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BEAUTY INDUSTRY
MAC Cosmetics continues its Tunisian expansion by opening third outlet
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
Global brand has a growing operation in North Africa. This complements a well-established presence in sub-Saharan Africa.
MAC Cosmetics, the London-based cosmetics company that is part of the Estée Lauder group, has opened its third store in the North African country of Tunisia.
Photo: MAC / Kilani Groupe
The latest outlet is in the Azur City shopping mall in Ben Arous, a city which forms part of Grand Tunis, the country’s largest metropolitan area. MAC already has stores in La Marsa and Sousse.
MAC’s in-country partner is the well-established Kilani Groupe, which is active in sectors such as specialised in pharmaceuticals, paramedical products, dermo-cosmetics and hygiene products.
Kilani opened the first two Tunisian MAC outlets in June 2024. It said at the time that the brand is “synonymous with innovation, quality and creativity”.
The brand’s strongest North African representation is in Morocco, where it has six outlets. There is also an outlet in Egypt.
First African standalone stores opened in 2013
MAC opened its first standalone stores in Africa in 2013. Lagos was the first such store, followed by others in Zambia and Botswana.
It now has a presence, either standalone or in-store, in 16 African countries. South Africa is the biggest, with more than 40 locations.
According to the website Beauty Africa, the beauty industry in the Middle East and Africa was estimated to be worth about US$30-billion in 2023.
MAC Cosmetics was founded in Canada in 1984 and became part of Estée Lauder in 1998. Its products are sold in over 120 countries and it promotes itself as ‘the ultimate colour authority’.
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