Blackissime is an Afro-French concierge company that offers products and services celebrating the sophistication of African and Afro-Caribbean culture in Paris, France.
Founded in 2019 by Théodore and Annette Minka, the company combines entertainment with luxurious experiences. After combining their respective experiences in finance and journalism, with the desire of becoming entrepreneurs, they found a niche for luxurious experiences for Black people in France.
“Black people in France are pleasantly surprised,” Theodore Minka told Travel Noire. “They embraced this initiative with open arms. We are witnessing the awakening of Black people here in France. This is a new trend, and we are taking advantage of that. Afro-French people are beginning to congregate, like in the US. They order our products and attend our events.”
The Afro-French entrepreneur emphasizes that the Black community is very big in France.
“It is about 5 million people according to the latest figures, which is a great number, and a great consumer of luxury services. After all, France is the land of luxury.”
“Some of our clients like to attend the Fashion week in Paris, and meet the most renowned designers like Imane Ayissi. We make it happen. Our concierge service is responsible for these types of exclusive requests for our member customers,” Minka said.
The company also has access to some of the hottest brunch and culinary events.
After postponing operations and activities because of the pandemic, the Afro-French entrepreneur said that the company is back up and running.
“We are planning a giant brunch with 400 people for our next event. In our events, we offer products that come exclusively from the African continent. They are raw and natural. We serve lemongrass infusion, hibiscus infusion, shea butter, Arabica Coffee from Cameroon and more.”
Now, Blackissime wants to go beyond their norm by offering cruise trips, flights, hotels, as well as guided tours to Africa and the Caribbean.
“We plan to organize trips, offering shuttle services with private limousines that can pick the client up from home and take them to the airport. We can also request an upgrade to business class, book the best hotel rooms in the host country, and organize activities. We are now establishing partnerships with hotels in Africa such as in Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ghana,” Minka revealed.
You can visit the Blackissime website here.
