Startup Story
Schneidine Phidelmond is the founder and Creative Explorer of MUSA Moz MEDIA, a holistic digital agency founded in 2022 and based in Mozambique. With over a decade of experience in media, including skills in sound engineering, audiovisual production, graphic design, and branding, she launched MUSA to support women entrepreneurs and small businesses in Southern Africa and the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. Multilingual and self-taught, Schneidine offers a sensitive and multidisciplinary approach to digital visibility and content creation. MUSA embodies her belief that creativity, culture, and sisterhood can fuel sustainable growth and inspiration. MUSA stands for: Mission, Ubuntu, Sorority, and Authenticity.
LoA spoke to founder, Schneidine Phidelmond, to learn more about her entrepreneurial journey, her passion for harnessing the power of digital media to support WSMEs and SMEs, and her vision for the future.
What does your company do?
MUSA Moz MEDIA is a holistic digital agency that supports women entrepreneurs and small businesses in their quest for a coherent and impactful digital presence. Structured around three pillars: MUSA BIZ, MUSA SOCIAL, and MUSA STUDIO, the agency blends business and brand strategy, online visibility, and multimedia content creation. It operates in southern Africa and across Afro-Caribbean and diaspora markets, particularly in Mozambique, France, and the Dominican Republic. Its mission: to provide high-quality, accessible, and inclusive services, culturally grounded, to boost productivity, and foster sustainable, eco-conscious, and inspiring growth... in the spirit of the muses.
“MUSA was born from those invisible stories: women who dreamed of independence but whose projects never saw the light due to lack of support and strategy; mothers who, through street businesses, managed to feed and educate future leaders.”
What inspired you to start your company?
I come from a matriarchal society, where I witnessed women fighting to become entrepreneurs at a time when there were no accessible tools or structured support.
MUSA was born from those invisible stories: women who dreamed of independence but whose projects never saw the light due to lack of support and strategy; mothers who, through street businesses, managed to feed and educate future leaders.
It’s also the story of expatriate women in search of meaning, and of multi-talented individuals like myself who refuse to fit into a box. MUSA is about claiming the right to dream big, differently.
What makes your business, service or product special?
At MUSA Moz MEDIA, our services are available à la carte or in customized packages, but what truly sets us apart is the holistic experience we offer. Our clients receive full support in one place: strategy, creation, coaching, and follow-up. Each project is tailored with care to maintain its uniqueness, regardless of the service level. We adapt to our client's languages and markets (FR, EN, PT, ES, KR), with special attention to cultural nuance, tone, and local context. MUSA is where structure meets sensitivity and agility, all in one creative space.
Tell us a little about your team
We are currently a core team of two: Carine K. Joseph and myself. Around us is a network of independent female collaborators: graphic designers, community managers, and commercial agents, based in various countries. Each year, I take the time to meet with Carine in person (she is currently based in the Dominican Republic), to reflect, reconnect, and grow together. Our team is intentionally female-led, flexible, multicultural, and deeply rooted in values of sisterhood and cultural grounding.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My entrepreneurial journey was born as much from necessity as from intuition. I grew up in a matriarchal environment, surrounded by resourceful and dignified women who ran households, raised children, and built micro-businesses as a means of survival and self-worth. I don’t come from a business network or family capital, but I was shaped by both artists and grassroots women who knew that every day was a challenge. My path has been off the beaten track: I’m self-taught, multidisciplinary, and multi-skilled, and I’ve always refused to fit into a box. MUSA was born as a natural extension of my creative experiences, deep-rooted values, and my desire to do things differently.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I want MUSA Moz MEDIA to become a key reference in digital support for Afro-descendant and Caribbean women entrepreneurs, across Southern Africa, diasporas, and francophone creative ecosystems. The goal is to strengthen our service offerings, develop tools that are increasingly accessible, intuitive, and multilingual, and provide more strategic and impactful support. I also dream of creating a fully virtual ecosystem where emerging women founders and creatives can grow, exchange, and earn, through mentorship, shared resources, and a culturally grounded marketplace of skills.
“MUSA is also the story of expatriate women in search of meaning, and of multi-talented individuals like myself who refuse to fit into a box. MUSA is about claiming the right to dream big, differently.”
“I want MUSA Moz MEDIA to become a key reference in digital support for Afro-descendant and Caribbean women entrepreneurs, across Southern Africa, diasporas, and francophone creative ecosystems.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
What nourishes me most is seeing a woman reclaim her vision with clarity, confidence, and boldness. That moment when she realizes she can build a brand in her own image, without having to conform or betray her values. It’s also when our creative work resonates beyond expectations...And of course, there’s freedom: the ability to imagine and create bridges between digital, culture, and humanity, with meaning, and without asking for anyone’s permission.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Don’t wait for things to be perfect before starting. Begin with what you have, right where you are. Dedicate just 30 minutes a day to learning or refining your vision. Be curious, test things out, and allow yourself to grow through action. Surround yourself with people who respect your energy and your rhythm. What you carry is valuable even if it doesn’t fit into any known mold. And above all: better to launch a living, evolving version of your idea than a flawless masterpiece that never sees the light of day.
Find out more
Email: contact@musamozmedia.com
Website: https://musamozmedia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musamozmedia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musamozmedia/
Why LoA loves it…
As start-up businesses, it’s often tough to create a strong, unique visible presence in highly competitive marketplaces, and that’s where the power of digital media comes in. Schneidine Phidelmond is building a holistic digital agency that specifically supports WSMEs and SMEs in Mozambique, where clients receive the full range of support in one place, from strategy and content creation, to coaching, and follow-up. She is the digital champion helping other startup businesses to succeed in the marketplace. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa