Podcast
Lionesses of Africa and DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa launch a new podcast series to help women-owned and women-led SMEs break into new markets through cross-border trade.
Read moreFrom seaweed soap to recycled school desks: Mozambique’s women entrepreneurs lean in to the Blue Economy
Women entrepreneurs and speakers take to the stage at the Lioness Lean In Mozambique on 30 September 2026
Lionesses Lean In Event Report
At the third Lioness Lean In Mozambique of 2026, held at Standard Bank’s Head Office in Maputo and also streamed live, women entrepreneurs shared how they are building businesses from the ocean, the coast and the water around them, and what they need to grow.
Read moreAfrican Development Bank Group’s AFAWA and Lionesses of Africa Launch New Podcast Series Exploring Women Entrepreneurs’ Business Funding Journeys
Podcast
The new podcast series, Business Funding Journeys, a co-hosted initiative by African Development Bank Group’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) and Lionesses of Africa, shines a spotlight on how women entrepreneurs in Africa are approaching one of the most significant challenges - access to growth finance - and how they are successfully securing the funding they need to scale their businesses and drive economic growth.
Read moreUn nouveau guide pratique met en lumière les réussites des entrepreneures africaines dans l’accès au financement
Couverture du guide numérique financé par AFAWA, présentant des entrepreneures africaines soutenues par le programme du Groupe de la Banque
Launch Press Release
Le guide Financer la croissance des entreprises, publié par l’initiative AFAWA (Banque africaine de développement) et Lionesses of Africa, présente les stratégies et les points de vue de 25 entrepreneures africaines, dont certaines soutenues par AFAWA.
Read moreNew Playbook Showcases Access to Finance Success for Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs
Cover of the AFAWA-financed digital playbook featuring AFAWA-supported entrepreneurs sharing their business journey
Launch Press Release
Financing Business Growth, published by African Development Bank’s AFAWA and Lionesses of Africa, features strategies and insights from 25 African women business leaders - including entrepreneurs supported by AFAWA.
Read moreCuriosity Did Not Kill the Cat. It Gave It Nine Lives.
by Marilize Jacobs
You are not scatter-brained. You are not burnt out. You are multi-dimensional!
I have been told to pick one thing approximately 4,000 times. By teachers. By "Claude" and “ChatGPT”. By that confident person at dinner who definitely peaked somewhere between 2002 and 2008 and now dispenses career advice as if focus is a personality. Even by mentors.
Read moreSmart Capital, Stronger Futures: What Defines an Effective Agent of Change in Financing Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs?
L-R: Dr Jemimah Njuki, Pascalle Grotenhuis, Melanie Hawken, Melissa Basque-Roux
WSME Investment Roundtable | The Hague
At a high-level roundtable convened in The Hague on 31 March 2026, Melanie Hawken, founder and CEO of Lionesses of Africa, delivered a compelling call to action for a shift in how capital is deployed to support women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) across the African continent. Framing the discussion around the theme of smart inclusive investment, she challenged stakeholders to move beyond intent and towards practical, scalable solutions that can unlock sustainable economic growth.
Read moreFrom Conversation to Action: Key Takeaways from the WSME Investment Roundtable in The Hague
L-R: Melissa Basque-Roux, Pascalle Grotenhuis, Melanie Hawken, Dr Jemimah Njuki, Bintou Diallo
WSME Investment Roundtable | The Hague
On 31 March 2026, Lionesses of Africa convened the Start-Up Night Africa WSME Investment Roundtable in The Hague, co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The gathering set out to examine one of the most pressing questions in African enterprise development today: what will it take to unlock smarter, more inclusive investment for women-led small and medium enterprises?
Read moreDr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger, co-founders of a first-to-South African-market serum-only skincare range
Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger, co-founders, Twenty 4 Skin (South Africa)
Startup Story
Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger are co-founders of Twenty 4 Skin, a unique South African medical-grade skincare brand. Juanri is a medical doctor with a special interest in regenerative medicine, so you could say she is a holistic regenerative GP, and Bernadette is a somatologist. The brand focuses on hormone optimization, aesthetic medicine, as well as skincare formulations.
Read moreBusting the Bias of Africa: Why We Need to Change the Way We Write About the Continent
by Marilize Jacobs
For decades, the dominant narratives about Africa have been shaped by stereotypes. Poverty, conflict, corruption, and disease. While these challenges exist, they do not define the continent. Africa is also a land of innovation, economic growth, technological advancement, and cultural richness. Yet, mainstream storytelling often ignores central characters. Women, minorities, and young people – all who could help tell a more complete story.
Read moreLioness CoLab / From Juggling Acts to Industry Authority: The PR Power-Up You Might Be Missing
Marilize Jacobs and Elize Fisher
Lioness CoLab
From Juggling Acts to Industry Authority: The PR Power-Up You might be Missing
Elize Fisher from WorkingMama and Marilize Jacobs from VocalCord PR, South Africa
You are a master of logistics. A virtuoso of negotiation. A calm captain in the storm of a crisis. Your to-do list is a masterclass in making miracles happen before lunch. As a Lioness, you’ve built a formidable network of peers, mentors, and champions who cheer you on. But here’s the quiet question that may nag so many of us: What happens when the networking event ends, the LinkedIn post fades, and you’re back to being the best-kept secret in your industry? Networking gets you in the room. But Public Relations complements this tactic by building you a platform in that room, so the right people come to you.
Read moreGillian Holl, a South African architectural entrepreneur building a sustainability-focused business that responds to the needs of both clients and the environment
Gillian Holl, founder, VELD Architects (South Africa)
Startup Story
Gillian Holl, founder of VELD Architects in South Africa, has built a business renowned for creating spaces that serve not as statements but as sanctuaries. It’s an architecture deeply connected to the African landscape, fostering a sense of belonging and calm.
Read moreBecoming a Beauty Insider: My Melanin Beauty Circle Journey
by Memuna Williams, DBA
What happens when a doctoral practitioner who is also a beauty enthusiast and has dark skin walks into a research dinner? She gets her skin measured under bright lights before the salad even arrives. Unexpected? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely. Earlier this year, this was my experience after I received an exclusive invitation to join the Melanin Beauty Circle by a new beauty brand, facilitated by a research group. They are developing a custom foundation technology for melanin-rich skin, and my skin (quite literally), and that of others who accepted the invitation, was in the room where it happened.
Read moreJúlia Silota, a Mozambican green business builder, focused on environmental waste management
Júlia Silota, founder and CEO, J&G Environment Ltda (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Júlia Silota is the founder and CEO of J&G Environment Ltda, a Mozambican company operating in the environmental field, focused on the purchase and sale of solid waste, and providing solid waste collection services, solid waste management training, and environmental project evaluation. It was founded in August 2020 and began operations in 2023. It employs four people, two full-time and two part-time.
Read moreClaudia Machaieie, a Mozambican green business innovator transforming marine waste into reading glasses
Cláudia Machaieie, founder, Sea Glasses (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Cláudia Machaieie is the founder of Sea Glasses in Mozambique. She is a 28-year-old with a degree in Marine Biology, a postgraduate degree in Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biology and Conservation Ecology. She has completed several technical courses in monitoring and project management. She began her activity as a volunteer and social activist at the age of 14 and is currently a founding volunteer of SOA Mozambique and a volunteer with Solo Adventures. She has worked in public (IIP), private (SEPPA, Centro Terra Viva), and international organizations (Girl Move Academy, UN - World Food Programme) developing activities in administration, monitoring, and management of humanitarian and environmental programs. Currently, she is the social responsibility coordinator at TOPACK Mozambique.
Read moreMatilde Mawelele Rungo, a Mozambican tech-preneur helping to drive digital transformation in the country
Matilde Mawelele Rungo, founder, RealityTech Advisory (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Matilde Mawelele Rungo is a digital transformation consultant, cybersecurity specialist, and founder of RealityTech Advisory in Mozambique, where she leads technology-driven projects for businesses and startups. She is also an evangelist and the creator of MTI – A Triad of Hope for Children, an initiative that integrates Evangelism, Technology, and Innovation to empower young people and communities. With a global vision, Matilde is committed to advancing individuals, organizations, and ecosystems through technology, faith, and meaningful social impact. The business was launched in 2024 and today has created jobs for 6 people.
Read moreYanara Tavares Viana, a Mozambican entrepreneur developing a smart urban housing solution in the country
Yanara Tavares Viana, founder, Vila Viana (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Yanara Tavares Viana is an engineer and project manager with over 15 years of experience in procurement, finance, and the development of sustainable solutions. Founder of Vila Viana, an ecological and agro-productive housing project in Catembe, she creates urban models that integrate solar energy, water harvesting and reuse, family farming, and micro-animal farming. Her vision is to combine accessible architecture with practical sustainability, inspiring communities to build in a greener, more resilient, and income-generating way. Yanara is dedicated to developing smart urban solutions for the future of Mozambique and the region.
Read moreInternational Anti-Corruption Day: Combating Corruption in the Workplace through Effective Screening and Audits
by Jenny Reid
Every year on December 9, the world observes International Anti-Corruption Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about corruption and its adverse effects on society, governance, and the economy. Corruption remains a pervasive problem that undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development, and contributes to governmental instability. In South Africa, the fight against corruption is particularly pertinent, especially in the wake of numerous high-profile scandals.
Read moreBusiness Growth: Efficient Processes for Managing Rapid Business Growth
by Dr Michélle Booysen
“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” — James Cash Penney
As part of our series exploring the role of process in business growth, this week I’d like to focus on the systems and workflows needed to manage rapid growth efficiently. Whether you're a tech startup scaling across Europe, an e-commerce business expanding from Johannesburg to Nairobi, or a services company growing regionally across Kenya, having the right processes in place is the difference between sustainable success and operational chaos.
Read moreResilient Influence: Building a Life That Speaks When You are Not in the Room
By Sandra B Zaca
I used to think influence was about being seen. That if I wasn’t in every room, posting every day, or building something loud enough, then I wasn’t doing enough. But life has taught me that true influence is not about noise, it's about presence. Not presence in the sense of popularity, but in the depth of your convictions, the clarity of your vision, and the courage to keep building quietly when no one is clapping.
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