There are 29 shops in East Africa. “So this is 100 per cent made in Kenya,” she said, showing samples to Madowo.
In the feature on African Changemakers, she remarked, “I recognize that we’ve gone a little further than other brands, but I still think there’s so much further to go.”
In Nairobi, the brand has about 450 employees, mostly women.
Speaking about her business expansion, Gichuru said: “We only had stores, and we weren’t producing ourselves, we didn’t need such a big team. When we started to produce locally, that is when the team really started to grow. And one of the things that I think we may not necessarily appreciate is how labor-intensive it is to make clothes. And as a continent that has as much unemployment and so much need for employment, this has become our mission. It is to see Africa dress ourselves.” Wandia’s vision is to have Africa dress the world. “What we want to see is African brands producing in Africa, creating the jobs that will produce the clothes that can be worn by us.”
“Yes, I want us to dress ourselves first and then dress the rest of the world. I mean, right now, if you go to—and I’ve traveled quite a lot around the world—most of what is being worn there is not made in the US. So, if they’re sourcing from the rest of the world, why not make Africa one of those destinations to source from?”
Explaining her move to the US, she cited her encounter at a US music festival with African American women.
“There was an experience a year before when we were invited to showcase at the Essence Festival. They would come to the booth and say, ‘What is your size range?'”
The African American women were impressed, and Wandia said that gave them the confidence to look more seriously at the US market.
“We get asked quite often, why Atlanta?” She mentioned the large presence of the Kenyan diaspora. She entered the US market in May 2024, where President William Ruto officially opened the store.
“Wandia Gichuru and her team present the best opportunity we have in Kenya. The products they are bringing in are made in Kenya by Kenyan talent, and they are now working in partnership with the Americans. This speaks to the partnership between Kenya and America, and it is the reason why I have undertaken this visit,” said President Ruto.
by MAUREEN WARUINGE
