Report: Artisan Industry in Hargeisa, Burao and Borama – Somaliland

The study assesses the structure, dynamics, and viability of the artisan industry in Hargeisa, Burao and Borama cities in Somaliland, with a particular focus on value chain analysis and economic potential. The study identifies how women and youth can be meaningfully included in artisan livelihoods, while also examining the barriers that currently constrain growth.

Overview of the key findings

• The artisan sector—particularly textile and tailoring, tie-dye, incense-making, and leathercraft—holds significant potential for inclusive economic development.
• Women dominate production in several sub-sectors, but face barriers related to finance, mobility, recognition, and access to markets.
• Youth involvement in the artisan sector is mostly through informal apprenticeships. However, low prestige, inconsistent earnings, and lack of structured growth paths deter younger generations from joining or remaining in the trade.
• Most artisan businesses are informal—lacking registration, formal training, or access to credit, which limits their growth and market access.
• Market access is primarily informal and digitally mediated through WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook, with growing opportunities in diaspora demand and cultural branding.
• Traditional crafts such as pottery, blacksmithing, beadwork, and basket weaving are at risk of disappearing due to modernization, cultural stigma, and limited intergenerational transfer.
• Raw materials and tools are costly and hard to access. Local supply chains are fragmented and uncoordinated, and there is little access to shared equipment or modern technologies.
• TVET centers and NGO programs exist but lack tailored curricula, modern equipment, and sector linkages. Many artisans—especially women—learn through informal methods or peer networks, leaving skill gaps in design, branding, digital marketing, and business management.
• Artisans engage in informal reuse of fabric, leather, and wood waste, mainly to save costs. However, awareness of circular economy principles and access to green production methods are minimal. There is significant opportunity to scale these practices through training and innovation.
• Government bodies, NGOs, financial institutions, and TVETs all engage in the artisan space, but coordination is limited. There is no unified strategy or platform that brings these actors together to strengthen the sector holistically.

The recommendations include strengthening high-potential sub-sectors led by women, improving access to business training and digital tools, expanding financing options for informal artisans, promoting cooperative formation, and embedding sustainability and circular economy practices. Policy and advocacy recommendations call for formal recognition of the artisan sector, simplified registration pathways, and the inclusion of artisan skills in national vocational training systems.

Special recommendations to improve training and skills development

• Expand access to technical and digital skills training through collaboration with TVET centers, NGOs, and local experts. Training should cover design innovation, branding, sustainable production, packaging, and e-commerce. Incorporate modules on customer service, product pricing, and income planning.
• Integrate gender- and youth-responsive approaches in training by providing flexible formats (e.g., in-home, mobile-friendly), localized content, and support for marginalized groups. Enable intergenerational skill transfer for endangered crafts like pottery, blacksmithing, and weaving through structured apprenticeship programs.
• Build sustainable artisan hubs or learning centers in each city, equipped with tools, workspaces, and internet access to serve as sites for training, production, and peer collaboration.
• Identify and nurture ecosystem champions such as active cooperatives, successful women-led enterprises, or youth groups innovating in product design and online marketing. These actors can serve as models, mentors, and multipliers for sector transformation.

Special recommendations to foster supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem

• Advocate for an inclusive national artisan development policy, ensuring recognition of the sector in trade, employment, and cultural heritage frameworks. This policy should promote artisan visibility, standardization, export support, and training system integration.
• Facilitate stronger institutional coordination by forming a cross-sector platform of government bodies, NGOs, financial institutions, and artisan representatives. This will improve alignment, resource sharing, and collective planning for artisan development.
• Encourage private sector involvement in sourcing, marketing, training, and design partnerships. Engage retailers, diaspora investors, and ethical brands in supporting artisan-led supply chains.