From Fruit to Footwear: Meet the Kenyans Turning Pineapple Waste into Shoes and Handbags.

Pine Kazi is a Kenyan company founded by three Africa Nazarene University alumni: Olivia Awuor, Mike Langat, and Angela Musyoka.

Olivia Awuor serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the company, which focuses on creating eco-friendly shoes from pineapple waste. Founded in 2019, the company collaborates with unemployed youth, contracting them to collect discarded pineapple waste from farms and transport it to the production center.

At the production center, the waste is sorted and manufactured into a sustainable pineapple textile, which is then transformed into various products, including eco-friendly shoes.

What Inspired the Creation of Pine Kazi?

The idea to start Pine Kazi came to the trio after visiting a pineapple farm in Thika, where they saw huge piles of waste. This prompted them to explore ideas for possible ventures. Initially, they created bags but later shifted to making shoes, leveraging their collective creative strengths.

Who Does What?

The founders have assigned themselves roles in the organization based on their strengths. Mike Langat, the numbers person, is in charge of finance operations, while Angela Musyoka oversees marketing operations. Olivia Awuor, as CEO, handles the executive functions of the business.

Awards and Recognition

Their innovative efforts have earned them several accolades, including winning the 2021 Fashionomics Africa contest, the Hult Prize at the 2023 Nairobi Summit, and the 2019 Amman Prize for regional winners, among others.

Pine Kazi aims to expand into an international brand that not only creates employment for the youth in Kenya but also across the continent. The company hopes to leverage technology to expand the scope of its products, taking advantage of the abundant pineapple waste available.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.