Subira Zingizi, through her company Nala Foods Africa Limited, processes coconuts into oil and other products, creating jobs for women in Kenya's coastal region.
Subira Zingizi, aged 37 and a graduate of Kenyatta University, left her banking job after more than 10 years to start processing coconuts. She began operations informally in 2019 and registered the company formally in 2022 after receiving Sh50,000 in funding.
The company received support from the Investing in Women in the Blue Economy – Kenya programme implemented by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund. This enabled purchase of modern machines, increasing production from 20 to 50 litres per month to at least 200 litres monthly.
Nala Foods Africa Limited now employs between 12 and 15 women during production and buys coconuts from farmers in Kwale and nearby areas. About 20 per cent of its output is sold abroad, mainly to Tanzania.