A Coconut In a Success Story
Three years as an entrepreneur, Deogratius Kapalata is doing very well as a virgin coconut oil producer. The transition from being a coconut supplier to mama ntilies (local cooks) and neighbours for their daily use to purchasing up to 300 coconuts straight from farmers for producing 80 t0 100 litres of coconut oil a month has been extremely challenging yet very fulfilling;
I mean who would have thought a Master’s degree holder straight from Tokyo University would pick a coconut business over an office job, either way Deo has mastered this business and succeeded in so many ways.
While KP is a brand popularly known for its coconut oil, they have two other products and the aim is to expand making products for different uses that people will consume on a daily basis. With the help of his brother they have created a name for themselves by making quality and affordable virgin coconut oil and what they have accomplished throughout their journey is very evident.
“We are still growing as a brand and there is so much to improve but being able to cover 90% of our production using our current machines to putting up an office and employ people is such a big win for us.” - Deogratius Kapalata, KPLT Traders Founder and CEO
Along their entrepreneurial journey that includes losing customers due to the quality of their coconut oil, KP coconut oil has improved while giving affordable prices to its customers in such a way that their customer base has spread so wide in different places as they have agents in 12 regions in Tanzania . Most of the people purchased KP coconut oil through referrals but reached a wider market through online shops such as Kiafrika where they have received orders and made sales countless times through the website and given KP recognition.
A Community That Carries Creativity
With 11 years of its operation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Deaf Child (TADEC) has been able to transform from an association to an NGO.
At TADEC every deaf individual comes with a family and with 35 families the NGO has been able to teach families to be supportive to their deaf family members. Other than supporting the deaf community TADEC’s other aim is to promote employability to parents of deaf children, the deaf youth as well as to enable deaf children access education.
Promoting employability and access to quality education to deaf children and youth through making creative cards using banana leaves.
Christmas Cards
Spread some warmth during festive season with Christmas cards. Browse through the amazing selection of Christmas cards, illustrated using banana leaves.
Animal Pack Cards
Featuring nature's captivating furry creatures and wildlife, this wonderful selection of wildlife holiday cards includes birds, bear, deer, wolves, foxes, rabbits, and more! Enjoy sharing the joy of nature and the delight of the animal world on your special occasion. Whether you're looking for a funny animal card or beautiful wildlife scenes, you're sure to find the perfect card with wildlife for everyone on your list!
Ethnic Lifestyle Cards
TADEC Ethnic Lifestyle Cards feature beautiful African images and/or African themes. They are made of quality ethnic materials such as dried banana leaves. Celebrate your special occasion in Your Image and Likeness with our African Lifestyle Cards!
An Audacious Act that Changed My World
Mhelepu Shillingi, a young lady making a living off her talent. She initially did it as a hobby up until 2020 when she decided to spend more time and focused on her hobby then turned it into something that made her money.
As a then second year student at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, she took it up to the university campus and a restaurant in a popular building in the heart of Dar es Salaam to show the public what she can do. She was sketching in public spaces and that’s where she got recognition and many of her first customers, which is where the journey of a full time artist and how she started making money off her talent. Over two years in with over a hundred drawings and as a full time artist, she has found so much growth in her journey. Learning how to paint, teaching and selling her work she has also found the artists community very supportive and collaborative.
Mhelepu Shillingi, a young lady making a living off her talent.
Mhelepu still finds that most people do not understand the work of art. Time, creativity and focus put into your work does not get valued especially when you are trying to sell your work.
In collaboration with Kiafrika Online Market, Mhelepu is now working on growing her customer base outside Tanzania as for the past few years most of her customers have been within Tanzania.
She has managed to find an identity for her work by having a mix of colours in the background and using charcoal and graphite on her drawings.
When you support a small business, you support a dream.
Tanzi Handmade: Telling a Kitenge Story
Jane is the founder and designer of Tanzi Handmade.
Jane really loves culture, African culture to be precise. As of March 2021 Jane decided that she wants to tell a Kitenge story, she decided that she wants to show people worldwide how creative you can get with an African fabric. She has done magic with vitenge making clothes, bags and other accessories; you cannot deny the beauty of her pieces with all the colours and wonderful designs. Kiafrika asked Jane what drove her to take this business route her response was simple “It’s unique, colourful and it illustrates creativity in an African way”.
It’s unique, colourful and it illustrates creativity in an African way.
Jane has her mum as her business partner whom has been the biggest supporter in this business and also a genius behind those threads at Tanzi handmade. Her mum does the sewing while she designs and picks the vitenge fabrics as she has got an eye for colours.
The inspiration behind her designs is people, she thinks of how comfortable someone would be in her designs and that is exactly how she would design her dresses. Over a year now with the help of her mum and sister who does her finances, she has learned a few lessons and faced a couple of challenges but those didn’t break her.
With customers from in and outside Tanzania via Kiafrika Online Market, now Jane knows her foreign customers love accessories while her people at home prefer clothes.
Her Entrepreneurship:
The easiest part about being an entrepreneur is you get to do things your way because you are the boss and you have control over things, but then there’s the part where you need to work extremely hard to succeed.
The biggest lesson Jane had to take is Discipline, from sticking to the plans to finances. Jane has been taking sewing classes from her mum as she wants to expand her business.