Mali

Gama Conseil is a training center from pre-school to university in Mali.  It includes 12 establishments, including 3 universities (under the brand ESCAE), 3 high schools, 3 technical and vocational training schools and 3 basic schools.  Gama Conseils establishments have served more than 2,800 pupils and learners in the towns of Bamako, Dioïla, Ségou and Sikasso.

The entrepreneur

Gama Conseils was founded by Gaoussou Marico, a chartered accountant with a doctorate in economics. With over 25 years' professional experience in the banking sector and higher education in Mali, he worked as Administrative and Financial Director and Deputy General Manager of Banque Atlantique Mali before joining Compagnie Financière d'Afrique (COFINA) as Deputy General Manager in 2016.

In January 2023, he decided to devote himself fully to his company Gama Conseils, which he founded in 2014.

Partnership with Zira Capital

Gama Conseil is supported by Zira Capital through a capital investment whose objectives are to :

• Support the modernization of equipment at vocational training schools, upgrade training offerings at universities and contribute to the expansion of the university network nationwide.
• Strengthen the accounting and financial function
• Establish a governance policy
• Strengthen the system for monitoring students and learners

Expected impacts

• Consolidation de 70 emplois permanents et de 263 emplois non permanents
• Contribution à l'employabilité des jeunes et femmes
• Formalisation de la gouvernance

Founded in 2019 by Karim Ghammache, Mali Shi is Mali's first industrial shea butter processor. The company produces high-quality shea butter for the international market as a sustainable and environmentally friendly substitute for cocoa butter.

Mali Shi uses two different supply chains: in the traditional supply chain, the company buys shea from local suppliers and partners. It also buys directly from women collectors, thereby improving the incomes of rural women.  Mali Shi prioritizes direct purchases from women collectors through its own network, which is the main source of supply.

The entrepreneur

A Lebanese-Malian entrepreneur, Karim Ghammache grew up in Mali, and moved to France to complete his secondary education. He pursued his studies in finance in Canada, at HEC Montréal and McGill University, before joining the family business in Mali after completing his degree.

He joined the management of two startups launched by his family: Diago Mineral Water and Omnium, and took part in their restructuring and turnaround after difficult beginnings. In 2019, he acquired Omnium Mali, turning it into one of the most technically advanced factories in Africa.

Building on this successful experience with Omnium Mali, in 2011 he launched Omnium Invest, an investment company that creates and deploys startups run by autonomous management teams. Through this structure, he steers Mali Shi.

Partnership with I&P

Mali Shi is supported by I&P through the I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 2 (IPAE 2) fund. The funds raised will be used to :

• Strengthen the company's WCR ;
• Strengthen its capacity to raise seasonal credit;
• Increase the production capacity of the facility.

Expected Impact

• Local processing of shea kernels, creating value and limiting exports of raw materials;
• Improved conditions for women in rural areas;
• Strong job creation and skills transfer in the shea kernel processing industry;
• Structuring the shea kernel industry and improving the income of women's kernel-collecting cooperatives.

Mali Shi website : Click here

Fafa Pâtisserie specializes in the production and commercialization of pastry, viennoiserie and savory products in Mali.

The entrepreneur

Fafa Pâtisserie was founded by Fatoumata Cissé, a 34-year-old Malian woman who has been passionate about gastronomy since she was a child. She grew up in Bamako until she obtained her baccalaureate, then decided to fly to Canada, more precisely to Montreal, where she pursued her higher education. In 2015, Fatoumata returned to settle permanently in Mali. She then decided to devote herself entirely to her first passion, making various birthday cakes and other sweet delights in her own kitchen. Encouraged by the positive feedback from those around her, Fatoumata quickly realized the commercial potential of her culinary creations. So she began producing and marketing cakes, donuts and savory canapés.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Fafa Pâtisserie is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Accélération au Sahel program, an I&P initiative funded by the European Union. The aim of this partnership is to :

• Set up and fit out the patisserie's first physical point of sale, in order to have a physical boutique
• Increase sales to B2B customers through the implementation of an appropriate sales strategy 
• Support the company in structuring its key functions (HR, accounting, etc.)
• Increase the company's supply capacity and finance the acquisition of production equipment

Rock is a Malian company specializing in the production of industrial slabs and pavers for indoor and outdoor paving.

The entrepreneur

Rock was founded in 2019 by Mohamed Arbi, a 30-year-old Malian entrepreneur with a solid knowledge of the building and civil engineering sector, who was quick to understand customers' expectations in terms of industrial slabs and pavers. He embodies the vision and determination of Mali's younger generation of entrepreneurs.

Partnership with Zira Capital

Rock is supported by I&P and Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The aim of this partnership is to :

• Increase production capacity by fully industrializing the production process and reducing lead times
• Increase sales to B2B customers through the implementation of an adapted sales strategy
• Support the company in structuring its key functions (HR, accounting, etc.)
• Equip the company with an accounting management system and an administrative procedures manual

Sanuva is a company specialized in the collection, sorting and recycling of waste in Mali. The company also offers training and awareness workshops as part of the Social and Environmental Responsibility of Malian SMEs.

The entrepreneurs

Sanuva was created in 2019 by three young Malians trained in France and Mali, Mahamadoun A. Traoré, Moussa Coulibaly and Bamory Coulibaly who came together around their common vision to participate in the sanitation and sustainable development of Mali.

Objet du financement

Sanuva is supported by Zira Capital and I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The main objective of this partnership is to :

• Develop the recycling unit (work on the unit, installation of a water point, purchase of fire extinguishers) 
• Increase the collection and production capacity through the acquisition of new production equipment and a dump truck
• Strengthen the team with new hires and reinforce occupational health and safety (OHS) standards 
• Organize the key functions (accounting, operational and commercial) of the company through technical assistance 

Expected impacts

• Strengthen the accountability function and increase sales
• Maintenance of existing jobs and creation of 6 new jobs (including 3 day laborers)
• Reorganization of production and reduction of energy consumption in the medium term 
• Compliance with fire standards and reinforcement of health and safety measures

Afrisends is a company specialized in the shipment of products (purchase of goods, logistics, customs, and last mile delivery) from the rest of the world to Mali.

The entrepreneur

Afrisend was created and managed by Zeinabou Sidibé, a French-Malian, who grew up in Bamako in a large entrepreneurial family. With a Master's degree in International Finance from the Ecole Supérieure de Gestion (ESG) in Paris in 2013 and a Master's degree specialized́ in audit and management control from SKEMA Business School in 2014, she worked at Deloitte et Associés as a junior and then senior auditor. In 2018, she joined PPG Industries in Paris as a business analyst and financial controller for West Africa to focus on her business in 2022.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Afrisends is supported by I&P and Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership aims to :

• Set up a new office and storage space
• Increase sales to B2B customers through the implementation of an adapted commercial strategy 
• Support the company in structuring its key functions (HR, accounting)
• Improve the platform and support  the company in obtaining the chartering certification

Expected impacts

• Strengthen the accountability and increase sales
• Maintenance of existing jobs and creation of 5 new jobs
• Development of the web platform with integration of new functionalities (order tracking system and security of user data)

Sutura (also know as 2AD) is a company producing and marketing sanitary pads in Bamako, Mali. The main mission of Sutura is to reduce the taboo around menstruation and to help teenagers and young girls to blossom during their menstrual cycle by offering them adapted and environmentally friendly sanitary pads.

The entrepreneurs

The company was created by Awa and Adam Drabo, two twin sisters who both completed internships at the National Laboratory of Mali and the Institute of Rural Economy of Mali (IER) before launching into entrepreneurship in 2019. Awa manages the production and the purchase of raw materials, the storage and the management of the relationship with the different suppliers. Adam handles the sales and marketing side and manages the brand's communication on the various social networks. 

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

2AD Company is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration program in Sahel. This partnership has mainly for objective to :

⇒ Improve the production tool and the quality of finished products

⇒ Increase sales to middle class customers through the implementation of an adapted commercial strategy

⇒ Support the company in strengthening the technical skills of human capital

⇒ Structure the organization and cost management through the implementation of internal procedures

Video report

In 2024, I&P produced a video report on the company and its impact:

Read more

Company's website

I&P's article on Sutura

An article on Sutura produced by the GIIN

DameGreen is a company specialized in the production and marketing of organic fertilizers in Mali.

The entrepreneur

This young company was founded in 2020 by Awa Dembélé an entrepreneur who is passionate about ecology and the environment. Awa held the positions of procurement manager and quality manager from 2018 to 2021 at Elephant Vert Mali, the national leader in organic fertilizer production. She also held the position of Project Assistant at the Institute of Rural Economy of Mali (IER) in 2017.

Partnership with I&P and Zira Capital

Damegreen is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The main objective of this partnership is to :

• Increase the production capacity and improve the quality of finished products through the acquisition of more efficient equipment
• Finance the purchase of raw materials and related supplies from local suppliers (manure, organic waste, packaging)
• Support the company in strengthening its brand identity
• Structure the company's organization through the implementation of internal procedures

IKALOOK, "your style" in Bambara, is a Malian company specialized in the confection of women's clothing and advocates ethical fashion.  It is the first Malian company to modernize the woven loincloth, a fabric obtained from the artisanal weaving of local cotton.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

IKALOOK was created in 2016 by Fatoumata Namissa Théra SOW, a young woman strongly committed to eco-responsible fashion. With several years of experience in design, this fashion enthusiast since her early childhood started her clothing business in 2013. She designs original models that she makes from wax, bazin and dampé fabrics, a traditional fabric popular in Mauritania, where her mother comes from.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P AND ZIRA CAPITAL

IKALOOK is supported by Zira Capital through I&P Acceleration program in Sahel.

The main objective of this partnership is to :

⇒ Increase the company's working capital by providing more raw materials and tools

⇒ Strengthen the team by hiring new staff and improving working conditions (formalization of employment, medical and social coverage)

⇒ Implementation of a communication and marketing strategy to boost sales

⇒ Technical assistance to formalize and structure the organization (e.g. implementation of internal procedures and internal accounting system)

⇒ Increase the supply capacity and quality of finished products

Karit'Or by Soreya is a Malian company created in 2020 and specialized in the production and marketing of cosmetic products made mainly from shea butter. This young company has one workshop and a warehouse located in Baco Djicoroni Golf, a district of Bamako.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The company was founded by Adam Soreya Sylla, a young Malian lady of 36 years old who is passionate about cosmetics. She is a lawyer by training and has succeeded in her conversion thanks to the training she received in Tunisia and Mali. Initially, she had started the production of cosmetic products in 2016 in an artisanal way.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

Karit'Or by Soreya is supported by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. 

 The support will allow the company to : 

• get a new warehouse
• set up production equipments
• buy raw materials and related supplies (vegetable oils, active cosmetics, packaging, labels)