Tabitha Karanja, CEO of the groundbreaking Kenyan Keroche Breweries empire, has a vision for the empowerment of a new generation of young entrepreneurs in her country. The Keroche Foundation Young Entrepreneurs Mentorship Program is one of the tangible ways she is fulfilling that vision.
Read moreEssential Read: Regroup - The How-To of Never Giving Up by Jaunique Sealey
Jaunique Sealey
Real, relatable and raw - an unflinching look at what it takes to live life on your own terms. Written in the words of a savvy best friend and packed full of emotion-stirring moments, Regroup is the entertaining and uplifting read that we all need in these days of uncertainty.
Read moreLindiwe Mafavuneh, a Botswana based entrepreneur on a mission to help companies to manage their risk and maximize their investments
Lindiwe Mafavuneh, founder of LCM Capital (Botswana)
Every company and organization needs to manage its risk profile whilst at the same time maximizing its ability to drive business success, but it’s a fine balancing act. For many, specilalist help and advice is needed to get that balance right, and that’s where LCM Capital has found its niche, thanks to founder Lindiwe Mafavuneh.
Read moreIn the footsteps of the Caesars
Every year in July I travel, but this time I won’t be, so allow me to do so vicariously through nostalgia of a past sojourn’s images etched colourfully in my mind. Though I traversed the breadth of Italy, it is Rome’s smells and spirited tales that beckon to be revealed and re-explored and I find myself willingly teleported to strange yet familiar sounds from my history books and daily business Latin phrases.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Rapelang Rabana
Rapelang Rabana, founder of ReKindle Learning and co-founder of Yeigo Communications
"...to improve and support innovation in Africa, the single most powerful thing to do is to deliver quality broadband internet to the majority of Africans. That, I think, will do a lot more than any 'Ministry of Innovation,' than any innovation fund, or any kind of innovation vehicle that we can think of....Access to information and communication is the most empowering thing we can do to support innovation. It opens doors for greater innovation in farming, education, health, and financial services."
- Rapelang Rabana is an internationally recognized technology entrepreneur, a thought leader and business speaker. She is the founder of Rekindle Learning, a learning technology company, and previously co-founded Yeigo Communications, South Africa's first free VoIP mobile services provider. In 2012 Rapelang was named on Oprah Magazine's O Power List; in 2013 she was listed on Forbes's 30 under 30 list for best entrepreneurs of Africa, and in 2014 she was named one of the Entrepreneurs of the World by the World Entrepreneurship Forum.
Read moreBecome a master asker!
In general, people like to mind their own business…excuse the pun. But I will tell you something about small town people…they love to help! We live in a society where we are trained to be self-sufficient and independent. Although it has merits, is it all that healthy?
Read moreWhy not be the first?
I watched the movie Hidden Figures recently and there is a scene in the movie where the character goes to court to fight to be able to attend a school she cannot go to. When asked why she was doing it, she told the judge that because it had never been done, she would have to be the first.
Read moreAwards and Accolades: 5 Young Women Entrepreneurs Recognized by the Keroche Foundation Young Entrepreneurs Mentorship Programme
The Keroche Foundation Young Entrepreneurs Mentorship Program is one of the tangible ways that leading Kenyan entrepreneur, Tabitha Karanja, founder of Keroche Breweries, is fulfilling her vision of empowering a new generation of young entrepreneurs in her country. Five young women entrepreneurs have just been recognized for their business building activities in the second cohort to graduate from the program.
Read more100 Lionesses: Nigerian entrepreneur Mo Abudu, founder of Ebony Life TV, honored with journalism award
Mo Abudu, founder of Ebony Life TV (Nigeria)
This week, on 6th July 2017, the 4th Women in Journalism Conference takes place, honoring the outstanding work done by women in their own individual fields in the media sector. Nigerian game-changing media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu, founder of Ebony Life TV, is to be recognized for her work in changing the media landscape in Africa.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Caryn Formby
Caryn Formby, founder of Power Plastics, South Africa
"The starting point for entrepreneurship is for aspiring entrepreneurs to adopt a 'can do' attitude within existing companies. There are so many of us with opportunities within our current jobs.”
- Caryn Formby is founder and CEO of Power Plastics a South African company that joins, welds, shapes, sews and seals various plastic materials to fabricate high quality and cost effective end products. The company is well known for its plastic pool-covers and Caryn is passionate about child safety around pools. She is the driving force behind TopStep, the home of pool safety – an educational platform for all things relating to child drowning prevention. In November 2014, Caryn was an awardee at the prestigious global IWEC (International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge) ceremony held in Stockholm.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Nikki Davies: Believe in yourself
Nikki Davies, co-founder of Orchard Baby and Toddler Foods (South Africa)
Believe in yourself....
"Just keep on believing in yourself and don’t take no for an answer. Pursue your dream and pursue your customers. Don’t ever let them down."
- Nikki Davies is the co-founder of Orchard Baby and Toddler Foods, a South African company that produces convenient yet healthy baby and toddler food from 100 percent natural ingredients, seasoned with fresh herbs and spices, with no preservatives. When Nikki, a teacher at the time, began cooking meals for babies at her school parents loved the taste profile and convenience of these meals that this service very quickly turned into a thriving business. Today, Nikki distributes nearly 6000 jars of this convenient real baby food each month.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Kendi Sapepa: Get the ball rolling
Kendi Sapepa, founder of Barbara McKenzie (South Africa)
Get the ball rolling....
"There is no perfect time to start. Just do it. Don't wait for anything, just get the ball rolling."
- Kendi Sapepa is the founder of Barbara McKenzie in South Africa, a Johannesburg-based clothing brand that provides classic-inspired yet modern and fashion-forward clothing for stylish and fashionable women, through offering: consulting for bespoke orders, seasonal ready-to-wear collections, and styling service. Established in 2013, Barbara McKenzie has been catering for all women of all ages, races, shapes and sizes, all over the country.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Megan Richards: Collaboration is powerful
Megan Richards, founder of The Authentic Girl (South Africa)
Collaboration is powerful....
"Just start! So many times we delay projects for fear of being judged or not having a perfect product. When I started blogging, I didn't have a perfect product but I learnt as I moved along. I am a firm believer in supporting other women entrepreneurs, there's so much power when women collaborate!"
- Megan Richards is the founder of The Authentic Girl in South Africa, a lifestyle blog that aims to inspire women through 3 lifestyle products namely fashion, beauty, food and wine. Megan started the blog in 2014 as a platform to share the things she loves. She is currently furthering her studies in Industrial Psychology.
Read moreKenya’s women entrepreneurs gather for the first Lioness Lean In event in the country
The Lioness Lean In Tour of Africa continued this month with a visit to Nairobi, Kenya, to bring 50 of the city’s leading women entrepreneurs together to inspire, share, connect and of course network. It was a great morning powered by Stanbic Bank, our impact partner in Africa, and we can’t wait to be back to host another of our popular Lioness Lean In Breakfast events in this beautiful city.
Read moreYolie Thela, a South African entrepreneur creating unique baby clothing that celebrates her love of African prints
Yolie Thela, founder of GloryBaby (South Africa)
The global market for beautifully made, colorful and fun baby clothes that are loved by babies and moms alike is growing, and particularly in Africa. Tapping into that growing market opportunity is South African entrepreneur, Yolie Thela, founder of GloryBaby, with her proudly South African prints brightening up the wardrobes of babies across the country and the continent.
Read moreLiberty’s women intrapreneurs ‘lean in’ to learn about building a business
Many people working as employees for major companies who enjoy their daily corporate lives also have a dream to one day kickstart an entrepreneurial idea into action and build a business. Recognizing this aspiration, Liberty Group is doing something proactive to help its women employees fulfill this dream.
Read moreAdèle Cutten, the startup story of a passionate South African craftswoman taking her love of natural yarns to a whole new level
Adèle Cutten, founder of Adèle’s Mohair (South Africa)
Successful businesses are often inspired by the passion of their founders, and in the case of Adèle Cutten, founder of Adèle’s Mohair, it was a passion for transforming sought-after natural fibres like Mohair, Wool, Silk and Alpaca, into beautiful yarns. Today, her company produces a wide range of yarns with interesting colours and textures, together with beautifully crafted end-products, all the while adding value to the lives of the people involved in the process.
Read more100 Lionesses: Divine Ndhlukula appointed new Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce President
Divine Ndhlukula, founder of Securico
This month saw the appointment of Divine Ndhlukula, founder of game changing security services company, Securico, as the new Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) President, a post she will occupy for the next two years. She has committed to dedicating her time at the helm of the ZNCC to furthering the cause of small to medium sized enterprises, something close to her heart as an entrepreneur. Divine said: “It will be important to note that we will focus on helping SMEs to realize their full potential as they now anchor the country’s economy. In the same vein, we will also strive to ensure that the country’s economy can realize its full potential.”
Read moreHow becoming a new parent has taught me important business lessons
In May this year I became a mommy! What an honour and privilege it is to take care of this precious little one. And what an amazing journey it has been thus far. I went on maternity leave for 4 weeks and started easing myself back into work in the 5th week. This of course got me thinking, of how your time and priorities change, and what it’s truly like to be a working mom.
Read moreEssential Read: Uplevel by Tale Alimi
Tale Alimi
If there is anyone who knows how to make a living from an entrepreneurial passion then it has to be Tale Alimi, a business growth specialist from Nigeria. Her new book, Uplevel, is written to provide a step by step guide to help others to find their niche and convert it into a profitable business. She draws on her own personal experiences on how to find life’s calling, and is proof positive that it is indeed possible to grow a business based on an entrepreneurial passion.
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