In a recent interview with NewsTrendsKE, Savannah Space founder Cherie Kihato opened up about the journey of building a Kenyan luxury furniture brand rooted in craftsmanship, authenticity and African identity. Speaking candidly about entrepreneurship, storytelling and the role of TikTok in growing her profile and business, Cherie reflected on what it means to create pieces with soul, support local artisans and reimagine African luxury for a new generation.
In Cherie Kihato’s world, luxury does not begin in imported labels or distant design capitals. It begins with story, craft and a deep belief in the value of what Africa already possesses.
For Cherie, the phrase African luxury is almost inseparable. “African luxury means authenticity,” she says. “A lot of African things are luxury… even before colonialism, there was a lot of art and a lot of crafts that even by today’s standards, when you see it, it is luxury because of the craftsmanship that goes into it, the materials that go into it, the story that goes into it.”
That philosophy sits at the heart of Savannah Space, the furniture and home decor brand she founded to create high-quality, eclectic pieces made in Kenya. Cherie describes the company simply: “We make really high quality furniture and home decor in Kenya, so we’re supporting local artisans from across the country by making unique and eclectic furniture and home decor.”
Savannah Space is not chasing sameness. Cherie says the brand is intentional about creating “pieces that you can’t find anywhere else,” while keeping quality “at the forefront.” Many of the items, she says, are “functional art pieces” — objects that are beautiful, useful and built to last. “They’re functional art pieces in that you can use them and they’re beautiful, but they’re also extremely high quality. They last a lifetime.”
Behind each piece is a process that is both creative and collaborative. Sometimes an idea begins as a rough sketch drawn from nature, travel or craft traditions around Kenya. Other times it emerges from workshop conversations with carpenters. “It starts off with either a sketch that I draw… mainly from inspiration around nature… or it comes from discussions I have with our carpenters at the workshop,” Cherie says. From there comes prototyping, reworking and testing whether the piece is both beautiful and functional.
She is quick to stress that the design process is not hers alone. “The one common thing in all our designs is that it generally is a collaboration between myself and the carpenters that work at Savannah Space. Their input is so vital.”
That same openness and storytelling instinct has shaped Cherie’s presence on TikTok, where she has become known for sharing the reality of building a manufacturing business in Kenya. She joined the platform around two and a half years ago during a difficult season of illness, when she was spending more time at home and less time at the workshop. What she discovered was a platform that felt unusually human.
“It was a really authentic platform that people just share their story,” she says. “There’s no need to seem like you’re the most intelligent or you’re the most put together person. It’s just an authentic platform.”
That authenticity has become central to how she uses the app. Instead of treating TikTok as a conventional marketing tool, Cherie uses it to document the behind-the-scenes reality of entrepreneurship, the lessons, the experiments, the struggles and the texture of life in Nairobi. “I use TikTok to show the behind-the-scenes of growing Savannah Space… what it’s like to be an African entrepreneur, a Kenyan entrepreneur in manufacturing. And I also show people what life in Nairobi is like.”
What has worked best is not overly polished content, but story. “The content that resonates the most with real clients is the content that resonates the most with people in general. It’s the content where I’m storytelling.” She says this storytelling does more than draw likes and comments, it leads to real business. “People come into our showroom, say they found us on TikTok… and they buy furniture after that.”
Still, Cherie is clear-eyed about the complexity of building a luxury manufacturing brand on the continent. One of the hardest challenges, she says, is the lack of information and visible pathways for local manufacturers. “Manufacturing in itself is extremely difficult. Manufacturing in Kenya, in Africa in general, is on another level of difficulty.” She says there are few companies young founders can look to and say: “This is the route I should take.”
That gap is one reason she keeps sharing online. “Hopefully these little nuggets of wisdom that I may share can help someone who is on that journey… of creating a brand in Kenya.”
Cherie is also keen to challenge assumptions about who African luxury is for. One of the biggest misconceptions, she says, is that premium African brands are somehow not meant for African consumers. “A common misconception is that other Africans are not willing to buy African luxury,” she says. But in her experience, the reality is different. “Majority of our clients are Africans… majority of our clients in Kenya are Kenyans from Kenya.”
Her approach to work and life is equally unsentimental. Cherie resists the language of perfect balance. “I wouldn’t say I balance it. I would say maybe I manage it,” she says, explaining that she keeps a strict calendar and dedicates one hour every morning to content before focusing on Savannah Space. “I don’t know if I believe there’s anything as balanced… at some point something is not getting 100 percent, but I think that’s just life.”
What keeps her going is a mindset rooted in the long view. “I always think about Cherie at 80,” she says. “I never want to be an 80-year-old who has most of their life behind them and then is regretting not doing things.” Whenever fear creeps in, she asks herself one question: “Would Cherie of 80 regret not doing this? If so, then do it.”
That clarity has helped her build an audience far beyond Kenya, and recently earned her a place on TikTok’s global Discover List. The recognition, she says, came as a surprise. “It was so unexpected even when I got the email… I don’t have the biggest following on TikTok, but clearly my story has resonated with people and TikTok saw that as important.”
The effect has been tangible for the business. “More people have seen what I do, have seen my business and are interested in supporting it,” she says, adding that the visibility has translated into more sales opportunities for Savannah Space.
In the coming years, Cherie wants to see Savannah Space grow beyond Kenya into other African markets and eventually beyond the continent. She also wants to grow the team, especially at the workshop level. On TikTok, her ambitions are more restrained: “I want to continue organically growing, continue organically sharing my story.”
But perhaps her strongest message is not about scale, virality or even sales. It is about participation. Cherie believes more Black Africans should step into the luxury space and claim it fully. “We need more Black Africans starting luxury brands,” she says. “In the luxury market in Africa… Black Africans are the minority in the African luxury space, which is crazy to hear.”
And so she continues to build; from Nairobi, from story, from craft and from conviction. In Cherie’s hands, furniture is not just furniture. It is proof that African luxury does not need translation. It only needs room to stand.
