By peace Udugba
Johannesburg, South Africa – 05 November 2025: Whip Music, a music-tech company founded by Melissa Kariuki, has been selected to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) flagship initiative, eTrade for Women. Melissa was recently recognized among the GRAMMYs’ 13 Women Shaping African Music (2025).
The appointment places Whip Music among 353 women-led digital enterprises from 69 countries championing inclusive digital trade and sustainable growth. The company’s inclusion underscores Africa’s growing global influence in the creative and digital economy and marks a major milestone for women-founded tech ventures shaping Africa’s role in global trade.
Melissa Kariuki, Founder & CEO of Whip Music, said:“There are so many women running digital trade businesses across Africa; many without even realizing that what they do every day is part of global trade. Yet, too often, women are left out of the policy conversations that define how that trade works. For us, joining this network isn’t just an honor, it’s a responsibility. With the backing of the United Nations, Whip Music will actively amplify its voice in policymaking spaces to ensure women and creatives are included in shaping a more equitable digital economy.”
This milestone follows Whip Music’s representation at the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum in Geneva, Switzerland last month, where Kariuki discussed the creative economy’s role in global trade and the policy frameworks needed to unlock its growth.
About Whip Music
Whip Music’s mission is to enable African creators to succeed globally, not only by providing AI-driven marketing solutions but by advocating for the digital policies that make sustainable success possible. With the right digital policies and trade frameworks, analysts project that African creative exports could reach US$200 billion by 2030.
Melissa Kariuki added:“For too long, creativity has been seen purely as culture. It’s one of Africa’s highest-potential commodities. With the right digital infrastructure and trade frameworks, African creators can reach global markets, scale new industries and shape the future of digital trade.”
Whip Music’s inclusion in UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women Community represents a continuation of its mission to ensure Africa’s creative entrepreneurs have a seat at the table in shaping the policies that will determine the future of digital trade.
