Time is MONEY; that’s why 90% of global leather is still tanned with chromium, a toxic and carcinogenic heavy metal. Conventional vegetable tanning is too slow to compete, leaving the industry trapped between a hazardous, heavily regulated option and an outdated, inefficient alternative.
Sulha Afrika breaks that deadlock.
We produce a bio-based tannin extracted from regeneratively harvested mangrove bark; a clean, fast, industrially viable solution that doesn’t just reduce harm but has the potential to be carbon-negative.
Screaming into the VOID!
Being a startup founder feels like screaming into the void. Nobody seems to understand let alone buy in. It feels like running in loops, circles. It feels exhausting and tiring.
Now, I am left to wonder, why is it tough? Does it have to be? Is it because nobody has done this? Is it the funding structure? The rigid systems? What seems to make it this tough. I know it’s not the lack of passion for it is what makes me burn the midnight oil 🕯️.
What makes it feel tough for you as a founder or someone who works with founder? Let me know!
“Funding and better policies are NOT helping entrepreneurs!” Eng. Fatuma Ali
During a panel discussion on the role of women and youth in the blue economy during the Africa Blue Economy Week in Luanda, Angola, Shamim Wasii Nyanda asked a brilliant question “What is the one thing that you would change about the blue economy ecosystem?”
“Start changing your vocabulary! As funders and policymakers, you should realize that you are NOT helping us as women and youth. We are helping each other achieve a common goal. We are equals and should be treated as such! Funding and better policies are NOT helping entrepreneurs! They are facilitating and enabling the ecosystem“ she added.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
$7,000 down, only $73,000 left!
A few months ago, we announced that Sulha Afrika is officially starting our fundraising journey. Today, we are proud to announce that we have successfully bagged our first grant in this journey from UNDP and the AUC.
This is not just about the grant but also the placement. Having the great honor of participating in Africa Blue Economy Week 2026 in Luanda,Angola to tap into this rich network and the wealth of knowledge is just unmatched.
Bonus part: We came first across Africa 😀.
Thank you to Sote Hub , OceanHub Africa for the selection. As a woman and youth owned and led venture, we are proud to be part of shaping the future of the Women and Youth through the new blue accelerator program. The masterminds behind this are none other than: Immaculee Uwimana and Madeleine Nyiratuza, PhD
Now, we are asking you to join us on this as we revolutionize the global leather industry through our rich blue economy. Do you know the right partners, funders, investors or tips? Send them our way!
Sensations by Sulha Afrika are immersive experiences where people, planet, and heritage come alive through sustainable fabrics, upcycled glass, and intentional design. We translate regenerative fashion from a buzzword into visible, lived action our audience can understand and participate in.
What if I told you that these right here are not just trees?
They are the solution to the global leather industry. A sustainable alternative to chromium-based tanning. A fast, regenerative answer to one of fashion’s most polluting sectors.
This is not a forest. This is the future.
Meet “Makubadhi ya Siyu” ; traditional Siyu shoes crafted by our ancestors long before any foreign influence reached our shores. Tanned with mangroves and designed with natural reflexology, they were functional, resourceful, and deeply intelligent. They’re the heritage that inspired our modern mangrove-based bio-tannin.
Imagine coming from a people whose entire civilization is tied to mangroves; we built with them, healed with them, and even tanned with them. That legacy runs through Sulha Afrika as we transform our culture into a next-generation mangrove bio-tannin.
