Overview
Mouka Limited is a Nigerian company that specializes in the manufacturing of polyurethane-based products, including mattresses, pillows, bed frames, camp mats, raw foam products, baby mattresses, and mats. The company was founded in 1959 and the name Mouka is synonymous with Quality. Mouka was the first foam company to offer a quality warranty on our mattresses and other polyurethane products.
History
Mouka Limited was founded in 1959 in Lagos, Nigeria, it was founded by the Faiz Moukarim family of Lebanese origin in Kano. Mouka Limited as it’s known today initially started as a factory named Moukarim Metalwood, with a focus on manufacturing furniture and iron beds, and as the company progressed, they ventured into other products like mattresses.
The company name was changed from Moukarim Metalwood to Mouka Limited in 1972 when it expanded to Lagos, Nigeria. From then on, the company has established production facilities in Benin and Kaduna, from where it distributes to other parts of Nigeria.
In 1992, Mouka spearheaded the end of carbon-fluoro-carbon (CFC) materials during production. Exposure to fluorocarbons can lead to respiratory illness characterized by cough and chest pain, which can be self-limited in mild cases but may progress to more severe conditions like respiratory failure. Having such chemical compounds in your mattress is not good for our health.
Also, in 1999, it became the first foam company to receive ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001 certification in Nigeria, thereby setting the pace for other brands.
Ownership Transition
Mouka Limited was founded in 1959 by the Moukarim family of Lebanese origin in Kano. For many years, Mouka was majorly owned by leading international investment firms. In late 2021, the Morocco-based Dolidol International Group facilitated a seamless change of ownership of Mouka.
Dolidol International Group is a Moroccan company that specializes in the manufacturing of mattresses, foam, and bedding products. Established in 1972, the company is known for producing well-known mattress brands, including Kinédorsal, Windsor, Prince, and Maria, and is the exclusive licensed manufacturer of an American brand Therapedic in Morocco.
The Dolidol International Group which is the undisputed market leader in the sleep industry in Francophone Africa acquired Mouka for $60M according to Crunchbase.
Company Profitability
Though the profit of Mouka is not public information because it’s a private company as of 2023 Mouka Limited reportedly made $80M in that year alone. It’s safe to say Dolidol $60M one-time investment did not go to waste.
Marketing Strategies
Mouka runs constant ad campaigns on major platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. However, they do not limit their reach to running ads alone.
In recent years Mouka has endorsed brand ambassadors who promote their products and brands. Some major endorsements include;
Ali Nuhu; Kannywood celebrated actor, and director Ali Nuhu, popularly called the King of Kannywood or Sarki-Ali, joined the Mouka family as the Brand Ambassador for Northern Nigeria in 2022.
Sola Sobowale is a Nigerian film actress, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. Sola Sobowale also premiered Nigeria’s popular television drama series Super Story: Oh Father, Oh Daughter.
And not only do they have partnerships with ambassadors with notable actors/actresses but they also target the under generation. Their brand partnership with Mark Angel’s comedy last 4 years made that visible, in their popular skit titled “Manchelor”, the video did 14 million views on YouTube alone on Mark Angel’s YouTube channel not factoring all the reposts that were made to other social platforms.
All in all, Mouka Ltd has done a very good and embodying its message in the people we know, trust, or watch, and makes us more likely to associate ourselves with their brand, at least I would. They not only penetration endorsements but also influencer marketing, one of the most effective ways to market in our new Economy.
Mouka’s Mission
Mouka Ltd’s Mission as stated on its official website is “To add comfort to life”. And so far, they have done just that, the Mouka brand and products are synonymous with quality. And their customers place trust in them.
Mouka believes in their products’ quality to the extent of offering a warranty to customers.
Extracted from the official website;
“Our Limited Warranty covers the lack of conformity; in other words, when the product does not conform to the prerequisites, for the use for which it was manufactured or when it presents defects of origin/manufacture. The warranty starts on the date of purchase/delivery of the mattress and lasts until the end of 3, 5, or 10 years as the case may be. Our mattress warranty is governed by and subject to the terms and conditions.”
All this goes to show how much trust Mouka has in the products and goods they offer.
Distribution Networks
In dealing with physical goods manufacturers have different ways logistics can be handled. They can sell through agents/distributors, cut out the middlemen entirely, and sell directly to the consumers or work with both entirely.
Several factors go into consideration when making such crucial decisions as the kind of products they sell, do they have the marketing budget to reach such end customers (working with distributors eliminates this) or do they want to deal with the customer’s headache, etc.
Mouka is a unique brand as it works with major distributors/middlemen and also sells directly to its customers via the e-commerce platform Konga.
A quick Google on the prices of their products and you find a page on their website specifically to showcase their products with the prices attached, and a “Buy Now” that directs to their official Store Konga.
This is a smart move for the company because they understand customers’ behavior. Customers who search online are either looking for the price and then go to the distributors to buy or mostly likely searching to buy and get their purchase delivered to them at the comforts of their homes. So, they benefit from both their physical distribution networks and also from online sales, which they make with dealing with any middleman (more profits).
In Conclusion
In conclusion, Mouka’s determination to make quality and comfortable mattresses fosters how important it is to have a mission-driven company that not only profits but also impacts lives. Mouka has done just that.
Sources
https://www.brandtimes.com.ng/mouka-rewards-business-partners-nationwide/
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mouka
https://rocketreach.co/mouka-limited-profile_b5c0e45ff42e08ad
Steve Sinclair
