BanaPads manufactures sanitary pads using banana pseudostem waste. The enterprise employs a franchise model led by young rural women who manufacture and distribute the pads. The finished products are marketed and sold across the region, and profits go towards repaying micro-loans, salaries, and eventually revenue. BanaPads' young distributors are called Champions and use a door-to-door distribution model to sell the products. The Champions are provided with a complete start-up kit of inventory, as well as training and marketing support to enable their work.

This case study has been created as part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive open-source database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. We are doing this in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), as part of our programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa.

image retrieved from https://seed.uno/enterprise-profiles/banapads