Nigeria’s Abisola Taking Africa’s Art and Craft Products Globally

Abisola Akindeinde, Co-Founder, and CEO of Zeldot.com  and one of the GoGettaz finalists is leveraging on technology to increase the market of art and craft products through the e-commerce platform.

She shares with us why through her platform, she can be able to bring Africa’s creative industries to the forefront for economic development on the continent.

Kindly tell us about yourself

My name is Abisola Akindeinde from Ogun state, Nigeria. A graduate of Art history and Art education from the University of Nigeria. I am also the Co-Founder of Zeldot.com.

Before Zeldot was found, what was your career line?

I was teaching. I was just teaching to just get money, but I didn’t like it at all. But after my national diploma, I went for Information Technology (IT) and I found a teaching job from there. I started teaching again.

Later, I developed an interest in kids because I was teaching primary school. With that, my eyes opened to so much that was embedded in kids when it comes to art.

Due to my passion to increase creativity and beauty in her society, Abisola also volunteers as an art educator at short-term programs and events.

Zeldot began November 2017 and it has an interesting strong behind it… (chuckles)

Tell me more about Zeldot

The idea behind Zeldot had been there a long time ago because when I was teaching, I saw many artists face a lot of difficulty in accessing the craft materials and tools needed for my creative interest back in 2011.

I kept it in mind that I needed to find a solution for that. We needed to be more creative in with our artistic niche. I did not know what to do yet. I read a lot on the internet and I saw that the only solution to this was through an online solution where everyone could access a platform where they could access their materials and also sell becoming more productive.

That is how Zeldot was born. Zeldot is for everyone offering products with high aesthetic value, therefore by “art” and “craft”, we refer to products that possess an artistic essence.

Our mission is to drive the art and craft industry in Africa toward sustainable growth and development.

What was the most challenging thing when setting up?

It was getting the merchants to believe in the platform. It wasn’t easy especially the business owners with art stores. They couldn’t provide that space for bringing their business online…which I initially thought it could be easy.

They didn’t even want to know, they believed in their offline business. I persistent by creating awareness that comes online, scale up your business, make more income, it couldn’t work.

When went back to the drawing board to strategise something else. When I went back, I just told them to allow me to take the pictures of their artifacts. We open a portal for you, we market your product and when we get an order we call you. It was a double cost for us.

However, we are yet to make a return on the investment.

How has been your journey with Kwese Gogettaz entrepreneurship competition?

It has been an exciting journey, an eye-opener to the entrepreneurial world and they have made me (us) do a lot of things like doing our business plans, going out there to face your potential clients and target market and at the same time pitch your business as you seek for funding.

What are your plans for the Future?

At Zeldot, if we get the investment price of $ 200,000 we are going to be able to get an office space where customers will believe in us more.

We shall also use part of the money to upgrade the platform into an app that is easily accessible to all. Further, it is to build an online marketplace that uses virtual reality.

Finally, the creation of partnerships from within Nigeria and outside its borders that will spur an interest in the arts and craft in the country. This is because we do not have statistics in Nigeria to help people learn more about art.

What is your parting shot to many entrepreneurs out there?

The first lesson is you need to love what you do. If you do not you will be pulled down by the many challenges that come your way.

Secondly, you should also have mentors that you read their stories. If you don’t read their stories then you will be pulled down. Every time I get pulled down I read Strive Masiyiwa’s story among others.

Take every opportunity that comes your way.

The Gogettaz competition offers an investment prize of $200,000 to two lucky entrepreneurial ventures from anywhere in the world comprising of both the profit and non-profit ventures.

The two lucky winners’ one male and one female, will further get a two week mentorship program by Strive Masiyiwa himself in a program known as the “Kwesé Entrepreneur Fellows”.

The 12 finalists come from Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Read: Kenyan Among Kwese GoGettaz Entrepreneurship Competition Finalist