Gladys Kgorane, an entrepreneur creating special events and wellness retreats for those looking for rest and relaxation

July 27, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Gladys Kgorane, founder Caleb’s Farm Cabins (South Africa)

Startup Stories

Gladys Kgorane is a visionary entrepreneur and woman of faith, driven by a deep desire to create spaces of healing, rest, and joyful connection. As the founder of Caleb’s Farm Cabins in Potchefstroom, South Africa, she has transformed a quiet piece of land into a peaceful farm destination offering accommodation, events, and wellness retreats. Rooted in purpose and inspired by the Biblical story of Caleb, Gladys is passionate about helping others find peace, celebrate life’s moments, and rediscover hope through nature and hospitality.

Clara Chinwe Okoro, a pioneering travel tech entrepreneur empowering travelers to discover the hidden gems of Africa

January 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Clara Chinwe Okoro, Founder and Chief Operating Officer, My Beautiful Africa (Nigeria)

Startup Story

Clara Chinwe Okoro is Founder and Chief Operating Officer at the travel tech company My Beautiful Africa, based in Lagos, Nigeria, and launched in 2019. Designing Travel experiences in Africa with Technology at My Beautiful Africa, she is passionate and focused on promoting how digital transformation in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector can lead to a more competitive Tourism industry in Africa through Smart Tourism. Clara's speaking engagements are known for being both engaging and informative, providing valuable insights into the intersection of technology and tourism.

Leslie Jaroschek, a travel agency founder creating authentic tourism experiences in Botswana

March 17, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Leslie Jaroschek, founder and ceo, Authentic Botswana Tours (Botswana)

Startup Story

Leslie Jaroschek is the founder and ceo of Authentic Botswana Tours, a travel agency that attracts tourists from all over the world and offers Wildlife safari, Photography Safari, and Tented Safari experiences. Having obtained an MBA in International Tourism Management from Cyprus University, Leslie started her business in 2021, just after the COVID era. The company is 100% owned by Motswana women. Authentic Botswana Tours operates from Botswana and employs only Batswana.

Lioness Launch / Lifestyle brand, Africana Woman, launches its first international retreat for women

September 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Chulu Chansa, founder, Africana Woman (Zambia)

Lioness Launch

Africana Woman is a lifestyle brand, founded by Chulu Chansa in Zambia, that helps women of African descent connect, collaborate and celebrate. Chulu believes in pursuing holistic health in order to attract true wealth. The brand’s range of products support women in their mental, emotional and spiritual health, with Retreats, Workshops, Courses, and Community on offer. This month sees the announcement of the first International Retreat to Marrakech, Morocco. The Retreat is slated for 2-7 July, 2023 and will take the women through a signature program called KNOW your Roots, Grow your Purpose. This is a guided, deep self-reflection where women will rest, reflect and reconnect with themselves.

Irina Mayra Cremildo, a Mozambican entrepreneur making travel management easy for her clients

September 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Irina Mayra Cremildo, founder, Kusafiri Afrika LDA (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Making travel and tourism arrangements can often be stressful, particularly for companies and people with complex needs, but Irina Mayra Cremildo, founder of Kusafiri Afrika LDA in Mozambique, has the specialist services to make travel less of a chore and a real pleasure.

Johanna Makgalemele, a powerhouse leader in global executive travel

August 1, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Travel with Flair, a leading South African personalized travel management service

Johanna Makgalemele is an accountant and B Comm graduate from Rhodes University. She is the co-founder of Travel with Flair, a company she started in 1996 with her two partners. TWF employs over 780 people (before Covid) with offices throughout South Africa and won Most Empowered Business of the Year. She is the first person from the African continent to sit on the Global Tourism Board (ACTE) – Association of Corporate Travel Executives where she represented the Middle East and Africa. Johanna has been blessed with many business accolades from “Most Influential Woman in Business and Government in Tourism” to EY Emerging World Entrepreneur of the Year. BWA recently awarded her “Business Woman of the Year” award, and she was also awarded by SA Style awards “Most Stylish Business Personality” of the year. She has been elected to sit on the ASATA Board as Vice-President for 3 years consecutively. Philanthropy is very important to Johanna and she chairs the board of the Salvation Army and assist with fundraising for their abundant children’s homes.

Millicent Motsoeri, a South African entrepreneur making vacations affordable for working people

March 21, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content - Absa

Everyone loves to take a vacation during the year, but often when the time comes to stop work and take a trip, funds can be in short supply. In South Africa, entrepreneur Millicent Motsoeri, co-founder of Heita Ngamla Holidays, has created a vehicle for customers to pre-pay for their vacations over time, making them more accessible to everyone.

Lioness Launch / Themba Travel launches The Beautiful Mix Tour experience for visitors to South Africa

March 14, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

Themba Travel, founded by entrepreneur Chantal Potgieter, designs and offers transformational tours to give guests an authentic South African experience. The company offers tours in Cultural, Conservation, and Volunteering within South Africa, and is intentional in what it wants visitors to see and experience as it takes time in crafting our tours. The company is launching The Beautiful Mix tour, a combination of three main experiences (Cultural, Community, and Conservation) This 12 day, 11-night tour is designed to give guests a taste of the diverse culture, connect them with local community projects, and experience a Safari within a wildlife conservation area. It is also a great opportunity to explore the best of cosmopolitan Cape Town in the south and the best of the north in Johannesburg.

Leidemara Ramos, an entrepreneur creating Cape Verde’s first integrated transport and visitor booking platform

December 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Startup Story

For travellers who want to visit Cape Verde for vacations or business, help is at hand thanks to the team at Resermar Reservas Online, the country’s first online integrated booking platform co-founded by Leidimara Ramos. This one-stop-shop platform assists not only visitors, but also those smaller suppliers on Cape Verde who want to connect with potential new customers.

Creating new hospitality powerhouses

February 23, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content: Absa

Nyeleti Mushwana of Karibu Leisure Resort and Conference Centre shares how Absa is helping her expand into a nationwide hospitality powerhouse.

Claudia Phantshi, a South African entrepreneur creating memorable travel experiences for her clients

January 5, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Claudia Phantshi, founder of Pathfinder Travel Consultancy (South Africa)

Startup Story

Whether planning a business trip or a vacation, it always pays to have a specialist travel planner to help organize the ultimate experience. In South Africa, Claudia Phantshi, founder of Pathfinder Travel Consultancy, is doing just that.

Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi, an entrepreneur sharing Botswana’s unique travel adventure story with her customers

November 25, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi, founder of Happy Soul Adventures (Botswana) — **Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi**, founder of Happy Soul Adventures (Botswana)

For many travellers, their experience of a country is limited to what the guidebook and their travel operator sets out for them. But for entrepreneur Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi, founder of specialist travel adventure company Happy Soul Adventures, her wish is to create uniquely memorable and special experiences for visitors to her country.

African City Guide, the story of three friends, Megan Bowren, Eva Shuman, and Frances van Hasselt, whose love of travel led them to create the African City Guide

October 21, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Megan Bowren, Eva Shuman, and Frances van Hasselt, co-founders of African City Guide

It can be daunting for even the most experienced traveller to visit a new city on the African continent without practical knowledge or experience of what to expect on the ground. That’s where the African City Guide comes in. The brainchild of three enterprising entrepreneurs and passionate travellers, Megan Bowren, Eva Shuman, and Frances van Hasselt, their website is packed with information and recommendations provided by travelers who have been there and done it!

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