Sustainability and going green are new trends and they are not about to disappear. Their relevance in the fashion industry cannot be overemphasized, given that fashion is a major source of pollution all around the world. In a time where fashion is viewed as a factor contributing to the climate crisis, young innovators are promoting sustainability in Africa’s fashion industry. This week, we would like to introduce you to a business that has taken sustainability a step further by converting pineapple waste into trendy shoes. Here is the story of Pine Kazi, the winners of Fashionomics Africa's first contest!

The contest was launched in December 2020 by the African Development Bank’s Fashionomics Africa initiative in collaboration with Parsons School of Design, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘Make Fashion Circular’ initiative. The contest looked for African fashion brands that will change the ways we produce, buy, use and recycle fashion and encourage a more sustainable change in consumer behaviour.

Pine Kazi is a new and innovative social business venture focused on converting previously discarded pineapple waste into eco-friendly fashion products such as shoes and bags which are sold to eco-conscious millennials around the world. The business was founded by three passionate entrepreneurs in Kenya on August 28th, 2019. Their mission? To change the world by offering a sustainable approach to fashion. 

Upon founding Pine Kazi, Olivia Okinyi, Angela Musyoka and Mike Langa identified two major problems in their community: a lack of jobs for unemployed youth, and a lot of pineapple waste that was being thrown away or burnt. Pine Kazi decided to use its passion for social entrepreneurship to establish a brand that would create a positive impact on the environment and ensure opportunities the community would benefit from. As such, Pine Kazi’s target market is eco-conscious millennials aged 18-35 years old – in other words, people who value sustainability as an important fashion choice.

Fashionomics Africa contest’s most sustainable and innovative design

Sustainability and the green economy are embedded at the core of everything Pine Kazi does. Its operations are aligned with the global shift towards a greener economy and targeted at consumers embracing sustainable brands. Pine Kazi is proud to be positively influencing and changing purchasing behaviors. While many entrepreneurs shy away from the green economy, sustainability is definitely increasing Pine Kazi’s profits, even if it is not ultimately the most important aspect of this brand. This radical green business brand is fiercely committed to social impact because there is no blueprint for it. 

Although Pine Kazi relies heavily on social impact, the brand’s business model is scalable not only on the African continent, but around the world. The company noted that it can easily diversify its product offering, due to the versatility of its material, which allows the business model to reach market segments other than fashion. A key characteristic of the Pine Kazi team is its hunger for learning – it has been a driving factor behind the growth of their business. The team believes that learning is a continuous process that never stops. Consequently, they have derived lessons from every step they have taken on their fashion journey. Whether it was textile research, the weaving and dyeing process, sketching and pattern making – all these processes gave them key insights into their business. 

Despite having made huge strides as a brand, Pine Kazi acknowledges that building a successful business is a journey full of ups and downs. “There are a lot of challenges especially when starting out. You require a lot of discipline, practice, planning and perseverance. As an entrepreneur you need to be aggressive because in this world you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate for. It is important to communicate your essence regardless of whether people agree or not,” Pine Kazi co-founder Olivia Okinyi told Fashionomics Africa. 

A major challenge the business is facing right now, is access to finance in terms of raising working capital. Due to the state of Africa’s financial landscape, it is quite difficult to raise investment. Working capital is a key aspect of the business as it is capital intensive. In order to scale up, the brand needs to set up a centralized production center – which is near to impossible without the needed funds. Accessing relevant experts in the sustainability industry is yet another challenge Pine Kazi faces. As the sustainability movement is still growing and there is a lot of research to be done before producing prototypes, there is a crucial need for expert advice in this regard. According to the brand’s founders, in Kenya, research institutes are hard to find and not fully equipped, so businesses often have to fend for themselves, which can be challenging.

From left to right are Mike Langa, Angela Musyoka and Olivia Okinyi holding the competition’s certificate

To overcome these challenges, Pine Kazi notes that it will definitely require a more inclusive investment platform from stakeholders around the world. “The investment environment needs to be more accommodating to startups operating within the circular economy”, says Olivia. The team believes that renowned organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with the government and relevant stakeholders within different countries, should facilitate proper research centers with highly skilled experts to assist startups with innovative solutions within the circular economy space. As a business, Pine Kazi has indicated that it will require support from experts within the fashion and circular economy industry to assist with some of the challenges the brand is facing in regards to research and development.  

As part of the Fashionomics Africa competition, the Kenyan brand received a $2,000 cash prize and mentoring and networking opportunities from Parsons School of Design, United Nations Environment Programme, and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They are also having access to a network of media insiders and industry experts, and the possibility to attend online events to share insights on key sustainability challenges facing the industry.

Pine Kazi’s Views on the African Fashion Industry and Sustainability

“Though the fashion industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, it remains the second largest polluter of the environment. In terms of sustainability the fashion industry has a long way to go. Soon, brands will be forced to produce sustainable products and adopt sustainable production processes. Many brands within the fashion industry claim to be sustainable, however they don’t fully understand what it means to be a sustainable brand. Sustainability is not just about developing eco-friendly products. It also has a lot to do with the production process. Brands within the fashion industry need to be more transparent about their production processes and the raw materials that go into it. This is the only way the fashion industry will make strides towards the goal of sustainability.” 

In what are you investing your financial reward from the contest?

“We will invest the financial reward into developing production machinery which will help us automate our production process.” 

How is the technical assistance from the partners going?

“The technical assistance from all the partners has been great and really helpful. We have had virtual meetings with representatives from UNEP, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Parsons School of Design. The advice given and the interactions shared have given us a lot of insights into opportunities existing within the sustainable fashion industry.” 

To learn more about Pine Kazi and to view its products, visit www.pinekazi.com