‘I cannot teach you integrity’: How employee theft is hurting small businesses in Africa

Kenyan food creator That Girl Boina closed her Nairobi waxing studio after a customer alerted her that staff had directed payments to a different number. The episode highlights how employee theft can undermine small businesses, particularly where a small team handles payments and stock with little oversight.

Boina opened Waxaholic Studio in September 2024 and shut it in October 2025 after revenues fell and she concluded the business was not profitable. Her account later drew close to one million views and prompted other Kenyan owners to describe losses from diverted payments, stolen stock and equipment. A 2022 PwC survey found 63% of East African respondents said their organisations had experienced economic crime, compared with 46% globally.