About the Company

Thousands of unique contemporary handmade pieces of art, reminiscent of the craft traditions of Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, Mali, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Senegal represent Swahili Imports, a leader in the market. After more than nine years in business, Swahili Imports continues to foster social awareness about global interactions with Africa. Owner Leslie Mittelberg works with advocacy organizations like Aid to Artisans to maintain the principle of fair compensation for fair value; efforts that have successfully created opportunities in the global market that otherwise would not exist.

Swahili Imports currently supplies over 3,000 locations including the large retail companies of National Geographic and Disney, as well as educational facilities like the Smithsonian Museum. In a relatively short amount of time the company expanded from door-to door sales into two warehouses located in Eugene, Oregon. Mittelberg’s business continues to expand, but she prefers to keep her immediate staff small, with only eight full and part-time employees. Much of Swahili’s merchandising and promotional work is done in-house, a strategic decision that allows a greater investment to be placed in the reliability of the company and the quality of the merchandise.