In the bustling neighbourhood of Gudele in Juba, South Sudan, Betty Poni Cosmas once sold honey and shea butter beneath the shade of a tree. Armed with determination and a vision for a better future, she dreamed of building a business that would not only support her family but also create opportunities for other women.
Today, that dream has grown into Naponi Enterprise, a thriving woman-owned agro-processing business supplying local consumers, retailers, and international organisations while showcasing South Sudan’s products on the regional stage.
In a country where conflict, limited infrastructure, and few formal employment opportunities continue to challenge entrepreneurship, Betty chose a different path. She recognised the untapped potential of South Sudan’s natural resources and began adding value to locally produced honey, shea butter, peanuts, sesame (simsim), herbal teas, and handmade cookies.
In 2019, she formally registered Naponi Enterprise with a clear mission - to process local products instead of exporting raw materials, organise women through cooperative savings, and build a competitive business capable of serving markets beyond South Sudan. That vision has steadily become a reality.
Creating Jobs and Strengthening Local Value Chains
Today, Naponi Enterprise serves more than 350 customers including households, retailers, United Nations agencies, and European Union supported programmes. Its business model keeps value within South Sudan by purchasing raw materials from local farmers, many of them women and transforming them into branded, market-ready products. Every step of the value chain creates new opportunities for producers, processors, and traders while strengthening household incomes and local economic resilience.
Access to finance has also played an important role in the company's growth. Through interest-free financing support from the local financial institutions, Betty expanded her material purchase, improved packaging, increased production capacity and opened more space that now houses Naponi Enterprise.
“I still remember selling my products under a tree with nothing but hope and determination. Today, I own enough space, a reminder that small beginnings, hard work, and persistence can lead to extraordinary change," she says with a smile.
For Betty, success is measured not only by business growth but also by the progress of other women. She mentors women traders and cooperatives on financial discipline, savings culture, value addition, and business expansion with some of the entrepreneurs she mentored now operating larger businesses than her own. Her commitment has helped strengthen women's participation in agribusiness while promoting collective resilience through cooperative savings.
Opening Doors Through Regional Integration
Betty's entrepreneurial journey took a major turn after joining the South Sudan Women Entrepreneurship Association (SSWEA), a platform that introduced her to Regional Trade and Exhibitions.
As a member of the South Sudan Women Entrepreneurship Association, Betty has participated in regional trade exhibitions in Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, and Burundi - experiences that have been pivotal to her entrepreneurial journey.
The exhibitions have expanded her market opportunities, strengthened her business networks, and enhanced her understanding of regional trade. Her innovation and commitment to community development also earned her recognition as the runner-up for Best Innovation with the Highest Community Impact, underscoring the social and economic impact of her enterprise.
Determined to continue growing, she undertook a specialised training in agri-entrepreneurship and supply chain management in India, enhancing her technical expertise and strengthening Naponi Enterprise's competitiveness in regional markets.
Further, Betty’s recognition through the East African Community Women in Trade Champions Initiative under LIFTED - a project jointly co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU), has become another milestone in her entrepreneurial journey.
The experience has expanded her outlook beyond local markets and inspired a new growth agenda. She now aims to increase production capacity, invest in modern processing technologies, develop export-ready products that meet regional and international standards, and strengthen women-led cooperatives and savings groups to improve access to finance and create opportunities for more women entrepreneurs.
Her ambition extends beyond growing her own company. She hopes to see South Sudanese women recognised as successful entrepreneurs contributing to national and regional economic development.
"South Sudanese women have the hands, the energy, and the ideas. They only need opportunities and exposure." Betty says.
From a modest start to exhibiting across the region and internationally, Betty Poni Cosmas has shown that determination, value addition, and regional collaboration can transform any beginning into lasting economic opportunity. Through Naponi Enterprise, she is not only building a successful business but also helping shape a more inclusive and prosperous future for women entrepreneurs across South Sudan and the East African Community.