Hadithi Crafts

What Hadithi Crafts does

Hadithi Crafts (legally Hadithi Crafts Support CBO) is a Kenya-registered community-based organization and wholesale handicraft social enterprise founded in 2014 and headquartered in Maungu, between Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. It produces handmade sisal baskets (practical and fineweave lines), Maasai beadwork, palm-leaf products, conservation-themed items (elephant-dung paper postcards, snare-wire keychains), and sewn safari animals through a network of 1,900 female artisans organized into 64-65 women's groups across 20 villages, with NEST Ethical Handcraft certification for its beadwork collection (January 2025) and OEKO-Tex Standard 100 compliance enabled by a 2024 dye facility.

The core production process relies on traditional techniques — hand-rolled sisal twine grown on artisans' own farms, natural dyeing with barks/leaves/soil (supplemented by OEKO-Tex-compliant cationic dyes at the Hadithi Dye Centre), Taita basket weaving, Maasai beadwork with Czech beads, locally tanned goat leather, and elephant-dung paper processing — with a small in-house team of Community Liaison Officers, a Production Coordinator, a Sales Representative, an accountant, and operations staff coordinating with approximately ten named headquarter employees plus a Belgian trustee.

Commercial activity runs through three channels: (1) B2B wholesale via email-driven direct sales (MOQ 30 pieces, 50% deposit on order, balance on shipment, FOB Kenya, USD-denominated) and trade shows such as Shoppe Object in New York; (2) distribution through Solid Crafts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany plus the Powered By People wholesale platform; and (3) direct-to-consumer retail via the Hadithi Line online store at hadithiline.com. Revenue is supplemented by donations and project grants from partners including Wildlife Works (foundational 2014-2024), MEDA (2018-2020 matching grant), Everland (Dye Centre 2024), Solid Crafts, Rukinga Ranch, and Cigna. No equity funding or external venture capital is involved; the organization's legal form is a CBO with women's groups as stakeholders.

Name

Hadithi Crafts

Legal name

Hadithi Crafts Support CBO

Website

https://hadithikenya.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hadithi Crafts is a Kenya-based community-based organization producing wholesale handmade sisal baskets, Maasai beadwork, palm products, and conservation crafts through 1,900 female artisans in 65 women's groups in the Tsavo region, selling to gift shops, homeware retailers, and ethical-fashion brands globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handmade Artisan Crafts

NAICS

Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423920), Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (33991), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960), Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail (CRALACAE), Handmade/Craft Fashion Jewelry (Beaded/Wire/Woven) (CRAKABAD)

Keywords

• Handmade sisal baskets
• Artisan beadwork crafts
• Fair trade wholesale
• African handmade crafts
• Ethical handcraft supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Voi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: B2B wholesale sales of handmade crafts (sisal baskets, beadwork, sewn animals, palm products) to retailers and gift shops globally. Products sold per size and color group; unique artisanal products require photo approval before shipping. Revenue is FOB from Kenya, denominated in USD for international customers.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Retail: Individual product sales through own online store at hadithiline.com, selling unique handcrafted items to end consumers.
3. Donations and Grants: Donations to Hadithi Crafts Support CBO support artisan training, group coordination, and operational costs. Grants from partners like Everland, Solid Crafts, Rukinga Ranch, and Cigna support specific projects including dye center, youth training, and health programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hadithi Crafts produces and sells handmade handicrafts from Kenya's Tsavo region through a network of 1,900+ female artisans. The product range includes sisal baskets (practical and fineweave), Maasai beadwork, palm products, sewn safari animals, leather-finished baskets, and conservation-themed items such as elephant poo paper postcards and snare keychains. Sales are primarily wholesale to gift shops and homeware retailers globally, with additional direct-to-consumer retail via the Hadithi Line e-commerce store.

Product overview

Hadithi Crafts is a wholesale and retail handicraft business offering handcrafted products from over 1,900 artisans organized in 65 women's groups in the Tsavo region of Kenya. The product portfolio centers on five core categories: (1) Sisal Baskets available in two weave styles - Practical Sisal Baskets (durable, medium-thick twine) and Fineweave Sisal Baskets (luxury, ultra-thin twine); (2) Maasai Beadwork including bracelets, earrings, keychains, and dog collars; (3) Palm Products including Mkeka shopping baskets, palm hats, and sun bags; (4) Conservation Collection featuring Elephant Poo Paper Postcards, Snare Keychains (from poacher snares), and Basket Soap; and (5) Sewn Safari Animals made by disabled artisans. Additional offerings include Leather and Sisal Baskets (fineweave baskets finished with goat leather), Fineweave Placemats, and Custom Orders with MOQ 50 pieces. The company operates a retail outlet (Hadithi Line) alongside wholesale distribution through international partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maasai Beadwork Traditional Maasai beadwork including bracelets, earrings, keychains, dog collars, and animal magnets made with Czech beads by Maasai women artisans. Certified through NEST Ethical Handcraft program in January 2025.
• Practical Sisal Baskets Sturdy baskets made from medium-thick sisal twine (Agave Sisalensis) with tight weave. More durable and shape-retaining than fineweave baskets, ideal for home use. Sizes range from XX-Small (7x7 inches) to XL (13x13 inches).
• Fineweave Sisal Baskets Luxury baskets woven with extra-thin handrolled sisal twine (less than 2mm) by traditional Taita weavers. Lighter weight with higher knot density per inch. Sizes range from XX-Small (3 inch) to Large (11 inch).
• Palm Baskets (Mkeka) Light but strong shopping and laundry baskets woven from indigenous Magangachi palm leaves by Duruma women of Kajire region. Finished with fabric, leather, or beads.
• Leather and Sisal Baskets Fineweave sisal baskets finished with goat leather, tanned and crafted by youth artisans at Buguta village. Includes clutches, zip pouches, and baby bags in various sizes and color groups.
• Fineweave Placemats Woven placemats made by Taita artisans using the same technique as fineweave basket bottoms. Available in Large (12 inch diameter) and X-Large (14 inch diameter) pairs.
• Sewn Safari Animals Wildlife plush toys made from cotton Khanga fabric by Buguta Disabled Group. Includes elephants, giraffes, lions, sharks, dolphins, turtles, hippos, rhinos, and aardvarks in sizes XS, M, and L.
• Elephant Poo Paper Postcards Handmade postcards produced from recycled elephant dung collected in Tsavo area by Neema Women's Group. Features fingerprint art designs of elephants and giraffes.
• Snare Keychains Keychains and metal decorations made from poacher snares collected by Wildlife Works rangers during patrols. Wire is cut and coiled into beads by Maasai artisans at Hadithi HQ.
• Basket Soap (Organic Soap in Basket) 100-gram organic soap discs from Wildlife Works Tsabuni soap factory, poured into woven sisal basket packaging made by Buguta Disabled Group.
• Palm Products Palm-based products including palm tissue boxes, palm sun bags, palm shoppers, and palm hats made from Magangachi palm leaves.
• Custom Orders Bespoke basket and beadwork designs created to client specifications. Includes custom branding with leather embossing. MOQ 50 pieces per style for production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million in direct artisan income generated since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major, core and foundational.

• Kujuwa InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to develop 4 modules on female health topics relevant to community members and their families. Collaborated on SRH training program in 2023-2024.
• Ethical Fashion Initiative (MIMCO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration in 2020 to create natural sisal baskets for Australian fashion brand MIMCO. Produced making-of video showcasing women groups, work, and impact.
• Love Is ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership since October 2018 for custom beadwork orders. Collaboration on fashionable competitive beadwork designs with creative volunteers from the fashion industry.
• Solid CraftscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Primary distributor for Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and Luxembourg since 2017. Solid Crafts contributes substantial yearly donations (10,000 USD/year) supporting training programs including basket weaving, beadwork, design, budgeting, and chicken rearing. Also one of main wholesale customers.
• Wildlife WorksfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Foundational partner providing logistical assistance and capacity building from 2014-2024. Wildlife Works provides vital logistical support to Hadithi Crafts Support CBO and created the ecosystem that enabled Hadithi to establish operations. Their carbon revenue funds community development projects including schools and water catchments.
• NESTfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit bringing greater awareness and opportunity to global artisans. Hadithi Crafts certified through Nest's Ethical Handcraft program in January 2025, meeting highest standards for ethical production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Indigo Fair: B2B wholesale platform and trade show organizer connecting ethical brands and artisan cooperatives with retail buyers. Adjacent comparable: Hadithi could use Indigo Fair as an additional B2B distribution channel given its trade show participation and ethical certification.

Direct peers

• MADE Trade: Certified fair trade retailer and wholesaler of ethically sourced home goods, jewelry, and accessories. Comparable in ethical sourcing narrative, basket/jewelry category, and B2B + DTC channel mix.
• NOVICA: Online marketplace for handcrafted goods from artisans worldwide, with significant African artisan selection. Closely comparable in fair-trade positioning, artisan storytelling model, and direct global retail/DTC distribution.
• Ten Thousand Villages: Fair trade retailer/wholesaler of handcrafted home goods and gifts from artisan groups in developing countries. Directly comparable in fair-trade certification emphasis, basket and home decor assortment, and gift-shop wholesale channel.
• The Little Market: Fair trade nonprofit marketplace featuring handmade goods from artisans in underserved communities worldwide. Comparable in artisan storytelling, fair-trade positioning, basket and home goods assortment, and nonprofit/social-enterprise structure.
• Kazi: Fair trade wholesale and DTC brand selling handcrafted goods (baskets, tableware, decor) made by East African artisans. Directly comparable in geography (East Africa), product category (sisal baskets, woven home goods), and wholesale model.
• Swahili African Imports: Wholesale and retail distributor of African handmade home goods, baskets, and decor. Directly comparable in product category (sisal/palm baskets, beadwork), wholesale GTM, and buyer segment (gift shops and homeware retailers globally).

Emerging players

• Mayamiko: Ethical accessories and home goods brand producing handmade items in Malawi. Comparable in artisan-made positioning, ethical certification emphasis, and overlap with fashion/accessory wholesale buyers.
• GlobeIn: Fair trade artisan subscription and marketplace featuring handcrafted goods from global artisan cooperatives. Comparable in artisan storytelling model and ethical/handmade positioning, with overlap on basket and home goods.

Broad incumbents

• Africa Imports: Long-established wholesale distributor of African imported goods including baskets, beadwork, and home decor. Comparable broad-incumbent peer offering a wider assortment across price points and product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0Aqg2IHOg3cYmFfKt_Qk2g
• Instagraminstagram.com/hadithi_crafts
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hadithi.Kenya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hadithi-crafts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Hadithi Crafts