This month Lionesses of Africa is heading to Accra, Ghana, to host the latest in our series of Lioness Lean In events across the African continent, in partnership with Stanbic Bank. To coincide with our visit, we will be launching a series of special feature articles which focus on leading women entrepreneurs building great businesses and brands in this great city. Ghana is a country which is seeing some real women entrepreneur game-changers who are making their mark with their business ventures and innovative products and services, not just at home, but across the African continent and the world.
So, to get the ball rolling we are showcasing just some of those women entrepreneurs in Ghana who we have featured on our platforms over the past couple of years. They are all at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys, and represent a wide range of industry sectors from IT to cosmetics, from fashion to business consulting. However, what they all share in common is a passion for business and a desire to put Ghana on the map when it comes to showcasing not just their own companies and brands, but also the depth of creative and specialist talent in the country.
For more information on our forthcoming Lioness Lean In Breakfast event in Ghana on 23 August 2017, contact melanie@lionessesofafrica.com
Introducing 15 leading women entrepreneurs of Ghana....
Kate Quartey-Papafio, founder and CEO of Reroy Cables
Kate Quartey-Papafio is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reroy Cables Limited one of the leading manufacturers of electrical cables in Ghana. Reroy manufactures electrical and telecom cables and conductors predominantly for the international market but has a significant domestic presence as well. The company which now has a work force of over 100 started operations in 2003 and exports mostly to countries in the ECOWAS sub-region. Recently, the company has completed the construction of a new Manufacturing Plant, making it the largest Electrical Cables Manufacturing Plant in Ghana.
Ruka Sanusi, founder and CEO of Alldens Lane
Alldens Lane in Ghana is a boutique business strategy, consulting and coaching services firm. With two decades of international consulting experience, Ruka has worked in 16 countries across Africa in senior management positions with two global corporations (PwC and Crown Agents) as well as with the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Corporation, the development assistance vehicle of Commonwealth nations. Ruka brings a deep knowledge of matters pertinent to business management, strategy development, and organisational transformation and is passionate about creatively and dependably supporting women entrepreneurs and growing businesses across the continent. www.alldenslane.com
Winnifred Selby and Bernice Dapaah, co-founders of Afrocentric Bamboo
Like many other countries in Africa, Ghana is battling to find sustainable solutions to a number of socio-economic problems, not least of which is the need for affordable transport, effective ways of fighting poverty and unemployment, and the need to create more sustainable social entrepreneurs. Winnifred Selby is one young entrepreneur with a vision and an innovative approach to start solving such problems. She was just 15 when she co-founded Afrocentric Bamboo with Bernice Dapaah, a company that manufactures and markets bicycles made from, of all things, bamboo. Today, she is heading what has become a growing brand and one that is struggling to keep up with demand. Designed in-house, Afrocentric Bamboo bikes are sturdy, affordable and made to tackle the high terrain and rough roads of rural Ghana. Winnifred actively demonstrates through her positive approach to sustainable entrepreneurship that young people can improve their own economic futures through such projects. www.ghanabamboobikes.org
Anne Amuzu - Nandimobile
Anne Amuzu is co-founder and lead product developer of Nandimobile Ltd., a young and vibrant technology startup based in Ghana and founded in 2010. Nandimobile’s objective is to leverage the high mobile penetration rates in Africa to create customer service technology that enables businesses to easily connect with their customers on the mobile platform. Anne is a graduate of Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, which was established to train and mentor young entrepreneurs in Africa. www.nandimobile.com
Magel Suglo - Eco Shoes
Mabel Suglo is a rising star on the African footwear scene. Her company, Eco Shoes, offers an assortment of shoes and accessories that are fashionable and Afro-themed, using recycled materials. Her employee-base is made up of predominantly disabled individuals and she aims to increase their economic participation through real job opportunities. Mabel believes that disability is not inability and employs people with a variety of disabilities to create products that she sells into wholesale and retail markets. “There are millions of discarded car tyre stockpiles and waste materials in Ghana which pose an environmental and health hazard,” says Mabel. Eco-Shoes rescues some of the millions of tyres and other material waste creating an environmental nuisance, to make fashionable and comfortable shoes. The company seeks to build a community of conscious consumers with a forward thinking team who believe re-using and recycling can turn trash into treasure. www.ecoshoesgh.com
Ady Namaran Coulibaly is Co-Founder and Quality and Compliance Manager of Bolingo Consult, a language services company established in 2019, which currently has offices in Ghana and Rwanda and a 10-person strong workforce. Through Bolingo Consult, Ady supports organisations and businesses looking to engage populations in Africa in their mother tongues and expand their reach within the continent. Ady is an ardent promoter of African languages, having co-founded the African Languages Conference.