Startup Spotlight: Crafts of Africa

How can the skills of African artisans reach global customers while generating meaningful economic opportunities at home? This month, we are featuring Dr. Ron Adany, a serial entrepreneur and his journey bringing craftsmanship from Eswatini and Kenya to the world through Crafts of Africa.  He brought this question to the 2024 Pears Challenge, our flagship venture builder that helps Israeli  entrepreneurs take bold ideas from concept to field-tested ventures. Through Pears Challenge’s process of conceptualization, design, and validation in the field, Ron immersed himself with artisan groups across several countries to understand their challenges, needs, and dreams.

Over a year and a half, Ron transformed these insights into CraftsOfAfrica, a fully operational e-commerce platform. Every step reflected careful thinking and experimentation. He built automated purchase-to-shipment workflows, created a curated catalog ready for immediate fulfillment, launched both an online store and an active Etsy presence, and implemented marketing and CRM systems designed to support growth. Each element was designed not just for efficiency, but to honor the artisans’ work and connect it to a global audience eager for authentic African crafts. Click here to see the products they supply.

The approach and value proposition of Crafts of Africa is centered on advancing global trade as a driver of economic empowerment. Ron's team carefully selects high-quality, authentic crafts that reflect the continent’s rich cultural heritage. The team optimized their supply chain, ensuring prompt and efficient order fulfillment for seamless delivery. However, this was only possible after overcoming significant logistical challenges along the journey. 

This semi-automated system he developed built a lot of long-term  infrastructure; Ron learned the right local suppliers, packaging processes, and online marketing mechanisms. There was a distinct effort in training with the local teams in Eswatini and Kenya as well to coordinate together and produce high-quality products efficiently. However, the rising cost of user acquisition and the new U.S. import regulations under the Trump administration make international expansion increasingly challenging and expensive. With the work they’ve already done, Crafts Of Africa requires someone to come in and focus on marketing and distribution to really succeed.

Now, as Ron steps back from leading the venture, he is looking for a new owner or partner who shares his vision of connecting the world to African craftsmanship. The platform is ready for someone who wants to champion this model of impact-driven e-commerce and take Crafts of Africa to its next chapter. At this juncture, an ideal fit is someone with a strong background in marketing and distribution to evolve this venture into its fullest potential.

Interested candidates can learn more at craftsofafrica.com or request additional details by reaching out to ron@craftsofafrica.com.