About Us

What is our Big Why?

“The best way to reduce poverty is to create significant job opportunities suited for the poor. The best engine for doing that is small and mid-size enterprises, not micro-enterprises.”

- Aneel Karnani of the Ross School of Business at Michigan University in the US.

Our Story

Kushanda was born from our passion of wanting to create equality and end poverty already prevalent in Africa and worsened by Covid-19.During travels to Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Uganda during the first lockdowns, we were struck by the poverty being experienced by local people, in particular women. Lockdown stopped people selling their wares on street corners. The informal sector had gone down overnight. People were stuck at home without income and were literally starving.

We then discovered numbers of young people in Africa who were talent-rich but living in poverty. Many were bright graduates with experience and skills in a lot of key digital business areas, like marketing, social media management, creating databases, executive PA, admin, bookkeeping, office management, website designing, and so on.

We identified entrepreneurs with growing businesses in the UK and Europe who were time and talent poor, and looking for cost-effective solutions. We came up with a solution by building a platform to match busy business people with skilled Africans.

We thus seek to create win-win relationships based on respect, equality, and mutual empowerment. A living wage makes a huge difference to our workers; a single hour saved makes a huge difference to our clients. Empowering women gives multiples of return because women invest in their families and communities.

We piloted this with our founders working as client and virtual executive assistant for over three years. So we have iterated and we know the challenges and the benefits.

Bringing in a 3rd cofounder helped us to realise the scalability of the model, and the potential for poverty alleviation. Our focus is on empowerment, skills training, social capital, community, and global impact.

We support busy entrepreneurs to flourish by taking the load off the back office functions and tasks that drain time and energy.

Our vision: Kushanda becomes the go to ethical and sustainable “Upwork for Africa”.

“Investing in women's economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradadication and inclusive economic growth”

- UN Women

Founder - Nyasha Gwatidzo

Nyasha Gwatidzo was born in a rural village in Zimbabwe and came over to the UK in the 1970's. Nyasha finished her 'A' levels and gained a degree in Chemistry from Lambeth Women in Mind and then enrolled to do a PhD at Imperial College, London. Realising solid chemistry wasn't her passion she enrolled and completed Gestalt Therapy and Contribution Training at Pellin Institute and 5 years later gained an MA in Therapeutic Childcare from Reading University so she could work with adults and children with emotional issues. Nyasha is a qualified psychotherapist, social worker, coach and mentor.

As a black African woman, Nyasha faced discrimination throughout her journey but with sheer determination and passion she developed a successful social enterprise. Nyasha is a distinguished businesswoman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist who has, over a 30 year career, launched and built successful multi-million pound businesses and social enterprises in the United Kingdom, generating a cumulative $130 million turnover.

With a strong interest in social impact investment, solid business acumen and extensive knowledge of Southern African countries, Nyasha is a formidable business force specialising in social impact start-ups and helping them achieve rapid, profitable and sustainable growth. Her vision for the future is to make global connections and to mentor social entrepreneurs through a social impact investment fund, which will help people, especially women, to reach economic independence through enterprise.

Founder - Catherine Chodokufa

Nyasha Gwatidzo was born in a rural village in Zimbabwe and came over to the UK in the 1970's. Nyasha finished her 'A' levels and gained a degree in Chemistry from Lambeth Women in Mind and then enrolled to do a PhD at Imperial College, London. Realising solid chemistry wasn't her passion she enrolled and completed Gestalt Therapy and Contribution Training at Pellin Institute and 5 years later gained an MA in Therapeutic Childcare from Reading University so she could work with adults and children with emotional issues. Nyasha is a qualified psychotherapist, social worker, coach and mentor.

As a black African woman, Nyasha faced discrimination throughout her journey but with sheer determination and passion she developed a successful social enterprise. Nyasha is a distinguished businesswoman, social entrepreneur and philanthropist who has, over a 30 year career, launched and built successful multi-million pound businesses and social enterprises in the United Kingdom, generating a cumulative $130 million turnover.

With a strong interest in social impact investment, solid business acumen and extensive knowledge of Southern African countries, Nyasha is a formidable business force specialising in social impact start-ups and helping them achieve rapid, profitable and sustainable growth. Her vision for the future is to make global connections and to mentor social entrepreneurs through a social impact investment fund, which will help people, especially women, to reach economic independence through enterprise.