Engineer Fatuma Ali, a petroleum and natural gas engineer from Kenya, has embarked on an ambitious journey to redefine sustainability in the global leather industry. Her story is a testament the power of indigenous knowledge and innovation. From her early years as a young environmentalist dedicated to cleaning beaches, to founding Sulha Africa, her path has been fueled by a desire to solve the waste crisis and champion sustainability in a way that honors African traditions.
“From a very young age, I remember when I was like nine, doing beach cleanups, but I always got so demoralized,” Fatuma recalls. “I figured that, hey, we still keep having more waste.” This realization set her on a path of discovery. Instead of simply lamenting the challenges, she chose to understand the root causes. “I decided to know your enemy to defeat your enemy and join the oil and gas industry.”
Bridging Oil, Gas, and Sustainability
After years of research, expertise, and consultations, Fatuma uncovered solutions to the environmental challenges posed by the oil and gas sector. “The oil and gas industry does so much good for our civilization as a community, as a species, but we also have to force the planet to pay a price for it,” she reflects. This duality inspired her to create alternatives, leading to the birth of Sulha Africa.
Sulha, meaning “African solution,” is not just a brand name—it is a philosophy. “As Africans, we don’t even have the word sustainability in our indigenous languages,” she explains. “It is what is expected, just the minimum. Sustainability is an African thing. It is an African solution.”
Fatuma’s vision for Sulha Africa is clear: to offer the world an authentic African solution to global challenges through the leather industry. Her approach is rooted in the idea of natural capital—leveraging livestock hides and fish skins, often discarded as waste, to create high-value leather products while reducing environmental harm.
Transforming Waste into Value
The foundation of Sulha Africa lies in its ingenious use of by-products from agriculture and fisheries. “Livestock hides and fish skins are generally waste,” Fatuma says. “In African culture, we traditionally ate the fish skin with the fish, which is very sustainable. Unfortunately, modern consumption trends favor fillets, creating a new waste stream.”
Through Sulha Africa, these by-products are transformed into leather bags, accessories, and shoes, providing a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based faux leather. “We take one waste, the rawhide skins, and combat another waste, the plastic-based leathers,” Fatuma explains. This dual focus not only reduces waste but also addresses the fast fashion industry’s reliance on environmentally harmful materials like polyurethane (PU) leather.
Empowering Marginalized Communities
Beyond environmental impact, Sulha Africa has a profound social mission. By integrating local artisans and marginalized communities into its production process, the company creates economic opportunities where they are needed most. “The leather value chain creates the most employment opportunities in the livestock and agricultural industries,” Fatuma notes.
One of Sulha Africa’s most significant initiatives is the documentation and preservation of indigenous African leather practices in Lamu, Kenya. “We’re actively working with marginalized communities like those in Siyu, the most economically marginalized village in Lamu County,” Fatuma shares. “Their ancestors, the Wangozi, had rich leather practices. These technologies, which predate any foreign civilization, are now at risk of extinction.”
Fatuma sees this project as an opportunity to honor and preserve African heritage while fostering innovation. “We’re documenting these practices and passing them on to the next generation. Some of these innovations are mind-boggling and deserve global recognition.”
Long before the arrival of foreign civilizations, the Swahili people of Lamu and Kenya’s coastal region, whose ancestors are known as the Wangozi (meaning “to skin”), practiced incredible innovations, particularly in leatherwork. The origin of the word “skin” itself may even trace back to this community, though it’s unclear whether the name came from the practice or vice versa—a true chicken-and-egg situation.
Unfortunately, much of the Swahili heritage is wrongly attributed to Arab influence, despite the fact that the indigenous Swahili were skilled traders with valuable traditions long before Arab contact. This misconception erases the rich history and contributions of the Swahili people.
In Lamu County, one of Kenya’s most economically marginalized regions, villages like Siyu exemplify this heritage. By engaging these communities to learn, protect, and preserve their practices, Fatima can ensure their traditions thrive and their innovations are recognized for generations to come.
Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Leather
Despite its success, Sulha Africa faces significant hurdles. Access to capital remains a persistent challenge. “I didn’t even have like my own pool of resources of capital. I literally had just whatever money that I had saved from university. I had like 300 US dollars that was my savings,” Fatuma reveals. “The vision that I have, even the line of business, working with contract production facilities, like the whole business model is very innovative and people in these spaces are like, yay, yay, innovation, but they’re still not as empowering towards innovation as they should be.”
However, Fatuma remains optimistic. Her business aligns closely with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate action, responsible consumption and production, and gender equality. “Most of our production facilities are women-owned and run,” she highlights. “For me, gender equality is not just business—it’s deeply personal and dear to me.”
“So going through a very male-dominated industry of pursuing such careers, which like literally would send shivers down the spine of the society that I’m from, like studying abroad, really broke a lot of gender barriers and it took a lot of energies, a lot of resources from our end, from myself to the whole family. I really had to do it for the next generation,” she recalls.
A Call to Action
Fatuma is not only building a brand but also challenging global narratives about African contributions to sustainability. “There is no better way than taking a page from the African culture,” she says. Her work highlights how blending ancient African practices with modern innovation can contribute to the global shift toward a circular economy.
For instance, in Lamu where Fatuma hails from, indigenous knowledge dictates sustainable mangrove harvesting practices, ensuring the forest’s longevity. “The community knows which mangrove to cut and when,” Fatuma explains. “It’s a practice that has allowed them to coexist with these forests for generations.”
Globally, mangroves are disappearing, but in Kenya, it’s illegal to cut mangrove trees—except in Lamu, where indigenous practices ensure sustainable coexistence. The people of Lamu possess unique knowledge, understanding when mangroves mature and emit chemicals that attract insects, endangering the forest. They know precisely which trees to cut to protect the ecosystem.
This traditional wisdom has been passed down for generations, teaching children how to coexist with the mangroves, the only forest on Lamu Island, and preserve it for the community’s survival.
Sulha Africa’s journey is far from over. Fatuma is actively seeking global partners to scale her impact. “We’d love to benchmark, share values, and exchange best practices,” she says. “Any financial or in-kind support would be of great value to us.”
A Global Perspective on Leather Sustainability
The leather industry’s environmental impact is significant, with over 90% of global leather production relying on chromium-based tanning—a process that pollutes waterways and poses health risks. A stark example is how rivers in Asia reflect seasonal fashion trends due to dye pollution—a troubling reminder of the environmental toll of the fashion industry. Sulha Africa, however, uses vegetable tanning methods, a more sustainable alternative.
Fatuma mission extends beyond Africa. She seeks to educate consumers on the hidden costs of cheap, fast fashion. “If something is too cheap, ask yourself who is paying the higher price—the planet, the people, or both?” she challenges.
The Future of Sulha Africa
For Fatuma, Sulha Africa is more than a business; it is a movement. “This is my love letter to the oil and gas industry,” she reflects. “You can thrive, but the planet doesn’t have to pay a huge price for it.”
By combining environmental advocacy, social entrepreneurship, and a deep respect for African heritage, Sulha Africa is setting a new standard for sustainability in the leather industry. Fatuma Ali’s story serves as an inspiration for the global community, reminding us that true innovation often begins with a simple idea and the courage to act.
As the world faces mounting environmental challenges, Sulha Africa stands as a beacon of hope, proving that sustainability is not just a global imperative but also a deeply African tradition.