Development: Made in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the world’s highest female entrepreneurial activity, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Women’s Report. Approximately 27% of African women are engaged in some form of entrepreneurial venture. Among these women is Kate Mahugu, cofounder of Shopsoko.com.

Kenyan based Mahugu uses a mobile-to-web platform to provide local artisans with a global online market. With this platform, artisans can use a mobile app to register, describe, and photograph their products. The mobile app also allows the artisans to name the price on their products, ensuring that they receive a majority of the profit. When the product is purchased, Shopsoko transfers the money through a mobile transaction, which is especially convenient for artisans living in remote areas.

With 70% of Shopsoko’s artisans being women, this video goes beyond addressing the high level of female entrepreneurship in Africa and serves as a testament to the prominent role women play in Africa’s development. With their concerted efforts, Mahugu and her partnering artisans have managed to build and sustain a robust, African-based business. Their products have broken the barriers associated with informal trade and are even finding their way into high-profile magazines, like Glamour. Some may say that African businesses are not ready to compete at a global scale, but the continent’s growing culture of female entrepreneurship is saying otherwise.