LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Women entrepreneurs from the Lionesses of Africa community took part in a special business event on 16 January in London designed to champion African women in business, ahead of the UK-Africa Investment Summit next week. Start-up Night Africa! London saw 11 women Founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a room of UK investors, buyers, influencers and media as one of a number of focused events organized in the lead up to the summit.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for International Development (DFID) hosted the women’s event in partnership with Lionesses of Africa, the fastest growing network of women entrepreneurs in Africa, with the support of the Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss MP, and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE.
Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE
Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE said:
“The key to making a positive, lasting difference and creating more jobs on the African continent through investment is addressing the current gender imbalance for men and women business leaders seeking investment. Events such as ‘Start-Up Night Africa’ demonstrate the impact we can have by connecting Africa’s entrepreneurs with the UK’s business community; creating spaces and places where businesspeople can connect and find new partners, buyers or investors.The entrepreneurs showcased here today demonstrate just a fraction of the scale and range of opportunities that exist in Africa for UK investors and exporters.”
Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa
Lionesses of Africa Founder & CEO, Melanie Hawken, added:
“If we are going to find impact driven solutions to challenges such as investment and new market access for Africa’s high growth women entrepreneurs, we need to bring the key decision-makers and opinion-formers to the table. Our ongoing partnership with the UK government and the team at the UK Department of International Trade in particular, is making critical market and investment access events such as Start-Up Night! Africa London possible. We have high hopes for the impact that will be created by this event and our partnership with the UK government, and we hope this will be one of many such showcase events in the UK going forward.”
The entrepreneurs taking part came from a range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, food and drink, and a strong focus on sustainability. The event connected the women-owned businesses to new markets, funding and partnerships in the UK.
At the event Lionesses of Africa Founder and CEO, Melanie Hawken announced that they have met their initial target of 1 million women entrepreneurs in their community. Big initiatives to be launched in the first quarter of 2020 will be the Lionesses of Africa Foundation, which will have its new global headquarters in London.
Speaking about the decision to make London the home of the new foundation, Melanie Hawken said:
“At Lionesses of Africa, we understand the power of partnerships to make big things happen for women entrepreneurs. The UK is already a strong strategic partner for our organisation, and this is an important marketplace for Africa’s high growth potential women entrepreneurs to access. Making the UK the home for our Foundation was a simple decision for us to make.”
A panel of entrepreneurs discussed the challenges of brand building, opportunities for Africa’s women entrepreneurs to break into global marketplaces, the current interest from global markets in women-owned brands with a strong backstory, and the investment climate for Africa’s women-owned businesses looking to grow.
The 3 panelists were women entrepreneurs that had built successful and growing African businesses and brands, and included Monica Musonda, Founder of Zambian-based food processing company, Java Foods; Adenike Ogunlesi, founder of Ruff N Tumble; and Suzie Wokabi, founder of Suzie Beauty.
Elizabeth Truss MP, UK Secretary of State for International Trade
Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss MP said:
“We want to partner with more women to enable them to innovate, grow their businesses and reach their potential. It’s exciting to see such a range of sectors represented and such innovative ideas being presented and brought to life. This event was not only an incredible opportunity for women entrepreneurs, but also a chance to harness the benefits of growing these hubs in Africa. I look forward to seeing how their businesses grow as they take advantage of opportunities in the UK.”
🗓️3 days until the UK-Africa Investment Summit.
— Department for International Trade (@tradegovuk) January 17, 2020
Yesterday DIT & @lionessesA hosted Start-Up Night Africa to champion African women in business & where 11 ♀️ entrepreneurs from a range of sectors, pitched to 🇬🇧 investors.
Here's how it went👇 #InvestinAfrica | @ewadesmith pic.twitter.com/ZEgctF2tQ2
Many of the entrepreneurs we are showcasing at this event are building successful businesses in traditionally male-dominated industry sectors such engineering, power generation, and water processing and drilling. In the process they are breaking gender stereotypes and perceptions that exist around the types of businesses women entrepreneurs are building and at the event included founders such as Pumza Ndlotyeni, Co-founder of Gebane Engineering Services, Carmen Williams, founder of Trecento, and Christelle Kwizera, Founder of Water Access Rwanda.
Fashion, beauty and wellness, and sustainability are other strong sectors also being showcased at the event, and big employers on the African continent. High growth women entrepreneurs presenting their businesses from these sectors include Mariam Hazem, Co-founder of Reform Studio, who has identified the UK as a new and important market, and Nicola Luther, CEO & Creative director of Lunar an established and growing sustainable fashion brand who announced her new collection at the event.
The event builds on the successful Gender-Lens Investing breakfast event hosted by Emma Wade-Smith in Johannesburg on 13 November last year, in the margins of the African Development Bank’s Africa Investment Forum, and the Royal visit to Johannesburg on 2 October when Emma Wade-Smith hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Lionesses of Africa.
Following the event will also be a roadshow in the UK focusing on women entrepreneurs from the African diaspora in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester
The entrepreneurs include:
Kerryne Krause, Founder of eyeSlices
Brenda Katwesigye, Founder of Wazi Vision
Adenike Ogunlesi, founder of Ruff N Tumble
Carmen Williams, Founder of Trecento
Monica Musonda, Founder and CEO of Java Foods
Temi Giwa Tubosun, Founder and CEO of Lifebank
Suzie Wokabi, founder of Suzie Beauty
Eugenia Langa, Founder and CEO of Nweba
Flora Mutahi, Founder and CEO of Melvin Marsh International
Christelle Kwizera, Founder of Water Access Rwanda
Pumza Ndlotyeni, Co-founder of Gebane Engineering Services
Mariam Hazem, Co-founder of Reform Studio
Nicola Luther, CEO and Creative Director, Lunar
To read more about the 2nd Start-Up Night! Africa London event, look out for our event reports, Lioness profiles, photo galleries, and blog articles over the coming week on www.lionessesofafrica.com
