Whip Music Partners With eTrade for Women to Empower Africa’s Creative Sector
Whip Music, a pioneering music-tech company founded by Melissa Kariuki—recently named among the GRAMMYs’ 13 Women Shaping African Music (2025)—has been selected to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) flagship programme, eTrade for Women.
The appointment positions Whip Music among 353 women-led digital enterprises from 69 countries advancing inclusive digital trade and sustainable growth. It underscores Africa’s growing global influence in the creative and digital economy while marking a milestone for women-founded tech ventures driving the continent’s participation in global trade.
Supported by the governments of Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, eTrade for Women strengthens the role of women digital entrepreneurs as influential voices in policy dialogues at local, regional, and global levels.
“There are so many women running digital trade businesses across Africa—many without realising that what they do every day contributes to global trade,” said Melissa Kariuki, Founder and CEO of Whip Music. “Yet too often, women are excluded from the policy conversations that shape how that trade operates. Joining this network is both an honour and a responsibility. With UN backing, Whip Music will amplify its advocacy for creatives and women to ensure a more equitable digital economy.”
This recognition follows Whip Music’s recent participation at the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum in Geneva, where Kariuki spoke on the creative economy’s role in global trade and the policy frameworks required to unlock its growth. The company’s inclusion in UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women Community builds on that advocacy, reinforcing its mission to champion digital policies and trade infrastructure that empower Africa’s creative industries.
Through this appointment, Whip Music joins a global network of women-founded technology businesses using digital innovation to drive inclusive growth and address both local and global challenges.
At its core, Whip Music aims to help African creators succeed on the world stage—not only by offering AI-driven marketing solutions but also by shaping policies that enable sustainable creative success. Africa’s creative economy, currently valued at US$58.4 billion and contributing about 4% of the continent’s GDP, accounts for less than 0.3% of global creative exports. With effective digital policies and trade frameworks, analysts project the figure could rise to US$200 billion by 2030, representing up to 10% of global creative goods trade.
“For too long, creativity has been viewed purely as culture,” Kariuki noted. “It’s one of Africa’s most powerful economic commodities. With the right digital infrastructure, African creators can access global markets, scale new industries, and redefine the future of digital trade.”
Since its inception, Whip Music has supported artists across the US, UK, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, and Canada, enabling them to promote their music, reach international audiences, and gain greater control over their creative IP. Its data-driven approach moves beyond traditional marketing, empowering creators with measurable impact and global reach.
The company’s expansion mirrors a broader continental shift—the rise of women-led, tech-enabled creative enterprises transforming how the world experiences African culture. Whip Music’s inclusion in UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women Community is a continuation of this mission: ensuring Africa’s creative entrepreneurs have a voice in shaping the policies that will define the digital trade landscape of tomorrow.
About eTrade for Women and UNCTAD
Launched in 2019 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), eTrade for Women empowers women digital entrepreneurs in developing and emerging economies through mentorship, policy engagement, and community-building. The initiative connects digital entrepreneurship with trade policy to reduce gender inequality and accelerate women’s participation in the digital economy.
UNCTAD, headquartered in Geneva, serves as the UN’s focal point for trade and development issues, particularly those affecting developing nations. Melissa Kariuki is featured in the official UNCTAD eTrade for Women Member Directory, which recognises women entrepreneurs advancing inclusive digital growth worldwide.
About Whip Music
Based in Johannesburg, Whip Music is a music-tech company on a mission to help artists reach their next one billion fans. The platform leverages technology to offer tools for music and video distribution, editorial playlisting, influencer marketing, advertising, press outreach, and more. Whether an artist is starting out or established, Whip Music provides the resources to grow and monetise global audiences. For more information, visit whipservices.com or contact [email protected].
About Melissa Kariuki
Melissa Kariuki, Founder and CEO of Whip Music, is a Recording Academy member recognised among the GRAMMYs’ 13 Women Shaping African Music (2025) and Hotlist Africa’s Top 30 Executives in the African Music Industry (2025).
Her professional background spans roles at Google, Meta, Bain & Company, H&M, and the Gates Foundation, across Asia, Europe, the US, and Africa. She holds a First-Class Honours degree from the African Leadership University in Mauritius and a Master of Management Science in Global Affairs as a Patrice Motsepe Fellow and Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University, Beijing, where she graduated with 99% distinction for her thesis on blockchain, NFTs, and Web3 regulation.
