About Swahili Coast

Swahili Coast is a North Carolina-based direct trade brand working in partnership with artisans in East Africa to handcraft sandals and accessories. All of our beadwork is done by our partner cooperative in Tanzania. The worker-owned cooperative operates on a model of total transparency, where all members of the co-op are part-owners of the business. We call this strategy "power over pity." The artisans we work with are our friends and partners, and it is a joy to work with them each day - tackling poverty with community-owned solutions. We focus on empowering our artisan partners rather than pitying them. Our partners are making a good wage and working hard to create a future for themselves and their families. Through Swahili Coast, we celebrate their talents.Read their story