Swahili

What Swahili does

Swahili African Modern is a privately held wholesale B2B distributor of fair trade handmade African home decor and gifts, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Eugene, Oregon. The company sources products from artisans across 13 African countries — Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa — across 20+ product categories including baskets (flagship), wood carvings, textiles, jewelry, soapstone items, sculptures, garden art, serveware, and seasonal decor. Its catalog is curated for resale by gift shops, boutique retailers, zoos, museums, and catalog operators.

The business runs on a Shopify-based wholesale e-commerce platform (swahiliwholesale.com) with a $100 minimum order threshold, supplemented by a presence on the Faire wholesale marketplace, an in-person Artisan Collective showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta (Building 2, 10th floor), and a drop shipping program that allows resellers to sell without holding inventory. Pricing is pay-as-you-go, with items ranging from under $10 for small goods to $90+ for premium sculptures and sets; seasonal discounts and clearance lines (including a "Perfectly Imperfect" line) support turnover. Distribution is global, with all fulfillment shipping from Oregon.

Swahili generates revenue primarily through one-time wholesale product sales, with a secondary transaction-fee stream from drop shipping. The company is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, which it uses as a core trust signal and credential. It carries a branded sub-line, The Leakey Collection™ Zulugrass, and rebranded from Swahili Imports to Swahili African Modern in 2024 alongside a new logo and website. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Swahili

Legal name

Swahili African Modern

Website

https://swahiliwholesale.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swahili African Modern, founded in 1995 in Oregon, is a private distributor of fair trade African decor and gifts. It sources from 13 African countries, serving gift shops, museums, zoos, and catalogs via its wholesale site, Faire, and Atlanta showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Wholesale Home Decor

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992), All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (45999)

SIC

Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Apparel & Textile Wholesale Marketplaces (CRAFAHAI)

Keywords

• Fair trade wholesale
• Handmade home decor
• African artisan crafts
• Wholesale gift distribution
• Handcrafted textiles baskets

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: B2B wholesale sales of fair trade handmade African gifts and home decor to retail stores, zoos, museums, and catalogs. Products include baskets, wood carvings, textiles, jewelry, soapstone items, and sculptures sourced from artisans across Africa.
2. Drop Shipping Services: Drop shipping program offered to resellers who want to sell products without holding inventory themselves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Swahili African Modern is a wholesale distributor of handmade fair trade African home decor and gifts, sourcing products directly from artisans in 13 African countries. The company sells baskets, garden art, wooden serveware, textiles, soapstone items, sculptures, jewelry, and seasonal merchandise B2B to retail stores, zoos, museums, and catalogs at a $100 wholesale minimum order. It operates a Shopify-based wholesale website, a Faire marketplace storefront, an Atlanta Market showroom, and a drop shipping program for resellers.

Product overview

Swahili African Modern (formerly Swahili Imports) operates a curated wholesale marketplace for handmade fair trade African home decor and gifts. The company does not offer a software platform; its 'products' are physical goods sourced from artisans across 13 African nations (Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Niger, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Zambia). The core offering spans 20+ product categories including African baskets (the flagship category with baskets from 5+ countries), African garden art (recycled metal sculptures), wooden serveware, soapstone decor, African textiles, jewelry, and seasonal items. Products are handmade by African artisans and sold B2B to retail stores, zoos, museums, and catalogs at a $100 wholesale minimum order. The company ships from Oregon, USA and participates in Atlanta Market gift shows, with additional sales channels on Faire wholesale marketplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Leakey Collection™ Zulugrass: African jewelry and accessories brand carried by the company

Products and services

• African Baskets Wholesale handmade baskets from skilled weavers across Africa, available to retail stores, zoos, museums, and catalogs for resale.
• African Garden Art Wholesale handmade garden sculptures and art including recycled metal sculptures (birds, flamingos, elephants, giraffes, frogs, mushrooms, ostriches), recycled oil drum animal sculptures, and plant holders.
• Wooden Bowls, Trays and Coasters Wholesale handmade wooden serveware including wild olive wood and mahogany bowls, trays, and coasters featuring bone inlay and batik detailing.
• Salad Servers, Spoons and Scoops Wholesale handmade kitchen utensils including wild olive wood salad servers, spoons, scoops, and serving pieces, often combined with cow bone or antler handles.
• African Tea and Honey Wholesale African tea and honey products including Honeydew Forest Honey and Miombo Blossom Honey.
• Barware and Napkins Wholesale handmade barware including African water buffalo bottle stoppers, South African wine bottle stoppers, recycled metal bottle openers, and bone bottle openers.
• Decor and Wall Art Wholesale African home decor and wall art including cow horn sculptures, wooden masks, Mozambican sandalwood vases, soapstone candle holders and dishes, beaded Namji dolls, fabric wall fans, and recycled metal sculptures.
• African Textiles (Pillows, Throws and Table Runners) Wholesale handmade African textiles including Congo raffia pillows, Mali bogolan (mudcloth) festival throw blankets, mudcloth table runners, and organic cotton pillows from Mali.
• Desk Decor Wholesale African desk and office decor including batiked cow bone and olive wood pens, Ghanaian Ankara cloth journals, soapstone bookends and pencil cups, recycled paper cards and picture frames, and hand-painted pencils.
• Kisii Soapstone Products Wholesale Kisii soapstone products from Kenya including hearts, animal figurines, candle holders, bowls, boxes, and tea light holders in various colors and designs.
• African Wood Carvings Wholesale African wood carvings and sculptures including Shona stone art and other carved wooden art pieces.
• Burkina Bronzes Wholesale Burkina Faso bronze sculptures crafted using lost wax casting technique, featuring feminine figures and candle stands.
• Shona Stone Art Wholesale Shona stone art sculptures from Zimbabwe, featuring carved stone animal figures and decorative pieces.
• Banana Fiber and Gourds Wholesale banana fiber craft items and gourd-based art pieces from African artisans.
• Recycled Art (Pop Can and Bottle Cap) Wholesale art crafted from recycled materials including pop cans and bottle caps, transforming waste into decorative items.
• African Beadwork Wholesale African beadwork products including beaded jewelry, accessories, and decorative items.
• African Jewelry Wholesale African handmade jewelry including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and statement pieces featuring glass, brass, vulcanite, malachite, aluminum, and bone materials.
• The Leakey Collection Zulugrass Branded line of Zulugrass jewelry and accessories from Kenya, part of the accessory category.
• Handbags, Totes and Wallets Wholesale African handbags, totes, and wallets featuring traditional African textiles and craftsmanship.
• Candle Holders Wholesale African candle holders including soapstone, recycled metal, and other handmade materials in various styles and sizes.
• Music Wholesale African musical instruments and music-related handmade products.
• Seasonal Products Seasonal and holiday-themed handmade African goods including Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, and Christmas decorations (ornaments, nativity scenes, holiday sculptures).
• Faire Marketplace Channel Secondary sales channel on the Faire wholesale marketplace, offering Swahili African Modern products with discounts during January and July Faire Market events.
• Drop Shipping Program Drop shipping program offered to resellers who want to sell products without holding inventory themselves; available for baskets, home decor, and textiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Low wholesale minimum of $100 simplifies small retailer sourcing

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fair Trade FederationcoreOthersMember of Fair Trade Federation. Company adheres to fair trade principles including paying fairly, increasing capacity, ensuring children's rights, and respectful transactions with artisans in developing nations. This affiliation serves as a core credential and differentiates the company in the fair trade marketplace.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ten Thousand Villages: Long-established fair trade wholesale and retail brand selling handmade artisan goods from developing countries to gift shops and consumers. Directly comparable business model, customer base, and fair trade positioning to Swahili.
• Global Crafts: B2B fair trade wholesale distributor of artisan gifts and home decor from cooperatives worldwide. Operates a wholesale minimum-order model serving retailers, museums, and zoos - directly overlapping with Swahili's GTM and assortment.
• Africa Imports: Wholesale distributor of African-imported goods including crafts, decor, jewelry, and gifts sold B2B to retailers. Closely comparable Africa-focused wholesale assortments and customer segments.
• SERRV International: Nonprofit fair trade organization selling handmade artisan crafts from global producer groups through a wholesale and gift catalog model. Comparable fair trade mission, artisan partnerships, and B2B/wholesale channels.
• The Country Trader: Wholesale supplier of African imports and fair trade home goods to retail stores. Highly comparable Africa-specific assortment and wholesale-only B2B model to Swahili.
• Mata Traders: Fair trade wholesale brand selling artisan-made apparel, accessories, and home goods from global producer groups. Overlaps in fair trade B2B wholesale positioning and accessories category.

Broad incumbents

• Novica: Online marketplace connecting artisans from around the world directly to consumers. Overlaps in artisan African goods category but operates at much larger scale via direct-to-consumer e-commerce rather than B2B wholesale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swahili