PRESS RELEASE
Report produced by Lionesses of Africa and financed by African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative
The COVID-19 pandemic has made businesses, large and small and across all industry sectors, start thinking about Digital Transformation as a priority, pushing it to the top of their agendas. However, for many women entrepreneurs on the African continent, the challenge is knowing where to start. So as a practical response to the challenge, the 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook has been launched, the first in a series of practical digital tools for Africa’s women entrepreneurs produced by Lionesses of Africa, with the support of The African Development Bank through its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA). The 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook provides peer to peer insights for women enterprises to kickstart their digital transformation journeys. It features 24 leading African women entrepreneurs who share their personal digital transformation playbooks and experience for improving efficiency, building resilience and speeding up recovery.
Speaking about the importance of digital transformation for women entrepreneurs in Africa, Esther Marieme Dassanou, Manager, Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), African Development Bank Group, says:
Esther Marieme Dassanou, Manager, Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), African Development Bank Group
“Digital transformation can be a game changer for women enterprises. It may even help accelerate access to finance, markets, knowledge and innovation for a segment that until now has been largely unserved. It may also lift unconscious biases which added to the access barriers women entrepreneurs faced pre-COVID. However, it will be important to increase women entrepreneurs’ digital literacy and skills, and further improve their online presence. The African Development Bank through its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) is pleased to have supported Lionesses of Africa with the 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook which provides peer to peer insights for women enterprises to quickly start their digital transformation journey. It is a tool that can also be used by financial institutions to help their women entrepreneurs as they bounce back from the pandemic and reinvent themselves. We look forward to hearing the great successes that will come out of the utilization of the Playbook.”
The 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook guides women entrepreneurs on how to create a digital transformation roadmap, a critical first step, showing how to prioritize those areas for improvement that will deliver the biggest impact. The Playbook provides 7 key business dimensions for women entrepreneurs to assess in their businesses from a digital transformation perspective, including Leadership & Strategy, Technology, Cybersecurity, Business Processes, People, Marketing & Sales, and Financial Transactions. Taking a digital transformation roadmapping approach will help women entrepreneurs to keep their transformation on track, and minimize the chance of wasted digital investment or implementation failure.
The 100 Lionesses Playbook Series provides practical business advice and insights delivered directly by leading African women entrepreneurs selected from Lionesses of Africa’s 100 Lionesses network. These experienced women entrepreneurs share their proven hacks, tactics and strategies for getting things done in business. Hard won, tried and tested business knowledge is presented in an easy-to-read format for women entrepreneurs across the African continent to learn from and apply in their own businesses.
Speaking about the launch of the 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook, Lionesses of Africa founder & ceo, Melanie Hawken, said:
Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa Public Benefit Corporation
“Women-owned businesses need to build resilience during disruptive and turbulent times, and digital transformation is key to successfully navigating these challenges. Having essential digital infrastructure in place means having the ability to stay agile, to react quickly to both opportunities and threats. It can drive efficiency and productivity levels, reducing operating costs, whilst at the same time creating the tools to tap into new market opportunities. Women entrepreneurs who invest in their digital transformation today, will be more competitive, more productive, and better equipped to withstand future shocks or challenges as they arise. Our 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook will help with this journey.”
The 100 Lionesses Digital Transformation Playbook for Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs can be downloaded below.
