As it marks 10 years in business, Ivorian startup Afrikrea has relaunched under its original name, reinforcing its focus on connecting African and diaspora creators with customers across global markets.
Founded in 2016 by Moulaye Taboure, Kadry Diallo and Luc B. Perussault Diallo, Afrikrea was created to connect independent creators across Africa and the diaspora with customers worldwide. Over the past decade, the platform has grown into a broader commerce business known as ANKA, which includes both consumer and business-focused products.
The return to the Afrikrea name places greater focus on its original purpose of supporting African and diaspora fashion, art and craft creators while helping them access customers beyond their local markets.
A stronger focus on creators
Under the new structure, Afrikrea will operate as a consumer marketplace, while ANKA Pay and ANKA Ship will focus on business-to-business software. The move gives each part of the company a more defined role, allowing Afrikrea to concentrate on consumers and independent creators.
For creators, the relaunch could provide greater visibility and access to international customers, particularly for entrepreneurs whose businesses depend on reaching audiences outside their home countries. By connecting creators with buyers in multiple markets, the platform can help them increase sales and build businesses around their creative work.
Afrikrea CEO Matilda Ceesay said the decision reflects the relationship between creativity and business. “Fashion is where culture, craft, and commerce meet,” she said, noting that the company is returning to the name that represents its creative identity.
Ceesay said Afrikrea is intended to remain a platform for African and diaspora creators whose work deserves to be seen, valued and developed into enduring businesses. The renewed focus therefore places independent creators at the centre of the platform’s next stage of growth.
A decade of growth and international reach
The relaunch follows significant growth since Afrikrea was established in 2016. The platform has helped creators generate more than $30 million in sales, while women account for more than 74% of its creators. Most of its consumers are based in Europe and North America, highlighting the international demand for products created by African and diaspora entrepreneurs.
Beyond its marketplace, Afrikrea has built a community of more than 700,000 followers and a newsletter with 49,000 subscribers. These channels provide creators with additional ways to promote their products and connect with potential customers.
The company has also used physical pop-up events to create direct opportunities for creators to sell to consumers. Some of these events have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales in less than a week. The marketplace has also recorded more than 125,000 five-star orders.
Afrikrea currently supports creators in 94 countries, including 39 African countries, and reaches buyers across 185 markets.
By returning to its original name while giving ANKA Pay and ANKA Ship a dedicated business-to-business focus, Afrikrea is positioning itself for its next phase around a clear objective: expanding access to international markets for independent African and diaspora creators and helping more of them turn creative businesses into sustainable enterprises.
