Fatima Amid

A Sudanese tech entrepreneur who pioneered online marketplaces for African women entrepreneurs

Fatima Amid is a visionary Sudanese tech entrepreneur who co-founded Majal, Africa's first B2B online marketplace dedicated to connecting women entrepreneurs with global buyers. Launched in 2014, this platform has empowered over 10,000 female business owners across 15 African countries to access international markets. Amid's work addresses critical challenges faced by women in the informal economy, including limited access to capital and distribution channels. Her innovative approach combines technology with grassroots community building, creating a scalable model that's been studied by organizations like UNCTAD and the World Bank.

Born in Khartoum in 1987, Amid's early exposure to gender disparities in business motivated her to create solutions through technology. After studying computer engineering at the University of Khartoum, she worked at tech startups in Kenya and South Africa before returning to Sudan to launch Majal. Her TEDx talk "Digital Bridges for African Women Entrepreneurs" has been viewed over 500,000 times. Amid was named one of Africa's Top 100 Innovators by Forbes Africa in 2018 and received the Global Women's Entrepreneurship Award from Cherie Blair Foundation in 2020.

Amid's impact extends beyond technology - she established the Women in Trade Network, a coalition of 200+ organizations working to formalize women's economic participation. Her advocacy led to policy changes in three African countries, including Sudan's 2019 Microenterprise Act which now requires 30% women's representation in trade councils. Recent initiatives include blockchain-based supply chain solutions to combat counterfeit goods, a problem costing African businesses $12 billion annually.