Swahili’s African network includes individual artisans, export agents and micro-enterprises in the nations of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana and South Sudan.
Swahili’s global network includes private collectors and thousands of retail stores, museums, educational institutions, websites and catalog companies sourcing modern fairly traded African products at competitive price points. Professional buyers and store owners sell Swahili’s fair trade African creations on six continents.
Founded
Leslie Mittelberg founded Swahili Imports, Inc. in June 1995 in Eugene, Oregon. A former resident of Nairobi, Kenya, Leslie named the company “Swahili” after the people of East Africa whose artistry inspired her entrepreneurship.