WHIP MUSIC JOINS UNCTAD’S ETRADE FOR WOMEN INITIATIVE TO AMPLIFY AFRICA’S CREATIVE VOICE

Nationalglint November 9, 2025 in Entertainment, Home - 2 Minutes

GRAMMY-Recognized Founder Melissa Kariuki to Champion Digital Policy Reforms Enabling Africa’s $58.4 Billion Creative Sector in Global Trade

Nationalglint

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – November 5, 2025 – Whip Music, a music-tech company founded by Melissa Kariuki—who was recently recognized among the GRAMMYs’ 13 Women Shaping African Music (2025)—has been selected to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) flagship initiative, eTrade for Women.

This major milestone places Whip Music among 353 women-led digital enterprises globally, highlighting Africa’s escalating influence in the creative and digital economies. It underscores a growing global recognition of women-founded tech ventures driving Africa’s role in international trade.

Advocacy for an Equitable Digital Economy

The eTrade for Women initiative aims to strengthen women digital entrepreneurs as influential voices in policy dialogues. For Whip Music, this appointment is a continuation of its advocacy work, which included representation at the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum last month.

Melissa Kariuki, Founder & CEO of Whip Music, emphasized the responsibility that comes with the selection:

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“For us, joining this network isn’t just an honour, it’s a responsibility. With the backing of the United Nations, Whip Music will actively amplify its voice in policymaking spaces to ensure women and creatives are included in shaping a more equitable digital economy.”

Kariuki noted that many women running digital trade businesses across Africa are often “left out of the policy conversations” that define how global trade operates.

Unlocking Africa’s Creative Trade Potential

Whip Music’s core mission is to enable African creators to succeed globally through AI-driven marketing solutions and the advocacy for necessary digital policies and trade frameworks.

Africa’s creative economy is currently valued at US$58.4 billion, contributing about 4% of the continent’s GDP. However, it accounts for less than 0.3% of global creative exports. Analysts project that with the right infrastructure and policies, African creative exports could dramatically reach US$200 billion by 2030.

Kariuki views creativity as one of Africa’s “highest-potential commodities.” Whip Music’s membership in eTrade for Women ensures that Africa’s creative entrepreneurs have a seat at the table to shape the policies that will realize this vision for sustainable success.