Event Report
Lionesses of Africa’s latest Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024, took place on 17 April 2024, with 148 women entrepreneurs predominantly from South Africa joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “Women in manufacturing, creating jobs and local impact”. It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognise and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building sustainable manufacturing businesses that are creating much-needed jobs and driving economic growth.
As with all Lioness Business Agility Webinars, the event focused on creating a great conversation featuring highly experienced women entrepreneurs from our Lionesses of Africa community in South Africa who are building growing and sustainable manufacturing businesses and brands, and importantly creating jobs in the manufacturing sector - both for themselves and for others. The aim was to hear their experiences, the challenges they have faced, their success stories, and also their thoughts on what women entrepreneurs in South Africa need in terms of support to create more sustainable manufacturing businesses in the future. Adding depth to the conversation was the team from Absa, who shared how the bank is proactively supporting the growth of women entrepreneur-led manufacturing businesses in order to further stimulate economic growth and job creation. The team shared news and insights on the Absa Business She Thrives proposition and the bank’s strategy to support women-owned manufacturing SMEs.
Regular host, Nomalanga Sitole, Lionesses of Africa Enterprise Ambassador, kicked off the session by introducing the theme and the guest speakers and panelists for the webinar. First up to speak was Lionesses of Africa founder and ceo, Melanie Hawken, who shared her insights and information on LoA’s focus on helping more women entrepreneurs to build sustainable manufacturing businesses that are high growth potential and create much-needed jobs in 2024. Melanie said:
“In many parts of the world, including on the African continent, women entrepreneurs often represent the majority of small business ownership. But they remain small, and don’t fulfill their growth potential. Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons is that many women entrepreneurs turn their passions or their existing skills into a business, but because of a lack of business training, confidence, access to capital, and access to markets and networks, it tends to keep them small. But as women entrepreneurs, if we want to make the biggest difference to our families, our communities, and the economies of our countries, it’s time to think bigger. We need to start thinking more strategically. We need to focus on building scaleable business models; we need to take advantage of the training and mentoring opportunities that exist; we need to gear up our businesses for growth and financing; and importantly we need to tap into the wealth of resources and networks that could improve the chances of stepping up to the next level.”
As the theme for the event was Women in Manufacturing, Creating Jobs, and Local Impact, then who better to kickstart the conversation than Chennelle Du Toit, Manufacturing Sector Analyst, Absa Relationship Banking, who certainly knows a thing or two about building successful and sustainable manufacturing businesses. Chennelle shared her insights and expertise with the audience, also giving details of a great resource brochure available from Absa, Manufacturing Insights 2023, which every Lioness in manufacturing should read (see attached brochure).
Speaking on the event theme and with a real focus on the women entrepreneur experiences was Zama Ledidi, founder, of Unipro Protective Wear in South Africa. If you read the most recent Lioness Weekender edition, you will have seen Zama was our featured cover story, and her business-building story is truly inspirational. Unipro Protective Wear is a business specializing in the manufacture of bullet-resistant vests for the state, security companies, and other private sectors. Zama shared details of her unique entrepreneurial journey and her plans for future growth. She provided a unique insight into what it takes to build a growing business in the manufacturing sector in Africa and shared her advice for others looking to break into the sector with their own businesses.
Next up on the programme was a speaker who has been a member of our Lionesses of Africa community for many years, and we have seen her unique manufacturing business grow from strength to strength. Candice Johnson is the founder of Miss Knitwear, a luxury knitwear brand established in 2013. Her business was borne out of a passion for design, combining the best of old world mohair with the luxurious softness of high quality knitwear. Candice is a Cape Town based designer celebrating traditional South African skills, luxurious raw materials such as mohair and ostrich feathers, and local talent to create stunningly beautiful, luxury knitted garments. Her new collection has just been launched.
Speaking on what Absa is doing to support women in manufacturing, Khanya Matshikwe, Head: Proposition Enablement - SME Relationship Banking – Strategy & Customer Value Management at Absa, gave an inspirational talk to really get the session going, and the audience thinking. She shared her insights on the bank’s support for women entrepreneurs and their growth businesses, through its Absa Business She Thrives proposition. Khanya encouraged the audience members to set up a call or meeting with a specialist Absa banker to get some great advice and support to help them to grow their businesses and create more manufacturing jobs in South Africa.
The popular Lioness Panel Discussion followed with women entrepreneurs from the Lionesses of Africa community sharing their experiences of growing sustainable manufacturing businesses, accessing new markets, and getting funding ready for greater growth in 2024. On the panel were four successful South African women-owned manufacturing businesses including:
Each of the panelists was given the opportunity to introduce their businesses and share their insights and experiences of building successful manufacturing businesses and addressing challenges such as access to growth funding and support. The panel, which also took questions from the audience, included:
Buhle Magwentshu, founder, Asmara Coffee
Buhle is a Food Scientist and seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of corporate experience in the FMCG sector. Her business, Asmara Coffee, is an artisanal micro-roastery based in Johannesburg established in 2018 with the vision to make quality, artisanal coffee, which appeals not only to the palates of coffee connoisseurs but also to those starting out on the exciting journey of exploring coffee
Lwazikazi Kwaza, founder, The Melanin House
Lwazikazi is the founder of an afro-centric manufacturing powerhouse that currently designs and manufactures specialized luxury fragrances in all categories. Operating for almost half a decade, The Melanin House was founded in 2020 and is committed to producing high quality fragrances, that are made to tell fragrant and majestic African stories.
Cate Olifant, founder, Akani Paints
Cate is the founder of a paint manufacturing business specializing in Water Base Paint for Home Owners, Commercial, and Industrial clients. The business is situated in Limpopo – Tzaneen and currently has 10 permanent employees and 6 casual staff members.
Annie Sibindi Muronda, founder, Rufaro Garments
Annie Sibindi Muronda is the founder and managing director of Rufaro Garments, a rapidly growing school uniform manufacturing business making great garments affordable. After an 8 year career in financial services, Annie left to follow her true passion of building a disruptive, African manufacturing company in 2014. Since then, she has created jobs for over 65 people.
The final speaker on the programme was Weli Ntuli, Area Segment Manager SME, Absa, who gave a more detailed update on the offerings included in the Absa SME Woman Customer Value Proposition, and answered questions from the audience.
The webinar wrapped up with Lionesses of Africa founder and ceo, Melanie Hawken, giving the closing remarks and informing the audience of the various tools and resources available from the Lionesses of Africa team and on the portal.
The next Lioness Business Agility webinar will be hosted in June 2024 - more programme details will be shared on the Lionesses of Africa website - www.lionessesofafrica.com
To find out more about the support available to women entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector, contact Chennelle Du Toit, Analyst Manufacturing Sector, Absa - email: chennelle.Gaskill@absa.africa or manufacturing@absa.africa