Jalila Mezni is a Tunisian businesswoman and entrepreneur who serves as the Co-Founder, Chairwoman, and Chief Executive Officer of Société d’Articles Hygiéniques (SAH Group), known by its flagship brand Lilas. Under her leadership, SAH has grown into one of North Africa’s leading manufacturers of hygiene and cleaning products, with operations spanning multiple markets and product lines.
A native of Radès, a suburb of Tunis, Mezni began her professional career in the banking sector before pursuing her entrepreneurial ambitions. In 1994, at the age of 26, she co-founded SAH Tunisia and launched the Lilas brand, which quickly became a household name across Tunisia and beyond. Her visionary approach and focus on quality, innovation, and regional expansion have driven the company’s steady growth. SAH Tunisia was listed on the Tunis Stock Exchange in January 2014 under the identifier ISIN TN0007610017.
Over the years, Mezni has diversified the group’s operations, co-founding Azur Papier in 2009 and later launching Azur Détergents in 2019. Today, SAH-Lilas remains one of the most actively traded companies on the Tunisian Stock Exchange and a key player in the consumer goods industry. Beyond business, Mezni has also invested in education, founding two private institutions in 2018 — Tunisian International School Ezzahra and Tunisian International School El Menzah — both dedicated to high-quality bilingual education.
Her leadership and entrepreneurial success have earned her international recognition. In 2015, Forbes ranked her among the Most Influential Women in the Arab World. In 2020, Forbes Middle East listed her 37th among the 100 Most Influential Women in the Middle East, and in 2021, she was ranked 98th in the Top CEOs of the MENA Region.
Through her vision, resilience, and commitment to innovation, Jalila Mezni has redefined industrial entrepreneurship in Tunisia, inspiring a new generation of business leaders across the region.