Africa’s Untapped Resource: Women – Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global

Ella Peinovich (pictured lower right) is one of the three founders of Kenyan-based SasaAfrica, a women owned and operated social enterprise — offering an innovative e-commerce platform for female artisans, vendors and entrepreneurs in Africa to create sustainable micro-enterprises using mobile phones.

How We Made It in Africa talks with Ella about social entrepreneurship and Africa’s untapped resource: women.

How did the idea for SasaAfrica come about?

I had been working within the informal settlements around Kenya over the past three years and saw the amazing cultural capital of the goods produced by the artisan community there and the disproportionately low economic value placed on their work. I was determined to create the tools and services that could enable these women to expand their access to consumers in a lasting and sustainable manner.