Female Entrepreneurs Scale Green Ventures Across Four African Nations
Four women lead sustainability ventures in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi, integrating environmental protection with economic empowerment for local communities.
Four female entrepreneurs are scaling ventures across Africa that combine environmental sustainability with economic empowerment. In Nigeria, Ifedolapo Runsewe founded Freee Recycle to convert waste tyres into industrial products such as gym flooring. In Uganda, Kyokushaba Shine established Winta Engineering Solutions to provide solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers.
In Kenya, Wawira Njiru manages Food4Education, which operates 209 kitchens feeding over 700,000 schoolchildren daily using local produce and eco-briquettes. Meanwhile, in Malawi, Chifuno Stevens leads the Chifuno Changa Green Initiative, producing charcoal briquettes from peanut shells to combat deforestation.
These leaders report facing systemic challenges, including significant financing gaps for women and gender-based assumptions within industrial sectors. Despite these hurdles, they have expanded their operations through strategic partnerships and a focus on local resource recovery.
