Meet 2019 TEF Alumni, Gladys Chibanda Who is into the Production of handmade Ankara crafts
Funding for Ankara Crafts in Zimbabwe: Textiles and clothing are a fundamental part of everyday life and an important sector in the global economy. The production of cotton accounts for almost 7% of all employment in some low-income countries. Although today’s biggest textile-producing countries are China and India, “made in Africa” is gaining traction. Many brands are moving their production from Asian to African countries.
The demand for African designs, textiles, and garments is increasing within and beyond the continent. Currently, in sub-Saharan Africa, the combined apparel and footwear market is estimated at USD 31 billion. The textile industry in Africa is estimated to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of ~5% over the forecast period of 2019–2024.
Identifying this problem
Gladys is a young award-winning creative entrepreneur who is well known for her bespoke, eco-friendly, handmade Ankara notebooks and gift set. She has managed to use her love for art in an extraordinary way. In her quest to challenge the status quo, fighting against discrimination and stigma, Gladys successfully elevated the crafts industry, proving that it is a viable industry and that the craft business can be a profession. Having been raised in an entrepreneurial family, she implemented her experience and knowledge by starting her own business. She used her artistic abilities to develop a firebrand called Krafted Ink, innovative art and craft-oriented organization.
Specializing in African textile journals and gift packaging, mastered the art of combining colors in making gift packaging to ensure lasting smiles in the lives of people. The handmade products include journals, diaries, gift bags, and gift boxes using African print fabric. Gladys started her journey at the age of 21 out of her desire to uphold the African ideals of sharing presents. She has been crafting memories ever since.
Making Handmade Ankara Crafts
Gladys achieved this feat thanks to the TEF program, which helped in achieving her dreams as an entrepreneur.
“Without the Tony Elumelu Foundation Programme, there was no way, not a chance that my business idea was going to take off. The program not only helped the business plan, but it also put me through how to evaluate customer acquisitions, and the business canvas helped me to break down where I was going to get resources. Furthermore, I learned how to establish smart partnerships with Entrepreneurs across Africa because I was exposed to the network during the program.”
“We had an increased visibility that helped our users from 50 per year to more than 50,000 users now and still counting with more than 10 distributors across the 36 states.”
She recently launched an impact project titled ‘Dignity for her product’ to provide a holistic approach to drive change through product, education, and Advocacy, bundled alongside comprehensive menstrual hygiene management and sexual reproductive health programming for adolescent girls. So far, 300 girls have been trained with the hope of training 2000 by the end of 2022.
A revenue model allowing these girls to earn commissions from the sale of Virtuous Reusable Pads was established, empowering them, and making them less vulnerable. The innovation is to assign the girls’ guardians as drop shippers for reusable pads in the community. The girls then sell these pads within their community, creating economic opportunities and helping break the poverty cycle.
She pitched for another grant and won an additional $15000, $5000 from AGS tribe Enterprise Challenge, winning first place during the pitch competition (Now Herconomy E), and $10000 from the funding space 2019 through the Rising tide Africa during the pitch competition.
ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries, and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has trained over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFconnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.
