A tumble in profits at PZ Cussons, the maker of Imperial Leather soap and St Tropez fake tan, has prompted a sell-off of some brands after the company admitted it was losing hope for a turnaround of its African business.
The 140-year-old company started as a trading post in Sierra Leone and makes 43 per cent of its sales in Nigeria, where it sells everything from soap and milk powder to fridges.
