Over the past year, as part of our regular weekly Essential Reads feature on Lionesses of Africa, we have been showcasing the books published by Africa’s leading women authors on the subject of business and entrepreneurship. Here are 18 of our favourite books featured and which are well worth another read going into 2018. Prepare to be inspired!
As women entrepreneurs, we all need ongoing support, encouragement and inspiration, not to mention advice on key business topics as we build our businesses. Our selection of books below provide highly personal insights into how other successful women entrepreneurs in Africa have launched their companies and built their brands, often against the odds. They are also a great source of advice and information on everything from finance to sales and marketing techniques, and stress management to confidence building. Happy reading!
Raising Money Savvy Kids by Kathryn Main
As parents, we make every effort and sacrifice possible to ensure that our children receive the best education available. Unfortunately, the school curriculum taught today is missing one crucial puzzle-piece that will make our children’s education complete - money management. In her new book, Raising Money Savvy Kids, author and entrepreneur, Kathryn Main, is on a mission to provide kids with the financial advantage and financial freedom through education that most of their parents never had. Read our review.
Keep Going by Keneilwe Magula
Author and entrepreneur, Keneilwe Magula, is a firm believer that without the correct recipe, no matter how good you are in the kitchen, you will always make a terrible meal. She also believes that this is true about life also. She says that no matter how good you might be at something, if you don’t understand how life responds to our intentions you will always get the same bad results. Her new book, Keep Going, encourages you to look at life as a journey, and to realise that your current situation is not your final destination. Read our review.
Rising from the Ashes by Miyanda Katiwa
In her new book, Rising from the Ashes, successful serial entrepreneur and now author, Miyanda Katiwa, brilliantly draws life changing lessons from her experiences in life and business. She shares her moments of struggle, brokenness and hopelessness, and gives some invaluable lessons that will help any other woman entrepreneur to overcome their own challenges. Once broke, jobless and stateless, plus going through at the same time the heart wrenching experience of a painful divorce, Miyanda emerged as a successful entrepreneur and business consultant in her own right, building a strong human resource consultancy firm in Zambia. Today she is a serial entrepreneur, launching another highly successful agribusiness Pamushana Farm, specializing in growing seedlings for food production. Read our review .
Your Moment by Tumi Frazier
In her book, Your Moment, international keynote speaker and life coach, Tumi Frazier, shares her insights and advice on how women can seize their own personal moment and build the positive mindset and self-confidence needed to achieve key goals and ambitions. Read our review.
Own Your Space by Lori Milner and Nadia Bilchik
Own Your Space by authors and entrepreneurs, Nadia Bilchik and Lori Milner, is a great read for any working woman, whether in the corporate environment or for the entrepreneur. It provides practical tools and insights gleaned from workshops held around the world and from interviews with some of South Africa’s most accomplished women to provide you with tried-and-tested techniques, tips and advice to help you boost your career, enhance your confidence and truly own your space on every level. By exploring your head space, your physical space, personal grooming, virtual and networking skills as well as overcoming the negative effects of past conditioning, you will learn how to develop the unshakeable confidence to achieve absolutely anything. Read our review.
The New Entrepreneur by Shirley Anthony
"The world today is filled with opportunities and people are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur. There are those who have a breakthrough idea and successfully launch it; others see a gap in the market to buy a franchise or an existing business; some establish consulting or advisory services. These are the NEW entrepreneurs and all have in common a passion to pursue a business of their own and have taken action to make it happen." - Shirley Anthony, Author and Entrepreneur. Read our review.
The Business Tango by Anna Shilina
In The Business Tango, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Anna Shilina, provides the insights, tips and advice on how to become the best entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial version of yourself, in life and business. Read our review.
Dare to become a Success by Mulenga Kasoma
Do you want to succeed in life and business? Are you tired of simply being a spectator and want in on the action? Have you been toiling with the idea of taking your life and your business to the next level? Are you stuck in a rut? Would you like to start seeing things fall into place in your life and business instead of it being a constant struggle? If so, then this easy to read book by author, editor and entrepreneur, Mulenga Kasoma, could be for you. Read our review.
SmartWoman by Sylvia Walker
While some women seem to excel at making their money work for them, others battle from pay day to pay day. With the release of her new book, Smartwoman, South African financial planning guru, Sylvia Walker, provides an insight into what these ‘smartwomen’ know and shows what we can learn from them. Read our review.
Power in the Paddock by Yolanda Sing
When an illness as serious as a malignant brain tumor rudely interrupted the author’s life and successful corporate career, she realized that the illness had a message – not just for her but for the many others in our world also suffering with illness or caught up in careers that are demanding, stressful or no longer inspirational. In her quest to overcome the illness and live an abundant, successful, purposeful and healthy life, she made a choice to ‘hear and listen’ to the voices of hope. She also became an entrepreneur on a mission, through her company Chloe Consultants. Read our review.
Reaching Millions with Impact by Ndidi Okoonkwo Nwuneli
A new book, Reaching Millions with Impact, authored by social entrepreneur Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, has recently been launched in Lagos Nigeria, to serve as a guide to achieving impact on a larger scale in order to better address the major challenges posed by rapid population growth. These challenges include food provision, healthcare, housing, energy, sanitation, and education. Read our review.
The Disruptors - Social Entrepreneurs Reinventing Business & Society by Kerryn Krige and Gus Silber
Can business change the world? Can the world change business? These are questions asked by author Kerryn Krige and her co-author Gus Silber in the new book The Disruptors: Social entrepreneurs reinventing business and society. Read our review.
A Woman with No Country by Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri
A Woman With No Country is a quirky, innovative, storytelling Coffee Table Book that explores historical, cultural and social themes using fashion as a medium. The book is adorned with engaging thought provoking imagery in which the author becomes the subject of concepts. As a multi award-winning handbag designer, Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri who is originally from Zimbabwe, but now living and working around the world, writes about her life experiences in conversational essays and commentary. Read our review.
Stress Gone by Bridget Edwards
There is not a single entrepreneur out there that doesn’t experience stress along the journey to building a successful business and brand. The challenge is in understanding and managing that stress. In her new book Stress Gone!, emotional change catalyst and author, Bridget Edwards, provides a really practical guide for all those entrepreneurs who need to deal with stress on a day to day basis. Read our review.
Nothing is Impossible by Anthea Ambursley
Nothing is Impossible - Valuable lessons learned from an award-winning entrepreneur, is the story of one woman’s journey to building successful business ventures in a new era in South Africa. Author and entrepreneur, Anthea Thyssen-Ambursley cares deeply about her country and the people in it, and this comes across powerfully as she shares the ups and downs of embarking on any entrepreneurial venture for the first time in Africa. Read our review.
Play to Win - What women can learn from men in business by Donna Rachelson
Women are occupying more senior positions in the new world of work than ever before, but they still have a way to go. In many respects, the workplace is still a man’s world, run according to men’s rules. Donna Rachelson gets to grips with these rules and shows women how to work with them to advance their careers, while still retaining their femininity and bringing all of the strengths women possess to the workplace. Drawing on Rachelson’s own experience, as well as the experience of some of South Africa’s top businesswomen, this quick, practical read is a must for any woman who wants to make her mark in the business world. Read our review.
From Gomba to the White House by Rehmah Kasule
This book is not just a story; it is a personal and business development tool that will practically teach you how to believe in yourself, learn how to dare to be different, to share, learn, and collaborate with others. It will teach you the power of networking, mentorship, and paying it forward. It will teach you that each one of us can make a difference and that you can achieve anything in life as long as you know who you are, believe in yourself, and have confidence. Read our review.
Essential Finance Handbook for Business Owners by Precious MK Mvulane
Reading The Essential Finance Handbook for Business Owners could be one of the most helpful gifts you could ever give yourself as a business owner. It is a great companion for any entrepreneur who is venturing into the world of business, which can often be a daunting place for those starting out. This book has been written to provide expert, easy to understand guidance to business owners to help them to better manage and run their business financial performance, both effectively and efficiently. Practical financial management advice is essential in ensuring that a solid financial foundation is created that can help lead to the growth that is envisioned. Read our review.