Using Africa Goodnest, small but export-ready brands reach a global audience

The global market may still be dominated by multinational brands with supply chains that link across regions, but tech-forward upstarts are making pathways and enabling producers to take back ownership of their economy by adding value to agricultural products. The benefits are multifold: producers can create jobs and reinvest in their local economy. Consumers, meanwhile, welcome the opportunity to connect to the source of the products they buy, especially if they're aware of the ongoing need to decolonize.

Bernice Yalley, founder of Africa Goodnest, points out that the number of export-ready natural products has exploded over the past few years: "Africans are creating high-quality consumable goods that are on par with items that we typically import from abroad. It is us showing that we are more than just receivers of goods or exporters of raw materials, but that we too can transform our indigenous ingredients into something beautiful." Redefining globalization, her platform aims to be "collaborative with a touch of defiance."