Selusiwe Lukhele, an entrepreneur creating a vibrant cafe hub for local people to meet and connect in Eswatini

March 13, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Selusiwe Lukhele, founder, Happiness Junction Cafe (Eswatini)

Startup Story

Selusiwe Lukhele is an entrepreneur from Eswatini and the founder of Happiness Junction Cafe, an award-winning youth-owned business launched in 2021 and known for its warm hospitality and innovative offerings. A 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards winner, Selusiwe was selected for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed an intensive six-week program focused on business leadership, entrepreneurship, and networking with global change-makers.

Lungile Mbhamali, an entrepreneur transforming plastic waste into handcrafted accessories in Eswatini

February 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lungile Mbhamali, founder, (ban-twa-na) Craft (Eswatini)

Startup Story

(ban-twa-na) Craft, founded by entrepreneur Lungile Mbhamali in Eswatini, began 2017, a small, handcrafted business which collects and recycles plastic packaging waste from supporters and friends of (ban-twa-na) and also collecting in areas where waste pollution is to be found. After collecting the waste, (ban-twa-na) constructs various craft items such as bags, coin purses, key holders, laptop bags, make up pouches and also backpacks, mainly using recycled chocolate wrappers, chip packets and maize meal bags. Founder Lungile has been recognised for her entrepreneurial recycling efforts and featured in Forbes Magazine in October 2018, and also CNN. She has had the chance to train differently-abled women and men on toy and doll making, under the organization Palms for Life, has undertaken and delivered a few corporate orders, and also exported goods to South Africa and England.

Nokuphila Dlamini, a graphic design specialist in Eswatini helping SMEs to market their brands

December 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Nokuphila Dlamini, founder, Visibility Graphics (Eswatini)

Startup Story

Nokuphila Dlamini is the founder of Visibility Graphics in Eswatini, an e-commerce business that offers graphic design services to Small and Medium Enterprises in the country. She currently lives in Mankayane, Eswatini and holds a Bachelor's degree in Arts of Journalism and Mass Communication, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations. She also has a Certificate in Digital Marketing.

Sian Louw, an entrepreneur in eSwatini on a mission to change lives and organisations

May 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sian Louw, ceo and owner, The Pacific Institute Swaziland

Startup Story

Everyone wants to have the opportunity to become the best versions of themselves, but achieving the desired end goal is not always easy with out expert help. In eSwatini, entrepreneur Sian Louw, ceo and owner of The Pacific Institute Swaziland, is assisting those who are looking to transform themselves and their organisations.

Claudia Castellanos, an impact driven entrepreneur creating change through chillies

May 2, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Black Mamba, an award-winning, Eswatini-based, specialty food brand making a sustainable impact.

Black Mamba is an ethical business from Eswatini in Southern Africa, co-founded by Claudia Castellanos and her husband Joe, that manufactures specialty foods that are good-for-you, good-for-the-planet, and good for the rural communities they work with. The range includes chilli sauces, pestos, chutneys and jams, all made with organically grown ingredients and “no added nonsense”. Through a partnership with the local NGO Guba, Black Mamba trains small holders in permaculture and regenerative farming and buy their fresh produce to make our products. To date, 60 farmers are part of the value chain, and the direct positive impact reaches over 1000 individuals in Eswatini. Black Mamba has won several Great Taste Awards in the UK for its chilli sauces, and currently exports its range to countries such as South Africa, the US, the UK, Germany, Norway and Taiwan.

Eswatini’s Black Mamba Foods announces R9.2 million investment in the business by Enygma Ventures

November 22, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Claudia Castellanos, co-founder of Black Mamba Foods (Eswatini)

Investment Feature

Enygma Ventures has just announced that Black Mamba Foods, the ethical producer of specialty foods (best known for its chilli sauces) based in Eswatini, and co-founded by entrepreneur Claudia Castellanos, has become the fund's latest pioneering investment.

Sanele Dlamini, an entrepreneur from Swaziland creating a successful retail business and empowering others at the same time

May 12, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Sanele Dlamini, founder of Flexy (eSwatini) — **Sanele Dlamini**, founder of Flexy (eSwatini)

The inspiration for entrepreneur Sanele Dlamini to establish her clothing retail and beauty business, Flexy, came from the need to create an economic future for herself. Today she is doing much more, creating future career paths for other young women in her country.

Eswatini’s women entrepreneurs Lean In for greater business success with Lionesses of Africa and Standard Bank

March 24, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Eswatini has a growing environment for women entrepreneurs to realize their business building ambitions. So, it was good to see over 100 of the country’s leading women entrepreneurs gathering at the Royal Villas for the first Lioness Lean In event to be held in the country on 21 March. The event aimed to give women entrepreneurs in the country the opportunity to share their business building stories, inspire one another, and connect for greater business success.

Mellisa Mazingi, a global brand builder revolutionizing the world view of traditional Swaziland handicrafts

September 1, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Mellisa Mazingi, Managing Director of Gone Rural Swaziland — **Mellisa Mazingi**, Managing Director of Gone Rural Swaziland

Africa has a long tradition of producing handcrafted goods that are lovingly produced by each country’s rural communities. But for one company, Gone Rural in eSwatini, headed by entrepreneur Mellisa Mazingi, the mission is to create world class, handcrafted products that the world can fall in love with.

Sonia Paiva, a Swaziland serial entrepreneur making an impact in the agribusiness and food processing sectors in her country

January 27, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Sonia Paiva, founder of Woman Farmer Foundation & Eswatini Kitchen (Swaziland) — **Sonia Paiva**, founder of Woman Farmer Foundation & Eswatini Kitchen (Swaziland)

Building one business is tough enough, but creating and running two successful, high impact businesses that both positively impact on society and the lives of those working in the agricultural sector is impressive. Sonia Paiva, founder of the Woman Farmer Foundation & Eswatini Kitchen (Pty) Ltd is proof positive that it can be done.

Claudia Castellanos Roques, a passionate foodpreneur based in Swaziland creating a taste sensation with her gourmet chilli brand

August 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Claudia Castellanos Roques, co-founder Black Mamba (Swaziland) — **Claudia Castellanos Roques**, co-founder Black Mamba (Swaziland)

For all those who love the taste of chillis and want to buy products that are organic, fair trade produced in Swaziland, and supporting local farmers and producers, then Black Mamba is a gourmet chilli product brand to watch.

Thuli Dlamini-Teferi, a Swaziland food entrepreneur with the gift of turning local natural ingredients into tasty preserves and hot sauces

July 30, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Thuli Dlamini-Teferi, founder of Bobholotsi Flavours (Swaziland) — **Thuli Dlamini-Teferi**, founder of Bobholotsi Flavours (Swaziland)

There has been a global rise in interest in all things natural and artisan-made when it comes to food products, something that foodpreneur Thuli Dlamini-Teferi is tapping into with her company, Bobholotsi Flavours. She is exciting tastebuds throughout Swaziland with her lovingly handmade and natural range of jams and sauces, all celebrating the wealth of local ingredients on offer.

Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletters for Africa's women entrepreneurs.