Baznas Strengthens Santri Economy through Santripreneur Fashion Cluster 2026
Santri are not sufficiently equipped with just religious knowledge; they also need skills to face real life in society. Therefore, they require abilities and expertise that can serve as provisions for independence.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) of the Republic of Indonesia has launched the Santripreneur Fashion Cluster 2026 programme, themed “Brand Santri Mengguncang Industri” (Santri Brand Shakes the Industry), as an effort to promote economic independence and creativity among santri through the development of fashion businesses.
The Head of Baznas RI’s Research, Development, Planning, and Innovation Division, Syarifuddin, stated that the Santripreneur programme is Baznas’s endeavour to produce competitive, innovative young entrepreneurs from the santri community who can create jobs based on Islamic values.
“Alhamdulillah, this programme has been running for three years across various sectors, including fashion, and continues to be developed by Baznas because it has a positive impact on strengthening the santri economy,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Syarifuddin explained that strengthening entrepreneurship among santri is an important part of supporting dakwah while building the economic welfare of the ummah.
“Santri are not sufficiently equipped with just religious knowledge, but they also need abilities to face real life in society. Therefore, they require skills and expertise that can serve as provisions for independence,” he continued.
Syarifuddin highlighted the significant potential of pesantren in Indonesia, numbering around 42,391 with 2.5 million santri. According to him, this figure positions pesantren as a strategic segment in productive zakat empowerment programmes.
He emphasised that Baznas cannot operate alone in developing santri empowerment programmes. Therefore, Baznas continues to encourage collaborations with various parties, including fashion industry players.
“Baznas is an intermediary institution that encourages zakat to become more productive. For that reason, we partner with competent partners and business actors so that this programme is sustainable and provides real impact for mustahik,” said Syarifuddin.
Furthermore, the Director of Utilisation and Services for UPZ CSR at Baznas RI, Eka Budhi Sulistyo, stated that the Santripreneur programme has produced thousands of startup entrepreneurs from the santri community in various regions through several business clusters.
In its implementation, participants will go through a phased selection process. The top 100 participants will be further selected to proceed to the next stage, before finally selecting the top 50 participants to attend a bootcamp and receive business mentoring.
“The best participants will not only receive awards but also business capital and mentoring for at least six months so that the businesses they run can develop sustainably,” said Eka Budhi Sulistyo.
Registration for this event opens from 17 May to 22 June 2026 via santripreneurbaznas.id. The best participants will receive business capital assistance as well as business mentoring for at least six months.