5 Best Children’s Gift Items At Every Age

Ankara dress by little weavers on bellafricana Marketplacea

We all know, children love to be treasured and appreciated with wonderful items. But in choosing the right children’s gift items, you need to pay close attention to what will stir up excitement as well as what will be most valued and cherished by them.

If you are in a fix as to what to purchase for your loved ones, I got you covered!

Here are my top 5 favorite children’s gift items that will be so captivating and alluring to any child:

1. ANKARA GOWN

If you are wondering how this would excite a child, From my observation about children, they just love to look adorable and act like fashionistas at home. This Ankara gown is designed by Little weavers, a brand that is known to craft beautiful children’s wear ranging from different ages, sizes and shapes. There is always one child who loves to dress really cute, so go all out and make that child happy.

Ankara dress by little weavers on bellafricana Marketplace, Children's Gift item

 

2. BABY CROCHET DRESS

Apart from this cutie being adorned with crochet, it also has an extra tutu beneath, that gives any baby the little princess vibes.. This tutu dress fits perfectly on any baby. Therefore, gift that “little Miss” this beautiful woven dress to give them a dapper, Amiable and delightful look. This is a signature of Tender hugs, and this brand offers lots of baby wears to choose from.

Crochet dress by Tender hugs on bellafricana Marketplace, Children's Gift item

Also read: Top 6 Afrocentric Gift Ideas
3. STRAPPED BAG

This portable school bag is a Yes-Yes. Children are more captivated with beautiful colors, no wonder chidren’s creche and nursery is usually beautified using fun and flamboyant colors. Zone A creation has done noble in crafting this beautiful bag, suitable for school or hung to events. If you are in search of a gift for your children, niblings or younger ones, then this is your go-for.

Bag Pack by ZoneA Creations on Bellafricana Marketplace, Children's Gift item

4. Children’s Hair kits

I don’t know if it just me, but babies with fully grown hair are the cutest. Yes, I said what I said. Even from a distance, once a babies hair is soft, shinny and beautiful they tend to get lot of admiration. If the skin is cherished and nourished, same rule should apply to the hair. A child’s hair is their crown, and crowns are valued, therefore, Amal Botanicals has an improvised hair kit, that helps to harness the growth of any baby’s hair.

 

Hair kits by Amal Botanical on bellafricana Marketplace, Children's Gift item

 

5. BABY BUNNIES

Baby bunnies are wonderful items to gift a new born, its really warm and soothing. its wont cause injuries to a child. its basically one of the soothing baby gift I have ever come across. Just as cartoons and animation are captivating to children, this crotchet dolls will most definitely be loved by babies. Tender hugs makes the best baby toys and wears that is friendly to the skins and has smooth surfaces.

 

Crochet Baby Bunnies and teddies by Tender Hugs on Bellafricana, Children's Gift item

Conclusion

With these 5 Best Children’s Gifts Items At Every Age, you are sure to get value from these items in Nigeria. You can as well choose from other different options and get tons of other exotic items for that wonderful child by clicking here. Follow us on Bellafricanashop on Instagram to get more items.

6 Best Online marketplaces for handmade Items

Bellafricana Marketplace home

Handmade items are the most valuable items on the market. However, unless you are knocking on the marketplaces for handmade items, selling your handmade goods in any market place can be difficult. This is why you should choose a marketplace that allows you to reach out to more people who are looking for your product.

Unless you find yourself in the most efficient and effective platforms, finding a possible customer community that wants to buy handmade goods can be difficult. Merchants that specialize in selling handcrafted items, on the other hand, don’t have to worry as much because there are specialist platforms for doing so.

If you wish to expand your merchant-reach ship’s to the widest possible audience, you might consider switching to apt marketplaces that help you get your potential reach.

Here is a list of 5 best online marketplace for handmade items within and outside Africa in no particular order:

 1. Etsy:

Etsy is one of the most well-known markets for handcrafted goods, allowing artisans and artists to launch a thriving business. This platform allows you to sell all of your handcrafted items online. Etsy allows you to sell vintage items, handcrafted crafts, and other craft-related products, and it has a vast client base.

With a free account on Etsy, you may effortlessly sell your items. You simply have to pay a modest amount of fees for listing (about $0.02) and a specific proportion of 5 for each transaction you make on this platform. Furthermore, the site allows you to sell products across all categories. On Etsy, the community is very active and efficient.

Etsy Nigeria – Shop for handmade, vintage, custom, and unique gifts for everyone

 2. Amazon:

Amazon provides an excellent opportunity for all merchants. This is why they bring their Handmade store, which is capable of selling in a huge market. One can effortlessly sell all of your handcrafted items on Amazon’s Handmade store. Furthermore, Amazon provides a wealth of information about what and how you can add to your account when it is approved. The platform, combined with the Artisan profile that comes with a custom URL, makes it easier for your products to find a better place in the market. This will make it easier for people to locate your store. For convenience, you can use Amazon’s Fulfillment service to ship your products.

 3. Bellafricana Marketplace:

This from my research so far, this is one of the  biggest E-Commerce platform, Bellafricana Marketplace is set to promote African made products while trading them to the world. With the unquestionably talents, skills, creativity and yearning for the African experience, Bellafricana Marketplace, is the buffer to ensure our partners and products are of global standard and experience. We pride ourselves as being the one stop destination for a lot of hand-made, niche based African brands with top quality and at best prices. Their services include top notch shopper experience, African-made products at affordable prices, seamless retail processes and outstanding customer support system, and they continue to serve locally based Africa businesses with the intention to ensure growth of these businesses and accommodate more. It’s not just a marketplace but a one-stop marketplace for the continent and growing businesses.

Home – Bellafricana Marketplace (bellafricanashop.com)

 4. Afrikrea:

The key value proposition for Afrikrea is that it serves as a partner to both micro-retailers and their clients. One of the key barriers that is impeding a greater proliferation of e-commerce in Africa is the issue around accepting payments and reliable shipment and delivery methods. Afrikrea has transformed the e-commerce space for the global African fashion and design sector by facilitating payments, commerce and providing the technology framework needed for its retailers.

Afrikrea – Shop and Sell African Fashion, Art and handicraft – Afrikrea

      Also read: Top 6 Afrocentric Gift Ideas
  5. Kamers Makers

An online store for artisans and their handcrafted goods, Kamers Makers’ model is a little different. To sell here, you have to create a store on Shopstar first. So essentially, they give you a secondary platform to display the products and sell them to their niche audience.

You can sell all kinds of products, including jewelry, calendars, scarves, and more.

Sell Online Through The KAMERS Online Store | KAMERS/Makers (kamersvol.com)

  6. Zando

Apparels are clearly the fore-runners among products in Africa. Zando, the South-Africa based online store is perfect for distributors of relatively larger brands. You have to start by emailing them to get approved as a supplier. This means that you should have sufficiently large volumes of stock.

Sell Products Online | Marketplace | South Africa | Zando

CONCLUSION

As a lover of African items, getting the right supplier of a particular item could be really tacky. I have helped research these wonderful sites that you can easily source for items made with African in mind. Click here to get tons and tons of African produce ranging from Fabrics, shoes, interior items, cosmetics and lot more.

5 Suitable Hair Care Products In 2022

Treda Hair Care set

Looking for suitable hair care products? Brands like Modara naturals, Sahara sunrise, Treda organics, Wura secrets, Organic life plus, Amal Botanicals specialize in oils, butters, shampoos, and conditioners that will enhance hair growth. After thorough research, I have been able to come out with good brands that have a commendable effect on hair growth.

When shopping for your next package of hair products, you should be paying attention to the ingredient list. There should be natural ingredients in your natural hair products. Products that contain naturally hydrating ingredients like coconut and shea butters are often your hair friend. You want to stay away from products with alcohol in them or sulfates that may dry your hair out.

Another tip for choosing hair care products is to know your hair’s quality and texture. Do you have highly porous hair? Does your hair eat moisture? Is your hair heat damaged, therefore in need of more protein than oils? What nutrients does your hair need to maximize its current health? All of these things should be considered, when spending your coin on your kinks. Luckily, we’ve tried and tested quite a few hair products over our time.

Here are 5 Hair Care products for healthy hair growth:

 1. Treda Organics Hair kits

Treda organics has lot of products ranging from skincare to hair kits. This cosmetic brand has developed itself strong enough to cater for different skin types and they have made room for hair products as well.  With its rich blend of ingredients such as avocado, honey, and other natural African resources that will enhance hair growth.

Treda organics hair kits on bellafricana marketplace
Treda organics hair kits on bellafricana marketplace
  2. Sahara Sunrise

If you are sporting dreads or you have a lot of build-up in your hair that you need to get rid of, then by all means reach for this Black Soap Shampoo for that undeniable deep clean. If you are dealing with hair loss, you need some luster in your hair or you want to deal with dandruff and also soothe your scalp, then by all means reach for our Fenugreek Shampoo Bar. This special blend of shampoo contains African sourced natural resources. That most definitely suits all hair types and fit for any season. Find Sahara sunrise on I nstagram @saharasunrisenaturals and get more hair kits that will take care of all hair issues.

shampoo by sahara sunrise on bellafricana marketplace
shampoo by sahara sunrise on bellafricana marketplace
3. Wuras Secrets

This package of hair product by wuras secrets contains; Hair Growth Oil, Shampoo, Conditioner and Moisturiser. This bundle will condition, cleanse moisturize, repair and grow your hair. It will also grow out bald spots, sparse edges, slow to grow hair while stopping/preventing breakage, excessive shedding, dry hair, thinning, etc. If you are struggling with loss of hair especially if your front hair, the this is a go for. follow this brand @wurasecrethair on instagram. They have lot of hair products to choose from.

wura secrets hair kits on bellafricana mmarketplace
wura secrets hair kits on bellafricana mmarketplace

Also read: 5 Popular Black-Owned Skincare Brands In 2022

 4. Amal Botanicals

Our babies are not left behind, while hunting for hair products for yourself, do remember your kids hair deserves to pampered as well. Amal botanical hair care is scalp friendly, nice scented and produces just the amount of foam for children. From reviews of this product, I would highly recommend this product for any parent who want their kids hair to remain soft, shinny and well textured.

Kids hair kit by Amal botanicals on bellafricana marketplace, hair care products
Kids hair kit by Amal botanicals on bellafricana marketplace

 

5. Organic Life Plus

Organic Life hair products is 100% vegan. It Contains a pH balanced formulations made with vegan, plant based ingredients. Amazing for length retention, reducing breakage, softening the hair, retaining hair moisture and improving hair structure This brand produces cosmetics with health in mind, just as their skin care product and it avoids anything that can cause allergies in people with sensitive skin.  Also, this brand carters for both relaxed and natural hair.

Hair kits bundle by Organic Life Plus on Bellafricanan Marketplace hair care products
Hair kits bundle by Organic Life Plus on Bellafricana Marketplace
CONCLUSION

Your hair is your crown, it demands care, attention and love. Just as we take care of our skin,  our hair needs same energy. If you are struggling to get the right product for your hair type, try these product and to shop for more affordable hair kits and cosmestic visit bellafricanashop.com or @Bell_africana/@bellafricana marketplace on instagram.

 

 

 

5 Popular Black-Owned Skincare Brands In 2022

Skincare products on bellafricana marketplace

Black-owned Skincare Brands have done so much in the beauty industry within and in the diaspora. To support the businesses run by us and for us, who are working tirelessly to emphasize, enrich, and showcase everything that is delightfully Black and beautiful, we must continue to work towards diversity and inclusivity throughout the beauty industry. Paying close attention to your skin is as important as studying and knowing the best skincare brand to go for.

Here are 5 popular black-owned Skincare Brands in 2022:

 1. Modara naturals

Modara naturals is a Nigerian-owned skincare brand. it deals with premium plant-based natural skin care products that nourishes the skin with product straight from mother nature. One most incredible thing about African manufacturers of skincare products is how tactical and meticulous they infuse the rich blend of African natural ingredients. This African beauty brand is inspired by the love for the African race and heritage. No wonder its branding style is African-themed and targeted toward treating skin issues relatable to Africans and also foreigners.  Modara naturals have tons of products such as Asakwa African Black soap, Modara Haske, Modara pholiso, Laushi, and a lot more. Certainly, this rich combination and formula are suitable for every skin type.

Modara beauty products
Skincare by Modara Naturals on Bellafricana Marketplace
2. Organic life plus

You will be committing a crime under the skincare laws, if you haven’t allowed your skin to be pampered by this refreshing and replenishing beauty brand. Organic life is also a Nigerian-owned brand, Esione Asakome is the founder of this enriching skincare brand. This brand is most suitable for any skin type and most essential perfect for any season. Moringa oil containing Vitamins A, E, C, Phenols, and omega fatty acids, is a great therapy against dryness or dry skin. Its products such as glow oil, baobab oil, plush hydrating moisturizer, etc, also contains antibacterial and anti-microbial properties so that not only does it gives you radiating and glowing skin, it’s good riddance to bacterial and infections. However, it is dermatologically tested.

beauty products by organic life plus on bellafricana marketplace
Beauty products by organic life plus on Bellafricana Marketplace
 3. Amal Botanical

This brand no doubt was conceived in love and care. As its major concern is on the needs of children. Amal Botanicals is an African-inspired children’s care brand that focuses on giving children healthy-looking, gentle and enriched skin. We all know that motherhood can be very tasking. One major concern for parents is the skin needs of their kids. Our kids are exposed to things in the environment that could damage their skin. Children’s skin are more prone to moisture loss and tends to dry out more quickly. I always recommend Amal botanicals beauty products to mothers who want their children’s skin moisturized, fuss-free, luminous, and bacterial-free. This brand also has a ton of children’s skincare as well as hair products.

Children's beauty product by Amal botanical on Bellafricanan Marketplace
Children’s beauty product by Amal botanical on Bellafricana Marketplace
     Also read: 8 Best Natural And Organic Skincare Products
4. Janeli Global

The keyword for this brand is “non-toxic”. Janeli Global Skincare is a Nigerian-grown brand that intentionally and proportionally uses the right set of only natural based ingredients to avoid skin blemishes, irritation, aging, and other skin-related issues. Just the right amount as recommended can give you that clump-free, Oxidant rich and firm skin. its also best for repairing and replenishing worn-out skin. Do you have very sensitive skin and you need that product that will be mild and gentle on you. Then Janeli Global Skincare should be your one-stop-shop.

 

Janeli Global skincare products on bellafricana Marketplace
Janeli Global Skincare Products on Bellafricana marketplace
5. Treda Organics

Treda organics is a natural skincare brand, Made in Nigeria to promote black Melanin skin tones. This popular Black-owned Skincare brand has done so much justice to the black race. Treda organics helps us appreciate our skin color and tone but helps you get that confident, blossom and bright texture skin surface. Sit well perfectly and courageously in your skin by getting your Treda Organics beauty product.

Treda Organics skin care on bellafricana Marketplace
Treda Organics Skincare On Bellafricana Marketplace
CONCLUSION

Long before ”Melanin Popping” became a standard. The only skincare brands truly appreciated were white-centric brands, Black women were the only ones who paid attention to the needs of our African community. They were the only ones who taught us how to embrace our skin colors.  Click here to order for your illuminating, soothing and ever youthful skincare products.

 

 

5 Unique Woven Craft items

MitiMeth Water Hyacinth woven cup holders with adire fabrics sold on bellafricana marketplace

Gone are the days when woven craft items were only used in local places, and were not valued but thanks to several craft designers that have helped in repurposing craft designs and adding more aesthetics to fit different purposes.

These unique woven craft items are used in places like homes, offices, hospitality industries, etc, and also used as fashionable pieces too.

Here is a list of 5 unique woven craft items you would love:

 1. BAGS

Yasmin crafts, a craft design and interior decoration company indulge in creating beautiful, elegant, and creative designs using natural fibres. Apart from designing interior decorative items for your homes, offices, or recreational centres, this craft maker also creates upholsteries as well as fashion items such as bags and purses. Combining this beautiful raffia bag will most certainly help spice up your look, making you look casually funky and edgy while still dripping in your beautiful and ecstatic drip. These beauty bags can be used casually to outings, hangouts, or mini parties.

raffia bag made by yasmin craft on bellafricana marketplace.
AMINA RATTAN BAG
2. POUCHE BAGS

Another good thing about transforming natural fiber into usable items is that there is no limit to what one can create with these resources. Creating any piece of the item can be spurred by certain circumstances and needs. I will give you a short story of how mitimeth a brand and creative craft company came up with making an appealing zipper pouch.

“Once upon a time mitimeth visited a company that had loads of jute selvages. Management figured that since they were into Upcycling, they will be able to do something useful with the selvage material which was waste generated from their manufacturing process. Super thrilled and beaming with ideas, we took the Jute selvage waste and ran with it. They used the selvages to create   zipper pouch bags with layers of frills to add just a little bit of drama to the mix.

The detachable turquoise bag handles are made from fish leather. Yep, you read that right! Leather made from the inedible skin
of the Nile perch by a Social Enterprise in Kenya Upcycling and combining waste materials is the name of our game mitimeth

This goes a long way to show how waste materials are now absolutely important. And can be used to add glamour and beauty to any work of art and craft.

Pouch bag by mitimeth on bellafricana marketplace
Pouch Bag

Also read: Top 6 Afrocentric Gift Ideas

 3. LADDER SHELF/ BASKETS

Good riddance to a decluttered space is this ladder shelf. Not only does this beautifully woven raffia basket and free-standing structure add glam and intrigue to a space, but it also helps create extra surface space around the house. It’s stylish and attractive as well and it is used in places like the bathroom or bedroom. Certainly, this helps in neatly arranging, decluttering, and organizing items around that space. Yasmin crafts carefully pays attention to every detail in a space, I recommend this for people with much clutter, this is ideal because you can easily locate items when need be.

Woven shelves/Baskets by Yasmin Craft on bellafricana marketplace
Woven shelves/Baskets

Also read: 10 Craft Ideas With African Fabrics

4. STORAGE BOXES/ TRUNKS

From harvesting eco-friendly raw materials to curating beautifully, sustainable, and environmentally friendly handmade trunks. These handcrafted, luxury and multipurpose storage trunks made by Yasmin crafts are certainly a must-have in our houses.  It helps a lot in keeping our valuable fabrics well scented and straightened over a long period.

Storage boxes and trunks by yasmin craft on bellafricana marketplace.

STORAGE BOXES/TRUNK

5. LAUNDRY BOX

As earlier stated, Yasmin Crafts aims at refurbishing and organizing any space with still a high degree of class, beauty, and glam. That is why this eco-friendly laundry box was made. However, one advantage of this beautifully crafted woven laundry box is that it adds to the aesthetics of any space. It also adds extra elegance to your space, Moreso, its aids in hiding unpleasant stuff in a pleasantly, decorated, and well-patterned box.

laundry box by yasmin craft on bellafricana marketetplace
Laundry Box
6. DINNING WARES

Having this stylishly decorated piece of dining wares on the dining table is another unique woven item you would love. It is a highly decorative piece that will quickly draw attention to your table and your space. Adorning your space with a bit of nature helps in projecting the elegance and radiance that you so desire for your space. This is a creative piece made by mitimeth using hyacinth and waste materials.

hycinth dining wares made by mitimeth on bellafricana marketplace
Dinning Wares
CONCLUSION

In conclusion, every space, whether an office, your house,  or a hospitality industry indeed deserves a cozy, warm and earthly feeling. That can be done effortlessly by using woven and crafted pieces of decorative items in it. Fashionable items can be crafted using natural fibres and yarns. For more unique woven items ideas click here to see other beautiful pieces.

 

 

 

Bellafricana members gets 60 million naira export grant

Mr Olusegun Awolowo at the third edition of ACE Awards Africa by Bellafricana with Bukky Asehinde founder Bellafricana

Small and Medium sized Entrepreneurs across the country are putting in a lot of efforts to survive, scale the hurdles and compete favourably in different sectors.

To carve a niche for themselves they need support, encouragement and a business friendly environment.

The immediate past Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo has been a pillar of support to many. He recently supported Bellafricana members with a 60 Million Naira Grant.

This opportunity is meant to support their businesses through the Export Development Fund (EDF) via the Expansion Facility Programme [EEFP] which issued a 60 million Naira grant to the 15 awardees of the 3rd ACE Awards as well as a few other Bellafricana members that have shown export potential.

The opportunity unveiled during the 3rd edition of the African Creative Exhibition and Awards, held on the 29th of October 2021, at the BWC Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos will help to transform this businesses to the next phase with ease.

There Mr. Awolowo made clear the commitment of the NEPC to support and grow non-oil exports in the country.

Crude oil forms the major commodity that is being exported in Nigeria currently. In 2020, Crude petroleum topped Nigeria’s commodity export for the year according to COMMODITY.COM. Nigeria presently ranks as the tenth most petroleum-rich nation and by far the most affluent in Africa which makes the reason for being such an exporter of crude oil not far-fetched. This has in some ways made other industries take the back seat because, in recent years, there has been more focus on the country’s exportation of crude oil.

The Export Expansion facility programme, founded as a part of Mr. Awolowo’s legacy to grow Nigeria’s export industry has therefore provided a catalyst that supports the country’s active export businesses and export-ready businesses.

Speaking on this development, the CEO of Bellafricana, Bukky Asehinde could not contain her excitement as she spoke about how Mr. Awolowo through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has been supportive of the growth and expansion of not just Bellafricana but her members.

“Mr Awolowo has time and time again proven to be a huge supporter not just to me or the over 5000 creatives he has supported through Bellafricana but to many creative entrepreneurs all over Nigeria.

Since the over 5 years that Bellafricana was founded, Mr. Awolowo has been a strong pillar of support to this community, endorsing us fully and boosting our brand credibility”.

She added: “This 60 Million Naira grant by the Export Expansion facility programme will go a long way in pushing many businesses forward. I celebrate Mr. Awolowo for showing us who a true leader is and I know that his legacy will always be known for generations to come”.

Asehinde went on to express her gratitude to Mr. Awolowo for standing by Bellafricana over the years and thanking him for building a legacy through his leadership as the former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. “We are proud of his legacy and his support by helping and enabling MSMEs to get to the export level.”

Mr. Awolowo has always supported Bellafricana and her vision to give more visibility to African-owned creative businesses.

He has shown this through his continuous support at every edition of the ACE Awards held since 2017 to laud and encourage the work of highly skilled individuals who are making significant contributions to their respective industries and putting Africa on the world map with their creations.

He has through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council [NEPC] sponsored and supported over 5000 creatives and is now wrapping up with this grant so creative entrepreneurs can scale up their businesses while growing the country’s export industry.

He has also used his encouraging words to push not just entrepreneurs but everyone around him beyond their limits so they can achieve their goals and even surpass them.

It is no wonder Bukky Asehinde describes him as “The father of non-oil exporters.”

One of the awardees and a beneficiary of the grant also appreciated Mr. Awolowo for believing in Nigerian creative entrepreneurs and supporting them in scaling their businesses beyond the shores of the country.

“If we had more people like Mr. Awolowo in this country who have demonstrated true leadership, I have no doubts that we will see more Nigerian entrepreneurs succeeding and getting the visibility they deserve in the global space.”

The Export Expansion Facility Programme [EEFP], a flagship project of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council [NEPC] founded under the leadership of the now former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

The Export Expansion Facility Programme seeks to democratize the discovery of exporters and their access to relevant government incentives to grow. The initiative supports businesses in Nigeria, with at least one customer abroad, or working on acquiring customers abroad.
It also supports businesses in Nigeria that provide services that an export business might need and it offers these businesses a series of incentives to expand their reach and become an exporter.

Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides a platform for Nigerian and African Creative entrepreneurs in the Fashion, Arts & Crafts, Home & Living, Beauty, and Food produce & Snacks Industry to gain visibility, increase sales, and have the right business support and structure that gives them the capacity to grow their business.

Bellafricana’s vision is to become the biggest e-commerce company that promotes African products to the world and is on the verge of accomplishing this as it recently launched a Marketplace [www.bellafricanashop.com].

ACE Award third edition Winners 2021 Mr Olusegun Awolowo endorses Bukky Asehinde, the founder of Bellafricana as the zero oil ambassador to Nigeria Mr Olusegun Awolowo endorses Bukky Asehinde, the founder of Bellafricana as the zero oil ambassador to Nigeria Mr Olusegun Awolow receiving an award at the ACE Awards Africa third edition

Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana

Bukky-Asehinde

Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana.

Whether they choose to admit it or not, the goal of every business or product owner is to be noticed and patronised by people outside the shores of their country.

One problem business owners have faced for years is making their products noticed by other consumers apart from those within their vicinity.

Getting products noticed by global consumers is always difficult for Africa’s creative women entrepreneurs, but this challenge represented an opportunity for Bukky Asehinde, Founder of Bellafricana. Her platform is giving visibility to Nigeria’s creative business owners and their quality products.

Bellafricana, is a platform that empowers, supports and connects quality, talented and creative indigenous businesses to their local and global consumers.

Starting with Nigeria, their goal is to take it one African Country at a time.

Bellafricana Flier

Bukky created a platform to enable creative MSMEs to thrive, whilst doing all it takes to bring the quality products to the forefront of the market. She believes very much that a support group/community for these businesses will enhance the non-oil export in the African economy.

Bukky was inspired to start this up when she noticed a rise in the number of creative indigenous (made in Nigeria, Africa) brands that have great quality, yet are struggling to grow their business with little or no financing from both the government and bigger institutions.

She wondered for a long time, “Why should we wait on financial backing from the government and big institutions to help this industry, when we can create a platform to connect these Indigenous businesses who are maximising raw materials in Nigeria (Africa), providing employment for local talents within the country and creating wealth for the Nation?”. And so she conducted a research, which made her realize that one of the major challenges these businesses were facing majorly has to do with marketing and understanding the trade, which is the heart of any business.

This birthed Bellafricana, a community that showcases the products of local entrepreneurs to a wider audience, both locally and globally.

Bukky finds satisfaction as an entrepreneur because she is able to contribute to the growth of the economy, making an impact that will outlive her, and touching lives.

Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana

Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana.

Her counsel to women who are trying to start a business is simple:

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH WISE & POSITIVE PEOPLE:

This is so vital especially when you know your personality type. I am an extrovert and a positive person, so having negative people around me was a no no. This I know has certainly helped my journey. Another key one is surrounding yourself with wise people, as the bible says also “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”.

GET MENTORS:

It’s important to have mentors who key into the vision of what you do and are thought leaders in their various sectors not necessarily celebrities. How? (you might ask) by keeping a relationship with them and striking a mutually beneficial balance of what they do, they will give you more than their time when you show you care.”

Bellafricana is that “support system” every creative business owner needs to be globally accessible.

Follow Bukky Asehinde on Instagram: Bukky Aka Creatives MotherHen (@bukkyasehinde) • Instagram photos and videos

Article culled from: Bukky Asehinde Is Helping Creative Businesses Thrive With Her Bellafricana Platform – Women of Rubies

Frequently Asked Questions about the Bellafricana Membership Platform!

Hello there, how are you doing today? I’m doing fine, thank you. Did you know that we launched a Membership platform for Bellafricana members? Oh yes, we did!

Why? Because for a very long time, our focus has been to make our members products globally accessible. While that is still our aim, we got to realize that we were ignoring one key thing: The fact that creative business owners lacked the empowerment, and the right resources, to help their business grow fully.

And so, we rolled up our sleeves and worked tirelessly until May 11, when we launched the platform.

See Launch video below:

👇🏾👇🏾

Now, we also anticipated (and have been asked) some questions about the platform which we would like to address. Are you ready?

1. What exactly is this Membership Platform?

Well, It’s a website that gives our members access to a vast library of masterclasses, tools, Guides and Templates, Checklists, and other resources that will help business owners make better decisions.

2. Is this Membership platform open to everybody?

Unfortunately, this membership platform is one of the many perks of being a member of the Bellafricana family. So, what that means is that you have to become a Bellafricana Member to use the platform.

3. How can I sign up to the platform?

Visit www.bellafricana.com/members-signup, then click on the “Click to join the family now” button.

Membership platform joining

4. Does the membership platform access come at a cost?

Yes it does. However, we have very flexible subscription packages so that you can select the package that is pocket friendly. To check out the packages, click here:

5. Is the membership platform an App?

No, it’s a web-based platform, and once you’re on-boarded, you get your unique login details for you to gain access to the platform.

6. You talked about webinars . How can I get access to the past webinars I missed?

Well, the good news is that you can get to watch masterclass recordings, as they are regularly uploaded to the platform.

7. What’s the period for subscription?

Well, we have quarterly, bi-annual and annual subscriptions.

These are some of the questions we get. See below some testimonials from our members who have used the platform.

You got some more questions that you would like answered? Then leave a comment, or send a message to +234 909 367 0222. You can also sign up here.

 

Bellafricana’s stand on the current world happenings

Bellafricana's stand on current happenings

So much is going on in the world and indeed it can be a somewhat emotional turmoil.

Since the beginning of the year, we have had many unfortunate incidences happen and more than ever before, African-owned businesses are at the brink of dying.

Each day, we as a community-based platform, access ways we can prevent this from happening and deploy methods that can reverse this radical trend.

We stand against racial injustice, rape and every other ills that plague our system.

The Bellafricana community is filled with relentless and audacious African women and men, we join our strength with yours.

Our core mission is to inspire you everyday and look for ways to support every member of our community.

Just as it’s paramount that Bellafricana remains true and focused to its objective towards our members & the community at large.

We are happy to let you know that we have started to explore ‘actionable’ ways to lend our support and voice to those standing against the horrible and evil acts plaguing our society.

We advise you do so too, with us, as we are ALL in this together

Signed,
The Bellafricana Management

Bellafricana Launches New Platform To Help Creative Business Owners Bounce Back Faster From The Crisis

Trailing the blows from the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) on creative businesses in Nigeria, Bellafricana has created a platform that would serve as a resource tool and a growth-driver for creative business owners. It is no news that creative business owners are the lifeline of economic development, as non-oil exports must get as much support as possible.

Bellafricana is the community-based organisation that has been empowering, motivating,connecting and supporting creative African business owners for over four years. The company has created a membership portal (the first of its kind in West Africa) to give creative businesses access to tools, guides, directories, masterclasses, among others.

The platform is bid to help creative business owners reduce costs via sealed partnerships and increase revenue via access to diverse market channels such as exhibitions, retailers, and lots more.

The Bellafricana membership platform is set to be launched on the 11th of May, 2020 and would be preceded by a series of talks from industry experts, Bellafricana beneficiaries and a ‘Virtual Launch Party’.

The platform is targeted to onboard over 1000 creative business owners in 6 months and become a pan-African household name in less than 3 years.

Creatives can sign up by visiting the Bellafricana website and navigating to the membership tab to have hands-on experience by themselves. Bellafricana has so far impacted over 250 creative business owners positively even in time of challenges. The organization is well-known for organising the prestigious annual “ACE Awards”.

On the launch of the new platform, Bukky Asehinde, founder of Bellafricana says: “We are looking at building a platform where business owners can see themselves as collaborators, rather than competitors. We are working assiduously to be the beacon of hope to creativity and helping business owners in Nigeria, and Africa at large.”

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