Did you know that Africa only accounts for 1.9 percent of global value added in manufacturing? It’s a statistic that, unfortunately, has remained unchanged for decades. Cocoa, coffee, tea, cotton and many other agricultural commodities leave the continent in a raw state to be processed by big global companies elsewhere in the world. The end result is that Africa doesn’t get to reap the economic benefits of the raw materials it produces. There has long been a recognition by those in business and government that there is an urgent need for diversification in the commodities and natural resources sectors on the continent, but the COVID-19 pandemic has now brought this need to the fore, with calls to accelerate the push for economic diversification, processing of commodities and raw materials, and industrialization. This diversification is critical for Africa’s future economic growth, and it’s also critical for women entrepreneurs who are now emerging with businesses that are focused on creating higher-value products from these commodities. I have spent over a decade travelling across the African continent, visiting women entrepreneurs who are building high growth potential businesses focused on creating higher-value products and jobs. They are part of a growing trend of women entrepreneurs creating newer, more dynamic, and higher value agro-products such as chocolate, beauty products, botanicals, teas, and coffees. You may already know know such names as Flora Mutahi, founder of Melvin Marsh International in Kenya, famous for Melvin’s Teas; or Kimberly and Priscilla Addison, co-founders of ’57 Chocolate in Ghana, or Lorna Scott, founder of Inverroche in South Africa, famous for its luxury gins. These powerhouse women are proof positive of how Africa’s commodities can be transformed into value-add enterprises and globally recognised brands. Africa needs more pioneers like them!
Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie