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Ciku Kimeria is a Kenyan author "Of goats and poisoned oranges" - (https://www.amazon.com/goats-poisoned-oranges-Ciku-Kimeria-ebook/dp/B00HBBWPI6), development consultant, adventurer and travel blogger (www.thekenyanexplorer.com). She writes both fiction and non-fiction focusing on African stories that need telling. She has worked on diverse pieces for various international and local publications including Quartz, Ozy, The East African etc. She has travelled to 45 countries – 16 of them in Africa. 153 countries to go and 63 territories!
"Of goats and poisoned oranges" has been extremely well received in Kenya and beyond. It tells the story of a Kenyan middle aged power couple and their complicated marriage. The novel explores issues of greed, revenge, betrayal and murder. It runs from the 1960s to 2013. It has been described as “Wicked, funny, poignant, wacky, human, a big ball of fun and danger”, “A unique and captivating book”, “Fun and intriguing”, “Impossible to put down once you start reading.”
She recently moved to Dakar, Senegal from Kenya to work on her second novel. She also works at as the Africa Communication Manager at a leading global strategy consulting firm.
She holds a B.S. in Management Science from MIT with minors in Urban Planning and International development studies.
Social Media Pushes African Fashion Globally
It's an exciting time for African designers as social media is allowing them to expand beyond their borders and target markets they might not ordinarily reach through traditional means.
Instagram alone provides a potential customer base of 1 billion, with 500 million daily users. The scrolling thumbs may not be as intentional as foot traffic to a physical store, but it has brought a global reach to African fashion retailers that was unimaginable just a few years ago. Instagram, in particular, has proven to bring higher engagement than Facebook and Twitter.
Combined with WhatsApp's popularity on the continent — as the most used messaging platform — new distribution channels have opened up for African designers. WhatsApp is used as a medium to build trust between the buyer and seller. While it does not have an actual transaction platform, the fact that it's easier to use and access than formal transaction platforms has led to WhatsApp creating such a platform to seize this opportunity. This combined force of Instagram and WhatsApp (with a transaction platform) will allow sellers to manage their customers at minimal cost.
There have been successes of this model and the trend is expected to continue.
Acorn’s Quaint Attic is very much national and international, thanks largely to Instagram ... She began selling clothes after friends commented on her personal style. At first she advertised on her personal Facebook page, but as the business grew, she began using Instagram as a broader platform, branded to the boutique. She began with a few simple hashtags to grow her presence and today her main customer base is in South Africa’s main cities. She’s incorporated WhatsApp, simply by adding her number to the account’s bio, to facilitate sizes or field enquiries about size in something of a virtual fitting, and facilitate the transfer of payment.
In a continent of entrepreneurs, social media is opening up even more opportunities for African products to reach the world.
