Viti Oil: From the Bay, Home to Fiji and Beyond
By Brittany Nawaqatabu
San Francisco Bay Area-based Pasifika Reach, the grassroots non-profit behind Viti Oil of Fiji, is using premium coconut oil to create sustainable livelihoods for Fijian communities while bringing locally made wellness products to the international market.
Viti Oil was born out of a desire to help the women of Raviravi, Macuata, market and sell their coconut oil.
Founders Ilaitia and Heather Rakadrudru said they mostly work with women and youth.
“We decided to work with our grass root team and take our coconut product back to the States,” Ilaitia said.
“We wanted to find a way to help them take the oil and turn it into body products.”
Ilaitia said his family was able to put themselves through school through their copra business on the islands.
“I just felt like coming back to Fiji was something in my heart that I’ve always wanted to do; to give back-because without the copra I was brought up with, I wouldn’t be standing here today,” he continued.
Fijian culture and heritage remain deeply woven into the story behind Viti Oil.
“Viti is a representation of who we are as a people and the ingredients that we use come from the grassroots. We want to use plants that are native to Fiji in our products,” he shared.
With the help of her aunt and cousin in the United States, Heather Rakadrudru developed the formulas that would eventually become their line of body products. They strive to keep the products as organic as possible, using essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances.
“We put it into lotion and body butter and now we have a line of six products: face oil, massage oil, body butter, sugar/surf scrub, bath soak, and lotion,” she said.
According to the Rakadrudrus, what sets Viti Oil apart is its unique composition, which allows it to solidify differently from many other coconut oils while remaining smooth and easily absorbed on the skin
“It also lasts longer in your hair,” Heather said.
The primary manufacturing and processing operations for Viti Oil is in the Bay Area.
“We’re working alongside cGMP [Current Good Manufacturing Practice] facilities like Bella Phytologic, while sourcing our organic virgin coconut oil and botanical ingredients directly from village-level cooperatives in Fiji,” Heather said.
Linking back to their non-profit, Pasifika Reach, Heather said that they are working to provide opportunities for energy and financial sustainability.
“Once we get the revenue up more, we’ll be able to seed into our non-profit to bring solar to Raviravi village, Macuata.”
New US partnerships
Viti Oil of Fiji recently secured a new partnership in the Bay Area.
“The partnership is focused primarily on distribution, local spa and resort placements, and storefront retail stock, alongside grassroots women-led initiatives supporting our Virgin Coconut Oil production.”
“They are a facility that focuses on organic and natural products. It is such an encouragement to have this backing; we are excited to release in Canada soon.”
While the business has continued to grow, the journey has not been without its difficulties.
“The biggest challenge at the moment is transportation. Right now, we’re working with a small quantity but as soon as the demand rises, we will need to look into that.”
“The freight costs- both for transporting raw materials to our US production base and shipping finished products back to Fiji – is a difficulty at the moment.
Nevertheless, Ilaitia encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to take their business overseas.
“In order for you to grow, you make mistakes and hopefully you don’t make the same mistakes twice as you grow,” he urged.
For the Rakadrudrus the journey is ultimately about coming home, giving back and taking Fiji to the world. As they put it: “From the Bay, back to Fiji and to the world.”
Viti Oil of Fiji is looking to establish a distribution footprint across Fiji focused on high-end resort spas, select retail storefronts and direct partnerships.
“We use a hybrid model, targeting both high-end resort spas and wholesale lines while offering direct-to-consumer and retail availability. We are also finalising details with MeSovu to sell our full product line in their storefront,” Heather said.
Looking ahead, the Rakadrudrus hope the CIDESCO 2026 Congress will open doors to discussions with key government ministries on how they can further support grassroots communities, which remain at the heart of their business.
Viti Oil products are currently available through direct sales, with plans to expand into local retail stockists as well as select spas and resort partners.
