Whip Music, a Johannesburg-based music-tech company founded by Melissa Kariuki, has been selected to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) initiative, eTrade for Women, becoming one of only a handful of African companies recognised for advancing inclusive digital trade.
The inclusion places Whip Music among 353 women-led digital enterprises from 69 countries, highlighting Africa’s rising profile in the global creative and digital economy. The appointment also marks another milestone for women-founded ventures at the intersection of technology, creativity, and global trade.
“There are so many women running digital trade businesses across Africa; many without realising that what they do every day is part of global trade,” said Kariuki, Whip Music’s Founder and CEO. “Yet, too often, women are left out of the policy conversations that define how that trade works. For us, joining this network isn’t just an honour—it’s a responsibility.”
Kariuki, who was recently recognised among the GRAMMYs’ “13 Women Shaping African Music (2025)”, said Whip Music will use its membership to amplify advocacy for fairer digital policies that enable creators and women entrepreneurs to participate fully in shaping a more equitable digital economy.
The eTrade for Women programme, supported by the governments of Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, aims to strengthen the role of women digital entrepreneurs as influential voices in policymaking at local and global levels.
Whip Music’s selection follows Kariuki’s recent participation at the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum in Geneva, where she spoke on how the creative economy can drive global trade and economic diversification. The company’s inclusion in UNCTAD’s network reflects its growing leadership in policy advocacy, digital innovation, and sustainable creative trade.
Founded to help African creators access global markets, Whip Music provides AI-driven marketing, music distribution, and audience analytics to artists across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, the US, UK, and Canada. Its platform helps artists promote their work, expand audiences, and monetise intellectual property across international markets.
Beyond technology, Whip Music’s mission is rooted in reshaping the narrative around Africa’s creative industries—from cultural expression to a core component of global trade. Africa’s creative economy is currently valued at $58.4 billion, contributing about 4% to the continent’s GDP, yet accounts for less than 0.3% of global creative exports. Analysts project that, with the right digital and trade policies, African creative exports could reach $200 billion by 2030.
“For too long, creativity has been seen purely as culture,” Kariuki added. “It’s one of Africa’s highest-potential commodities. With the right digital infrastructure and trade frameworks, African creators can reach global markets, scale new industries, and shape the future of digital trade.”
Whip Music’s recognition by UNCTAD underscores the growing global appreciation for Africa’s innovators who are redefining the intersections of creativity, technology, and trade. By joining eTrade for Women, the company gains a platform to influence digital trade policies and advocate for inclusive growth across Africa’s creative ecosystem.
