E-Commerce Breaks Barriers for Pakistani Women Entrepreneurs

Pakistani women use e-commerce to start businesses, and break social constraints on the way.

Start-up culture is catching up in Pakistan with the advent of e-commerce. (Photo: AP Screengrab)

Inside the small manufacturing unit of ‘Sam’s Cake Factory’, a start up selling customized cakes in Karachi, employees are busy baking and frosting cakes and other gourmet delights. In another room, designers and artisans are creating figurines for yet another order under the guidance of Sumaira Waseem, who is the founder of ‘Sam’s Cake Factory’.

‘Sam’s Cake Factory’ has experienced huge growth in the years since it was launched from home by Waseem, a housewife who wanted an outlet for her talents. Without much investment or professional help, Waseem was able to create customized cakes.

We started Sam’s Cake Factory through Facebook four years ago. Back then, we used to make around four cakes weekly, but now we get orders for around 50 cakes per week. All our marketing is done through Facebook and our website. 

Sumaira Waseem, Owner, Sam’s Cake Factory

She is now a popular maker of customised cakes, not just in Karachi, but across Pakistan. All of this success has been achieved through e-commerce, an industry that is still in its infancy in Pakistan.

But the start-up culture is catching on here, thanks to improved technology and better access to internet.

This growth is also reflected in the rise of e-commerce, with new start-ups coming online every day, while tech-entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are also beginning to see the potential of the Pakistani market.

Pakistan’s women are a major beneficiary of the advent of 3G/4G technology, with e-commerce offering them the opportunity to start businesses without the constraints they may have earlier faced in a conservative society.

One business that is doing well is a marketplace website for women called ‘Sheops’, founded by Nadia Patel Gangjee.

‘Sheops’ is a marketplace for women, which helps women monetize their talents, such as somebody maybe cooking, baking, and making some handicrafts and stuff. We started off with a group of five women and now we are community of over 26,000 and growing daily.

Nadia Patel Gangjee, owner of Sheops

With more and more Pakistanis now online and reaping the benefits of online shopping, e-commerce looks set to grow - and open up more business opportunities for Pakistan’s women.