Swaady martin leke biography of albert

"I tend to create products that I love and tea is my favorite beverage.

Many struggle to break into the export market, which is often girded in red-tape, forcing the young farmers to sell their produce for a song to unscrupulous middlemen known as “makoronyera” in Zimbabwean colloquialism.

But luckily, most young farmers are tech-savvy and they have embraced technology to connect their produce with the right market in a costless way.

“Markets have improved , especially because of the efficiency of our systems in horticultural products for example.”, Madudike explained.
“Digitalisation has also brought about a lot of revolution in terms of marketing of our produce and access to markets”.

With an estimated 60% of Africa’s population being under the age of 25, Africa in general is a young continent, the youngest in the world.

We call it the LUXE UBUNTU.

However, her passion for showcasing Africa’s richness beyond raw materials led her to entrepreneurship. She believes that with Africa’s thousands of years of history and know-how, Africans can do more than producing “crafts” and “ethnic” goods.

Swaady’s mission was clear: to create a 100% African-owned luxury brand that sources directly from African farmers, ensuring fair trade and sustainable practices.

Only that, this time around, it’s economic liberation.

Swaady Martin: Elevating African Luxury Through Conscious Entrepreneurship

A pioneering entrepreneur, Swaady Martin is redefining African luxury with a vision rooted in sustainability, cultural heritage, and mindfulness. At GE, she held leadership positions in several divisions across the world with her most recent posting as GE Transportation’s Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and acting-CEO for GE South Africa Technologies.

Swaady is part of a generation of Africans who has succeeded in Fortune 500 companies and who has decided to use all their valuable knowledge and expertise to help develop African companies.

As a former General Electric (GE) executive, she held leadership positions across multiple African markets, gaining invaluable business acumen. It is a key sector with the potential to single-handedly turn around the fortunes of Africa’s 1 billion citizens.

In commemoration of Africa Day, My Afrika Magazine casts the spotlight on the continent’s young luminaries doing great in the field of agriculture and allied enterprise.

Swaady Martin-Leke, is one of Africa’s young female agro-entrepreneurs who are serving as proof that agriculture and value addition can be the key to unlock Africa’s potential to realise the African Dream.

Swaady, originally from Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa, is the founder and force behind YSWARA, an African inspired luxury brand with a global market, housed under the SWAADY Group.
Based in South Africa, Yswara specialises in fine tea, whose flavours are curated with artisanal finesse and dexterity.

Described as a “social enterprise that seeks to transform African agricultural commodities”, Yswara was born out of the need to keep the value of those commodities within the economy of the motherland and directly contribute to employment opportunities down the long production chain.

Africa is the third biggest producer of tea in the world, but ironically, the bigger chunk of the product’s value is lost to overseas as most of the tea is exported in raw form.

On the export auction market, where the bulk of Africa’s tea is sold, a kilogram fetches between $1 to $2.50.

With over two decades experience in the corporate world, Swaady has been a recipient of many prestigious accolades in recognition of her hardwork and innovation.

Finding the right markets that pay the right money for agri-products is also one of the biggest challenges faced by young farmers in Africa.

My parents nurtured a strong sense of consciousness and responsibility to make the world a better place, starting from within”, Swaady says.

An experienced tastemaker, Swaady exclusively creates Yswara’s signature blends herself. She is the founder of Tales of Tea, a platform that explores mindfulness and conscious living through storytelling.

She has her name on Oprah Winfrey’s “O Power List” for Africa, was named one of the “20 youngest power women in Africa” by Forbes, among other many laurels she carries on her head.

“I was born in a family of change-makers. She envisioned a brand that would not only bring African luxury to the forefront but also redefine how the world perceives African-made products.

Founded in 2012, Yswara is more than a tea brand—it is a movement celebrating Africa’s craftsmanship and agricultural wealth.

Hence there’s a need for more global African authentic luxury brands."