the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Couverture du guide numérique financé par AFAWA, présentant des entrepreneures africaines soutenues par le programme du Groupe de la Banque
Launch Press Release
Cover of the AFAWA-financed digital playbook featuring AFAWA-supported entrepreneurs sharing their business journey
Launch Press Release
Thandekile Moloko
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
SimWealth, a business on a mission to simplify the financial planning process and empower its clients in South Africa
Thandekile Moloko is a Financial Planner and the founder of Simwealth in South Africa, a business launched in 2019 and committed to helping individuals and businesses transform their financial future through clear, personalized, and practical financial planning. With a mission to make financial planning simple, accessible, and effective, Thandekile delivers tailored strategies that support long-term financial growth, security, and freedom. Whether you’re working towards personal financial milestones or navigating the financial complexities of running a business, her approach is grounded in creating actionable, sustainable plans that truly work. From managing day-to-day finances and preparing for life’s uncertainties to building generational wealth and achieving business scalability, Thandekile empowers her clients to make confident financial decisions. Her comprehensive planning process focuses on increasing net worth, protecting what matters most, and aligning financial strategies with your lifestyle and long-term goals.
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by Catia Mondlane
In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, maintaining mental clarity, reducing stress, and boosting productivity are essential. A powerful way to achieve this balance is through meditation and other spiritual practices. Let’s explore how practices such as meditation, Ho'oponopono, and creative visualisation can transform your entrepreneurial journey, enhancing your well-being and success. I will also share personal experiences of how these practices have positively impacted my life and career.
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by Catia Mondlane
The journey of a single mother to becoming a successful entrepreneur is a story of resilience, determination, and courage. It is a journey that can inspire and motivate many other women to believe in their potential and pursue their dreams, regardless of the challenges. In this article, we will explore the essential steps of this transformation, offering practical tips and inspiring stories to empower each reader to follow her own path to success.
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by Catia Mondlane
Facing financial challenges is a reality for many of us. However, with creativity and determination, we can turn these difficulties into opportunities for growth and success. Let’s explore practical and inspiring strategies to overcome these obstacles, which, with resilience, transform adversities into impressive achievements.
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Enid Katorobo Bashengezi, founder, EKB Consultants (South Africa)
Startup Story
With over 20 years of experience in accounting and project management, Enid Katorobo Bashengezi is the founder of EKB Consultants in South Africa. She is a seasoned professional specializing in leadership development, fiduciary assurance, and financial management across sectors, including decentralized systems. She is a Chartered Accountant (FCCA) and holds master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Information Technology (MSc IT), alongside certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Personal Leadership Effectiveness Coach and Consultant.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
London, February 2020 and a few days before, Melanie had just given her closing speech at our ‘Start-Up Night Africa - London evening at the UK/Africa Summit (said to have been the best event at the summit by the well respected Chatham House - no surprise to us. As usual, Melanie had brought together an incredible group of inspirational Lionesses to showcase to the UK Government and their closest 400 friends from the business and finance world), and together as a team we had started to notice a strange lack of handshakes taking over our follow-up meetings. We had even been introduced to the by now familiar ‘elbow-bump’ in one international bank’s boardroom, but by then all knew of the shock, speed and horror with which Covid was racing across Italy and rushing fast to all international airports and capital cities.
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by Ronel Jooste
What is VAT? VAT is an abbreviation for the term Value-Added Tax. It is an indirect tax on the consumption of goods and services in the economy. It is a tax on the end consumer, but it is collected by businesses on behalf of the government.
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by Kathryn Main
When I started my first business, I considered the financial side of things as “boring accounting stuff” – something I was not keen on initially. My feelings on the matter soon changed. Financial structures in your business are much more than mere accounting practices. As important as it is to manage your income and expenses, there is a lot more to setting up your financial structures than you may expect.
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by Kathryn Main
We have been through a tough two years emotionally and financially after the global epidemic that had us all scared and behind closed doors. In the months that followed, South Africa was hit with flooding, riots and an ever increasing electricity crisis. Throw in the war that started in 2021 and you will find a large number of working class people struggling to make it through each month.
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by Ronel Jooste
For many business owners, the concept of tax and complying with tax rules and regulations can be daunting. Tax compliance however plays a vital role in the success and growth of your business. When you apply for funding, banks and funding houses require a tax compliance certificate. Many bigger organisations that you want to do business with, require a tax compliance certificate. Most tender or business proposal processes require a tax compliance certificate. As business owner you limit your opportunities if you are not submitting your returns and paying your taxes when required. Also remember that SARS keeps you as business owner responsible. Arguing ignorance or blaming your accountant will not set you free as far as SARS is concerned.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
We saw a fascinating statistic recently regarding job applications and the differing actions of women vs men. In job applications according to an original study by Hewlett Packard and discussed by the Harvard Business Review (‘HBR’) back in 2014 (here) and continually confirmed in more recent studies such as from LinkedIn here, men will apply to jobs if they feel they match 60% of the requirements on the job application. Women? They will apparently agonize for ages over the last 5% on the way to 100% certainty.
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by Charmel Flemming
Adapt or die. That was the theme for businesses throughout 2020 and 2021. If it has taught us anything, it's that businesses and companies who took the chaos, uncertainty and vulnerability of the last two years and turned it into opportunities to learn, pivot and regroup were the real survivors of the pandemic onslaught.
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by Charmel Flemming
Hi, I’m Charmel Flemming, CEO and founder of F Twelve in South Africa. F Twelve is founded on the premise of using innovative cloud-based accounting technologies to provide real-time and relevant information to clients. As an outsourced cloud-based accounting company, we are committed to solving the challenges many small and medium business owners face. This goes beyond just accounting but spans into real business challenges because your business functions as an ecosystem and all the parts work together and rely on each other.
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by Ronel Jooste
Finances are an integral part of any business. Let us be honest, there is no sense in running a business that is not profitable unless it is for a charity cause. The sad reality is that plenty of business owners don’t spend a lot of time on managing and analyzing their finances. Finances are often perceived to be boring, complicated, or only a support function within a business. The truth is, the better you manage your finances, the more successful your business will become. The better you know your numbers, the more powerful decisions you can make.
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by Ronel Jooste
As you might know in South Africa, SARS has rolled out auto assessments for the 2019/20 tax year, mainly for non-provisional taxpayers. In this video clip I explain what an auto assessment entails and the 3 important things you should do when you are auto assessed.
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by Ronel Jooste
Many business owners find the invoicing process quite tedious and this is also a process that many businesses neglect. Invoicing is, however, a critical process for your cash flow management.
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Bernadette Umunyana, founder, Dokmai (Rwanda)
Get good investment advice!…
Bernadette Umunyana, founder, Dokmai (Rwanda)
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by Ronel Jooste
Cash flow is critical to any business despite the size or type of business. Cash flow can be compared to a river. A river will always flow into a dam or the sea, and for the river to remain flowing there needs to be a constant inflow of water. At some point there might be a cascade where the water will be tumbling down over rocks and building up to that cascade the river needs even more water flowing in. When there is a strong inflow of water the cascade turns into a beautiful picture. Similarly businesses need a constant inflow of cash to support their cash outflows in the form of expenses, paying suppliers and repaying debt. When a business has a solid inflow of cash and manage the outflow of cash, the business can ultimately grow and thrive.
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