LocationsAkhada Baskets scales twelvefold and takes Malawian craft to four countries
July 9, 2026
Akhada works with over 70 seasonal weavers, mostly women.
In Salima District, Akhada Baskets is showing that an eco-basket can carry more than household items. It can carry income, dignity, export potential, cultural preservation and women’s economic participation.
Founded in 2018 by Ms. Tisungane Thomson, Akhada Baskets began with a simple but powerful observation: Malawi’s traditional weaving skills had beauty, functionality and market value, but many artisans lacked access to stable markets. What started as a response to one artisan’s struggle to sell beautifully woven baskets has grown into a women-founded enterprise linking local craftsmanship to customers beyond Malawi.
Thomson recalls: “I was working and living in Salima when one day I met a local weaver who was trying to sell me his products. He complained about how they had to move around the town only to sell a single basket at the end of the day.”
Today, Akhada Baskets produces handcrafted baskets, wall art and furniture using locally sourced, eco-friendly materials. The business positions its products as sustainable alternatives to plastic, while preserving traditional weaving techniques and creating practical income opportunities for local artisans.
The company has grown significantly after participating in Growth Accelerator Cohort 6 in 2024. Its annual revenue increased from MWK 5 million to MWK 60 million, a twelvefold rise. For a business rooted in community craft, this growth demonstrates how targeted investment, mentorship and market access can turn local production into a scalable enterprise.
Miss Tisungane Thomson founded in 2018.
Akhada Baskets now employs 25 permanent staff, 11 of whom are female and 23 of whom are youth.
With a US$40,000 grant, Akhada Baskets constructed an onsite workshop, purchased a van, acquired a laptop and established a website. The workshop eliminated rental costs and created structured production and storage space, while the van helped address long-standing logistics challenges. The website now enables direct international orders, strengthening the company’s digital visibility and access to wider markets.
The impact is being felt beyond the business itself. Akhada Baskets now employs 25 permanent staff, 11 of whom are female and 23 of whom are youth. It also works with over 70 seasonal weavers, mostly women, who produce baskets on a piecework basis from their homes. This model allows mothers and caregivers to earn income while remaining close to their households and children.
Community members also supply raw materials locally, injecting cash into the local economy and creating value along the supply chain. In this way, the enterprise is not only selling baskets. It is sustaining skills, supporting families, and strengthening community-based production.
Akhada’s products are now purchased by customers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the Netherlands.
For Akhada Baskets, sustainability is not only about materials. It is about building a business model that values people, culture and the environment. The company’s work supports fairer income opportunities for artisans, promotes the use of renewable and biodegradable materials, and keeps Malawi’s weaving heritage alive in modern homes and markets.
Akhada Baskets is a strong example of how women-led enterprises can move from local craft to international markets when investment is paired with mentorship, infrastructure and digital visibility.
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