooperative in northern Ghana.
Ivory shea butter has its natural cream-to-ivory colour. Yellow shea butter is also unrefined, but Borututu root is traditionally added during production to give it its golden colour.
Unrefined shea butter retains its natural nutty and earthy aroma because it has not been deodorised. The scent usually becomes less noticeable after application or when blended into a formulation.
Natural variations in the shea nuts and traditional production can cause slight differences in colour. This is normal for a minimally processed natural ingredient.
Yes. Shea butter can be used directly as a rich moisturiser or added to body butters, creams, balms, soaps and haircare products.
Yes. We supply shea butter in quantities ranging from small retail tubs to wholesale, pallet and industrial orders. Contact us for larger-volume requirements.
Yes. We deliver retail and business orders throughout South Africa. Delivery options and costs are shown during checkout or confirmed when arranging a bulk order.
Whether you're buying shea butter for your own skincare routine, making soap and body products at home, or sourcing a reliable ingredient for your business, we can supply the quantity you need.
Choose from unrefined ivory, traditional yellow and refined shea butter, with sizes available for individual customers, makers, retailers and manufacturers.