Value Addition in Agribusiness is transforming agriculture across Africa by reducing post-harvest losses, improving food security, and creating sustainable business opportunities. Few entrepreneurs demonstrate this better than Pauline Okubasu, a Kenyan agribusiness entrepreneur whose innovative approach to fruit processing has helped farmers reduce waste while creating nutritious products for consumers. Her journey from a marketing professional to the founder of a successful food processing business illustrates how value addition can bridge the gap between surplus food production and food insecurity.
A Woman of Many Roles
Pauline Okubasu wears many hats. She is a mother of three, a wife, an entrepreneur, and a leader committed to empowering women in business.
She runs two businesses. The first is Azavi Foods, an agribusiness operating in the nutrition and health sector. Through the company, she adds value to fresh fruits by dehydrating and packaging them into healthy snack products. Her second business is in the fashion industry, where she designs jewelry and works closely with artisans to produce trendy earrings and accessories for the everyday African woman.
Beyond entrepreneurship, Pauline serves as the President of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) Kenya, where she champions women’s economic empowerment and international trade opportunities.
A Strong Foundation in Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Pauline’s professional background is in marketing. She studied marketing and built a successful career, working in the profession for approximately eleven years before pursuing entrepreneurship full-time.
However, entrepreneurship had always been part of her life. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, she watched her mother run a boutique, importing clothing from other countries. During school holidays, Pauline helped sell products in the family shop, gaining practical business experience from an early age.
By high school, she had started making handmade jewelry and selling it to neighbors. While attending university, she expanded her entrepreneurial activities by traveling to Uganda to purchase clothing and accessories, which she sold to fellow students.Although she later established a successful marketing career, the entrepreneurial spirit never left her.
The Crises That Changed Everything
As Pauline prepared to leave formal employment, she evaluated several business opportunities, including jewelry, marketing consultancy, and other ventures. Then, in 2017, two major events completely changed the direction of her entrepreneurial journey.
The first was the severe El Niño rains that caused widespread flooding across Kenya. The floods disrupted transportation networks, making it difficult for farmers to move fresh produce from their farms to markets. Large quantities of fruits and vegetables spoiled before they could be sold, while the limited produce that reached urban markets became expensive.
The second crisis was the devastating drought in northern Kenya. Reports highlighted severe food insecurity, widespread malnutrition, dying livestock, and families struggling to survive.] These contrasting situations raised a powerful question for Pauline: how could one region experience massive food waste while another suffered from hunger?
Determined to find a solution, she began searching for ways to connect surplus food production with areas experiencing food shortages.
Discovering the Power of Value Addition in Agribusiness
Through extensive research, Pauline realized that Kenya produces enough food to feed its population. The real challenge was preserving food after harvest and reducing post-harvest losses.
This discovery led her to focus on Value Addition in Agribusiness through fruit dehydration. She had previously encountered dehydrated fruit snacks while traveling in the Far East and had enjoyed them as convenient, healthy snacks. That experience inspired her to introduce a similar concept in Kenya.
Her vision was simple yet impactful: preserve seasonal fruits by dehydrating them so families could enjoy nutritious produce throughout the year while reducing food waste. She also believed dehydrated fruits could eventually reach drought-prone communities at affordable prices, improving nutrition while supporting farmers. That realization marked the beginning of Azavi Foods.
Overcoming the Financial Barrier
Turning the idea into reality proved challenging. Pauline’s research showed that launching the business would require approximately five million Kenyan shillings.
The dehydration equipment alone cost nearly two million shillings, while even smaller machines required an investment of around 1.5 million shillings. Additional costs included factory space, production equipment, facility setup, and staffing. The financial requirements became so overwhelming that Pauline briefly considered abandoning her dream. She even returned to the job market and began applying for employment opportunities.
A Chance Encounter That Changed Her Future
Just as she was preparing to return to formal employment, Pauline met a friend on a street in Nairobi. During their conversation, another woman carrying dried fruits joined them. Curious about the products, Pauline asked where they had been produced. She was introduced to a training facility in Nairobi that specialized in food dehydration technology. That unexpected meeting became the turning point in her entrepreneurial journey.
Determined not to lose the opportunity, Pauline immediately visited the institution, gathered information about the training, and enrolled before the formal approval process had even been completed.
Building Azavi Foods
The training equipped Pauline with practical knowledge about food dehydration technology, food preservation, nutritional value, product quality, and shelf-life management. She learned that properly dehydrated mangoes, pineapples, and bananas could remain fresh for up to one year, while fruit crisps could last between six and eight months.
Within a few months, her products had successfully undergone certification testing. She also registered her trademark and secured intellectual property protection for her brand. The name Azavi combines the names of her two sons—Azaria and Abikai. For Pauline, the business represents values that extend beyond profit. Her faith influences how she maintains product quality, treats employees, works with farmers, and builds lasting relationships throughout the value chain.
Empowering Farmers Through Value Addition in Agribusiness
As the business expanded, Pauline recognized that reducing post-harvest losses required more than simply purchasing produce from farmers. She began empowering farmers with Value Addition in Agribusiness skills. Working alongside Jomo Kenyatta University, farmers received practical training in producing fruit juices, mango pulp, pineapple products, jams, and tomato sauce.
They also learned about branding, food packaging, commercialization, and food safety. This enabled farmers to continue earning income beyond harvest seasons by processing and marketing value-added products throughout the year.
Growing a Sustainable Enterprise
What began as a one-person business has steadily grown into an enterprise employing five staff members, including production workers, a sales representative, and an outsourced accountant. Pauline also works with experienced advisors and mentors from organizations such as the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, who provide coaching in manufacturing and business management.
One mentor who has significantly influenced her entrepreneurial journey is Flora Mutahi, founder and CEO of Melvin Marsh International. Pauline believes mentorship plays a vital role in helping entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes and accelerate business growth.
Balancing Business and Family
Balancing entrepreneurship with family responsibilities remains one of Pauline’s greatest challenges. As a wife, mother, and business owner, she must carefully manage competing responsibilities. To maintain balance, she focuses on empowering her employees through training and delegation. Building a capable team allows her to spend more time with her family, protect her health, and continue growing the business sustainably.
Supporting Women Through OWIT Kenya
In addition to running Azavi Foods, Pauline plays a leading role in the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) Kenya. OWIT Kenya is part of OWIT International, a global organization established in the United States in 1989 that now has chapters across multiple countries. The organization focuses on advancing women in international trade through four strategic pillars:
- Capacity building
- Market access
- Financial access
- Mentorship
Helping Women Build Global Businesses
Through training programs, networking events, mentorship, and strategic partnerships, OWIT Kenya equips women entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed to compete internationally. The organization works closely with initiatives such as the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades Initiative and the Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Women in Business Programme, connecting entrepreneurs with experienced mentors from around the world.Experienced Kenyan businesswomen also mentor local entrepreneurs, sharing practical lessons from their own business journeys.
Why Networking Matters
Pauline joined OWIT at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey while searching for a community of experienced women entrepreneurs. The organization helped her develop business strategies, expand her professional network, and access valuable market opportunities. Many of her earliest customers came from the OWIT community, and several retail partnerships—including supermarket placements—were secured through referrals from fellow members. Her experience reinforces one important lesson: “Your network is your net worth.”
Preparing Women for the Future of African Trade
With the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Pauline is passionate about helping women entrepreneurs take advantage of growing opportunities across Africa. She encourages women to innovate, create competitive products, and confidently expand into regional and international markets.
Final Thoughts on Value Addition in Agribusiness
Pauline Okubasu’s story demonstrates how Value Addition in Agribusiness can transform both businesses and communities. By converting surplus fruits into nutritious, shelf-stable products, she has reduced food waste, created employment, supported smallholder farmers, and contributed to improved food security.
Her leadership at OWIT Kenya further reflects her commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, and international trade opportunities.
Through innovation, resilience, and collaboration, Pauline continues to show that Value Addition in Agribusiness is not only a business opportunity but also a practical solution to some of Africa’s most pressing agricultural and economic challenges.