Nama Fiji launches into China. Here’s how it happened.

By Jernese Macanawai

Award-winning Fijian skincare brand, Nama Fiji, has launched on China’s biggest and fastest-growing e-commerce platforms, marking its latest expansion into a major global market. 

Nama Fiji products are now available on Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo thanks to a strategic partnership with Silventure International (Hong Kong) Limited — a premium distributor specialising in natural and clean skincare products with more than 15 online shops across China and Hong Kong.

While Nama Fiji already exports to the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Turkey, Managing Director Debra Sadranu says there was some apprehension about entering the Chinese market. 

“I met Sara Zhang, our Hong Kong and China Distributor, at the Cosmoprof Beauty Trade Show in Hong Kong last November. Sara was already familiar with Fiji and our brand,” she explains. 

Pacific Trade Invest China, the funding support body for Nama Fiji’s attendance at the trade show, introduced Sara to Debra.

“She shared the same passion and ethos of Nama Fiji, and we felt she would be a trusted distributor who would reflect the brand appropriately. Finding the appropriate distribution partner gave us confidence, and we have had absolute ease of doing business with her in China.”

The Nadi-based company is being uniquely positioned in China as a natural, clean beauty skincare product rooted in thalassotherapy, powered by wild nama harvested in the Yasawa Islands — something the brand says fits well with Chinese consumer preferences. 

On concerns about the potential impact on production, Debra says exporting to China will be manageable.

“The brand is premium and niche so we are able to manage the volumes to suit our target markets.

“Nama is fully sustainable as it replenishes within two to three weeks of harvesting. This will benefit our women harvesters immensely.”