Former Miss Universe and Caribbean entrepreneur Ms. Wendy Fitzwilliam has identified a major economic opportunity for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Africa Union to collaborate in building globally competitive fashion, beauty, and skincare industries for the world’s largely underserved, melanated population.
Speaking at the second installment of the AfriCaribbean Private Sector Webinar Series on January 27, 2026, Ms. Fitzwilliam emphasized that beauty and fashion must no longer be viewed as merely lifestyle industries but as strategic economic sectors capable of driving entrepreneurship, export growth, and inclusive development across both regions.
The former Miss Universe noted that the global skincare market is already valued at US$160 billion and projected to reach US$230 billion by 2032, while the wider beauty and fashion industries are worth over US$2 trillion.
Identifying access to ethical, natural raw materials such as cocoa, moringa, sea salt, ginger, and neem among other ingredients as a key advantage for both regions, she challenged policymakers, private sector leaders, and development partners to begin building the trade, logistics and payment systems that allow these inputs to move efficiently between Africa Union and CARICOM producers and onward to global markets.
“The opportunity is not only in what we produce, but in how quickly and reliably we can connect producers, processors, formulators, brands, and consumers across our regions,” she said.
The heart of Ms. Fitzwilliam’s message was framed by a simple but powerful insight: The majority of the global population is melanated, yet very few global skincare lines are specifically designed for their needs.
Ms. Fitzwilliam emphasized that the imbalance in the market represents a significant missed opportunity. Against this scale of demand, she contended that Africa and the Caribbean are uniquely positioned to capture a meaningful share of the market by building integrated value chains for products designed specifically for melanated skin. She acknowledged, however, that persistent challenges in trade facilitation, distribution channels, interoperable payment systems, and particularly the time it takes for goods to move between both regions remain key barriers. These are not insurmountable issues, she noted; once addressed, both regions could unlock substantial economic gains.
Calling for deeper collaboration between operators across Africa and CARICOM, Ms. Fitzwilliam expressed confidence that globally competitive brands could be built on authenticity, quality storytelling, and premium positioning rooted in biodiversity, culture, and traditional knowledge.
“The big global companies are already searching for the next breakthrough for melanated skin. We should build it for ourselves, first,” she encouraged. “This is not a small niche. This is a high-value, targeted global market. And we are uniquely positioned to lead it.”
The AfriCaribbean Private Sector Webinar Series are hosted by the International Trade Center in partnership with the Afreximbank, the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) and the African Business Council. The third instalment, Harvesting Opportunities: Building Resilient AgriTrade across Africa and the Caribbean, is scheduled for January 30, 2026.