JOYCE MBWETTE

Joyce Mbwette is the Managing Director of Footloose Tanzania Ltd. Footloose Ltd is handcraft trading company that purchases, produces, packages, and sells handicrafts made by small scale producers located in six regions of Tanzania. Footloose sells the bulk of their products overseas, with the approximately 75% of their sales being in Europe and the United States. The remaining 25% of their sales are in the local market. Established in 1999, the company has grown from an annual income of 50 million TSh in 2002 and 992 million TSh in 2008. The rapid growth of Footloose can largely be attributed to the increasing demand for African handcrafts, as well as the company’s own proactive stance in the marketing and promotion of their products. Both the AGOA and EBA have provided Footloose with opportunities to increase their sales in the US and Europe respectively. With the aid of SELFINA, however, Footloose was able to access working capital loans as well as leasing an industrial wood-cutting and refining machine in order to achieve new levels of professionalism. For a more detailed description of Joyce Mbwette’s successes click here.