Featured Product – Shea Butter

Pure and Creamy Shea Butter from Ghana, West Africa:

Unrefined and Raw Shea Butter from Ghana, West Africa:

Shea Butter from Manding Imports of Africa is imported directly from shea butter farms in northern Ghana and northern Mali. Both countries are located in West Africa. To satisfy the demands of this great product, we import shea butter from West Africa 5 to 7 times per year. As you know, Nema Saho is a native of West Africa and has maintained an excellent working relationship with several Shea Butter Farms for more than 35 years. Therefore, we can afford to provide high quality shea butter at very competitive prices.

Brief background on shea butter:

From out of Africa come karite butter; more popularly known in the West as shea butter. A 17^th century explorer, M. Mungo Park, discovered that Africans have been using shea butter for years, or tree butter as it is also called. This yellow-white to ivory-colored paste has been used by African healers for thousands of years to alleviate maladies of the skin and scalp. It is dermatologist approved by the French Ministry of Health.

Shea butter comes from the African Mangifolia tree found along the West African Savannah region. It is a wild growing tree that produces tiny, almond-like fruit from which shea butter is extracted. The tree itself is not cultivated and takes 40 to 50 years to mature. In most parts of West Africa, destruction of the shea tree is forbidden due to its economic, health and social benefits. Shea butter is a valuable source of food in Africa. Indeed, many herbalists in Africa regard shea butter as an invaluable agent for internal and external body purification.

Shea butter has a terrific consistency. It penetrates the skin quickly, leaving the skin feeling moisturized and smooth, but with no oily residue. Shea butter is good for the skin because it is rich in vitamins including A, E, and essential fatty acids.  

Here are a few photos displaying the process of shea butter and a farm of Mangifolia (Shea Butter) trees in Northern Ghana. These photos were taken during a buying trip.

Shea Butter Tree Farm in Northern Ghana:

 Shea Nut:

Nema is sampling a shea nut:

Woman transporting shea nuts for processing:

Nema is assisting the ladies with the process:

Woman mixing the shea butter:

Cooking shea butter:

Pouring shea butter into cooling pan:

Shea butter cooling after the cooking process:

Women pack shea butter into hollowed gourds: 

Woman transporting packed shea butter:

Shea butter packed and awaiting preparation for shipment:

Men preparing shea butter for shipment:

Men transporting shea butter to the truck: 

Truck loaded with shea butter and will depart for the shipyard. This cargo will take several weeks to arrive to the U.S.:

New Arrivals

• Unrefined Yellow and White Shea Butter
• More Creamy Shea Butter 
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• 3, 5, and 7 Head Unity Statues 
• Ashanti Stools (Small and Large)
• Assortment of Hand Pianos
• Dashikis 
• Handcraft Bowls Trimmed with Cowrie Shells - Online May
• Brocade Fabric (Solid Colors) - Online May
• Mud Cloth - Online May 

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