Mandy Dube, a serial business builder creating economic empowerment opportunities for women in Zambia

March 10, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Mandy Dube, founder, Yinu Custom Creatives (Zambia)

Startup Story

Mandy Dube is the founder of Yinu Custom Creatives in Zambia, a business which she runs alongside her professional role in international development. Yinu Custom Creatives is a collection of five brands covering fashion (Bonisa Tailoring), beauty (Simple SkinCare), food (Wadya Chani) and entrepreneurship (Atuule Hyesu) all underpinned by mental health or as Mandy likes to put it, Mental Muscle. The focus of the business is to promote mental health, wellness and economic empowerment for women.

Doreen Michelo, a Zambian agripreneur addressing food security through affordable locally grown farm produce

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Doreen Michelo, Founder and Managing Director, Mzala Enterprise Ltd (Zambia)

Startup Story

Doreen Michelo is the Founder and Managing Director of Mzala Enterprise Ltd in Zambia, a business founded in 2018. She is a serial entrepreneur and business leader focusing on enhancing local community capacity growth and sustainability by growing and producing high quality farm produce for the local market that is not only accessible but very affordable. Empowering the local community through Agriculture Skills training and knowledge dissemination through the skills hub/centre is another major focus of the business as it aims to leave a lasting positive impact on the community supporting its operations. The business has employed 9 permanent workers and 20 seasonal workers. Doreen has 9 years business work experience as a professional in various industries.

Priscilla Musenge, a Zambian entrepreneur creating sustainable animal feed solutions for greener business

September 25, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Priscilla Museng, founder, Entomo Farm ( Zambia)

Startup Story

Priscilla Musenge is a Climate Change activist and a budding entrepreneur, who is the ceo and founder of Entomo Farm in Zambia, a business launched in 2018. It has since created jobs for 7 people. She was one of the top 10 Finalists of the inaugural cohort of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs in 2020, a White House Initiative. Additionally, in the same year, Priscilla’s start-up also received a grant in sustainable waste management from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Zambia. Most recently, she also won 2nd prize in the world’s largest green business ideas competition - the 2021 Climate Launchpad business competition and was one of the recipients of the inaugural 2022 ZANACO (Zambia National Commercial Bank) awards in Zambia.

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.

Evelyn Kaingu, a Zambian fintech champion empowering women and business

May 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Evelyn Kaingu, Co-Founder and CEO, Lupiya (Zambia)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Lupiya, an innovative fintech business in Zambia building inclusive and accessible financial solutions

Evelyn Kaingu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lupiya, a Zambian fintech providing financial solutions for individuals and businesses in Zambia. Evelyn is an award-winning young leader whose selfless belief in people drives her to innovate solutions that are people centric. Her ideas are well-placed in considering small enterprise and technology as enablers and measurements of economic progress in Africa. She has first-handedly designed products with very few resources and built Lupiya to be a million-dollar business. Launched in 2016, today Lupiya employs 20 people. Evelyn is one of the 50 founders selected for Google’s prestigious inaugural Black Founders Fund in Africa.

Chilufya Mutale, building a Pan African Challenger Bank for SMEs

April 17, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

PremierCredit, a Zambian fintech platform supporting women entrepreneurs and small scale traders

Chilufya Mutale is the Co-Founder and CEO of PremierCredit, an online microlending and investment platform operating in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since 2019 PremierCredit has been offering micro loans in Zambia, supporting local entrepreneurs and small scale traders, many of whom are women, increasing their access to capital and the ability to grow their businesses. With the support of its partner banks in Zimbabwe, PremierCredit provides affordable bicycles, smart phones and solar equipment to underserved communities across Zimbabwe. PremierCredit is the first mover on the Zambian market to offer Peer to Peer lending, a platform that connects Investors to borrowers. The company currently employs 60 people.

Chiinga Musonda, a pioneering artisan chocolate brand builder

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Chiinga Musonda, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia) — **Chiinga Musonda**, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Savanna Premium Chocolate, a bean-to-bar brand putting Zambia on the global chocolate map

Passion is one of the key ingredients to building any successful business and brand. And, in the world of artisan chocolate making, it is one of the Savanna Premium Chocolate brand’s strongest assets, thanks to founders Chiinga Musonda and Lynna Musonda Phiri.

Monica Musonda, Zambia’s nutritious food manufacturing visionary

January 17, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Java Foods, a food-processing market leader in affordable nutrition

Corporate Lawyer turned entrepreneur, Monica Musonda is the Founder of Java Foods, a Zambian based food-processing company that provides affordable nutrition to the Southern African market. Monica currently serves as non-executive director on a number of boards including Airtel Networks Zambia Plc & Zambia Breweries (where she is chair). She is the recipient of the 2017 African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year award, a 2013 Young Global Leader (World Economic Forum) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow. Forbes Magazine and Africa Investor named her as one of the leading Young Power Women in Business in Africa in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Savanna Premium Chocolate wins major international chocolate award

January 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Awards and Accolades

The International Chocolate Awards, the equivalent of the Oscars for the chocolate world, have recently taken place, and Zambia’s Savanna Premium Chocolate, founded by entrepreneur Chiinga Musonda and Lynn Musonda Phiri, has scooped a top prize.

100 LIONESSES: Monica Musonda, high-flying lawyer turned food manufacturing entrepreneur

June 8, 2019 Melanie Hawken

Monica Musonda, founder of Java Foods (Zambia) — **Monica Musonda**, founder of Java Foods (Zambia)

Monica Musonda is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods, a food processing company based in Zambia. Monica's vision is to revolutionize the eating habits of the youth market by offering them affordable and nutritious food options made from local products. Monica is a dual-qualified English solicitor and Zambian advocate with over 15 years of experience in legal practice and corporate management, including being corporate counsel at the International Finance Corporation and for Aliko Dangote of Dangote Industries Limited.

Bupe Chipili Mulapesi, a Zambian strawberry farmer and processor

October 12, 2018 Melanie Hawken

VIDEO: Bupe Chipili Mulapesi is a Zambian agripreneur turning her passion for strawberry growing into a thriving business in the country.

Bupe Chipili Mulapesi, a Zambian agripreneur turning her passion for strawberry growing into a thriving business in the country

October 8, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Bupe Chipili Mulapesi, founder of Farm23 Strawberry (Zambia) — **Bupe Chipili Mulapesi**, founder of Farm23 Strawberry (Zambia)

Inspiration to start a business comes in many forms, and for successful agripreneur Bupe Chipili Mulapesi, founder of Farm23 Strawberry in Zambia, her inspiration came from a fellow woman farmer across the other side of the world.

Lusaka inspires and connects the city’s women entrepreneurs at the latest Lioness Lean In event

October 7, 2018 Melanie Hawken

On the morning of Wednesday 3 October, leading women entrepreneurs from Lusaka in Zambia gathered together at the Radisson Blu Hotel to be inspired and to connect with their fellow women business and brand builders at the latest Lioness Lean In breakfast event in the country. And it lived up to its promise of a great occasion! The event was cohosted by Lionesses of Africa and NATSAVE (National Savings and Credit Bank).

Celebrating 5 Zambian women entrepreneurs taking the country’s economy forward

September 9, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Throughout the month of September, Lionesses of Africa will be celebrating Zambia’s many innovative and talented women entrepreneurs who are helping to shape a new and dynamic economy in the country.

Chita Mumba Zulu, an entrepreneur creating beautiful, affordable engagement and wedding rings for Zambian couples

July 22, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Chita Mumba Zulu, founder of Eternal Jewellery Zambia — **Chita Mumba Zulu**, founder of Eternal Jewellery Zambia

Successful businesses understand that finding a gap in the market is key, and for entrepreneur Chita Mumba Zulu and her team at Eternal Jewellery Zambia, that gap was in the wedding and engagement ring market. Today, the business is making a name for itself by supplying quality, affordable and beautiful jewellery for couples who are planning their wedding celebrations.

Chiinga Musonda and Lynn Musonda Phiri, two pioneering Zambian entrepreneurs putting the country on the global chocolate map

July 6, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Zambia’s women entrepreneurs share, inspire and connect at the Lioness Lean In event in Lusaka

November 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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On 8 November, the Lioness Lean In roadshow returned to Zambia to showcase and empower women entrepreneurs in the city. The event was once again held in partnership with Stanbic Bank at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka, and brought around 80 women business owners from across the city from both the Stanbic Bank client list and also from the Lionesses of Africa network. Lionesses of Africa is one of the fastest growing networks of women entrepreneurs with over 450,000 women business and brand builders in 49 African countries and across the Diaspora.

Miyoba Buumba, a Zambian entrepreneur taking her passion for African design and turning it into a distinctive homeware and accessories brand

June 11, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Miyoba Buumba, founder of Mwabonwa Designs (Zambia) — **Miyoba Buumba**, founder of Mwabonwa Designs (Zambia)

Often a business idea stems from a personal passion, and in the case of Miyoba Buumba, founder of Mwabonwa Designs in Zambia, that passion came from her interest in proudly African design. Today, her brand is a reflection of her own design inspiration and her love of African style and culture.

Download your FREE copy of the latest Playbook: Financing Business Growth

25 leading African women entrepreneurs share practical strategies, real experiences and advice. Playbook link

Tech FoundHER AFRICA CHALLENGE

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

LATEST PODCASTS

Episode 1: Business Funding Journeys Podcast features Melanie Hawken, founder & CEO, Lionesses of Africa and Melissa Basque-Roux, Coordinator, AFAWA, who share insights on creating greater access to finance and economic growth opportunities for women business builders in Africa. Also in conversation are three women entrepreneurs building sustainable, impact-driven businesses - Anne Rweyora, founder of Smart Havens Africa in Uganda, an enterprise creating affordable, climate-smart homes for women; and Morongwe and Michelle Mokone, co-founders of Mo’s Crib in South Africa, a high-growth, sustainable handmade decor manufacturing business.

Lioness Radio Show Interview: Listen to Mr Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer of the African Guarantee Fund, discussing the journey from Bias to Bankable - AGF’s Case for Financing Women Entrepreneurs.

Lioness Radio Show: Five Mozambican women entrepreneurs share their experiences of building successful green businesses and creating green jobs for local people. From an environmentally-friendly, high-impact skincare brand, to an innovative green transportation business transforming marine waste into bicycles, these Lionesses are making waves in Mozambique. Listen to their stories, learn from their experiences, and be inspired by their tenacity.

LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORIES

LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY

Vanessa Mhlom, a South African wellness brand builder

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Pleroma Patch, a South African innovative wellness brand creating plant-based patches to support sleep, recovery, and menstrual health.

Vanessa Mhlom is the founder and CEO of Pleroma Patch and is a 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award finalist. Pleroma Patch is a modern wellness brand pioneering a simpler, smarter way to care for your body, through transdermal vitamin patches. Pleroma’s discreet, plant-based patches support sleep, recovery, and menstrual health. Driven by her belief that dignified self-care should be a right, not a luxury, she is developing the ‘Patch It Forward’ initiative, a give-back model that channels a portion of each purchase toward expanding access to wellness essentials like menstrual and sleep support for underserved women and girls.

Morongwe and Michelle Mokone, two social impact entrepreneurs building a high-growth, premium sustainable homeware business

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Mo’s Crib, a premium sustainable homeware brand founded by sisters Morongwe and Michelle Mokone in Pretoria, South Africa. From humble beginnings making origami at local markets, the company has grown into one of Africa’s leading exporters of handcrafted décor. Using recycled PVC waterpipes and natural materials such as banana bark, cane, and sisal, Mo’s Crib creates globally sought-after baskets, planters, furniture, and ornaments. Today, the brand supplies major international retailers including Crate & Barrel, Target, and Woolworths Home. Committed to social impact, Mo’s Crib empowers over 85 artisans, creating jobs while advancing environmental sustainability and African design innovation. The business was launched in 2019 and today employs 280 people.

Dr. Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi, an agripreneur focused on climate-smart solutions

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Hazile Group, a South African agribusiness focused on sustainable food systems, renewable energy, and water stewardship

Dr. Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi is a social entrepreneur and thought leader in climate resilience, and a 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award finalist. She leads Hazile Group, a black woman-led enterprise driving climate-smart solutions in agriculture, energy, and water. The company’s core mission is to address food insecurity, water scarcity, and energy transition while uplifting marginalised communities. Hazile's focus on rural development, empowering farmers, and integrating climate-smart technologies directly supports several UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably zero hunger, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and climate action. She also runs Acumind Consulting, guiding organisations toward inclusive, values-driven leadership and ESG strategies.

Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Setšong Tea Crafters, an agri-business specialising in the crafting of speciality indigenous teas from the natural flora found in South Africa’s rural Limpopo

A former quantity surveyor turned social entrepreneur, Retang Phaahla is the co-founder and CEO of Setšong Tea Crafters in South Africa, and the winner of the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award. Her business celebrates indigenous tea knowledge while driving rural development. Based in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, the majority women-owned social enterprise collaborates with communities to produce a range of health-promoting teas (known for calming nerves, relieving tension, and supporting balanced blood pressure), and hosts cultural tours to promote eco-tourism and preserve heritage. Setšong’s business model has created sustainable income streams for rural women while reviving ancient botanical traditions. The business was launched in 2017 and has created 30 jobs for local people.

Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Igaaza Creations, a Uganda-based social enterprise promoting literacy through children’s storybook publishing and capacity building

Dr Margaret Kemigisha is the founder and CEO of Igaaza Creations, a Uganda-based social enterprise that promotes literacy through the publishing of children’s storybooks, offers social research consulting, and builds capacity among fresh graduates. Her work bridges development and applied research, supporting governments, development organizations, and the private sector with evidence-based solutions and creative tools for impact.

IMAGE OF THE DAY. CELEBRATING WOMAN MADE IN AFRICA.

Image of the Day / Spez Catering

Special Occasion Cakes…If you are anything like the sweet treat-loving team at Lionesses of Africa, you will love a slice of the great cakes on offer from Spez Catering in Kenya, founded by Esmeralda De Souza-

Image of the Day / Atelier Taila Carrilho

Statement Accessories…We love the power of accessories to make strong fashion statements, and Taíla Carrilho, founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho in Mozambique creates the most exquisite, eye-cat

Image of the Day / Nokware Skincare

Sustainable skincare…We love to see natural cosmetics companies with a sustainable approach to business succeeding in Africa, and Nokware Skincare, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi in Ghana is a great example. She f

Image of the Day / Hope Distillery

Boutique gin…If you are a gin lover, then check out Hope Distillery, a South African distillery in the heart of urban Cape Town. Established by Lucy Beard and her husband Leigh Lisk, Hope Distillery is a sma

Image of the Day / Aya K Design

Sophisticated sandal style…If you love design that combines traditional with modern style, then these sandals from Aya K Design, founded by Aya Keita in Cote d’Ivoire, are a must-buy. Aya is an entreprene

Image of the Day / House of Cinnamon

Animal print pumps…These eye-catching animal print pumps from House of Cinnamon in South Africa are a great addition to any stylish wardrobe. Founded by Frances Edwards, House of Cinnamon is a proudly Afro

STARTUP STORIES. MEET THE WOMEN WHO’VE LAUNCHED.

Featured

Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger, co-founders of a first-to-South African-market serum-only skincare range

Startup Story

Dr Juanri Jonck and Bernadette Kruger are co-founders of Twenty 4 Skin, a unique South African medical-grade skincare brand. Juanri is a medical doctor with a special interest in regenerative medicine, so you could say she is a holistic regenerative GP, and Bernadette is a somatologist. The brand focuses on hormone optimization, aesthetic medicine, as well as skincare formulations.

Gillian Holl, a South African architectural entrepreneur building a sustainability-focused business that responds to the needs of both clients and the environment

Startup Story

Gillian Holl, founder of VELD Architects in South Africa, has built a business renowned for creating spaces that serve not as statements but as sanctuaries. It’s an architecture deeply connected to the African landscape, fostering a sense of belonging and calm.

Júlia Silota, a Mozambican green business builder, focused on environmental waste management

Startup Story

Júlia Silota is the founder and CEO of J&G Environment Ltda, a Mozambican company operating in the environmental field, focused on the purchase and sale of solid waste, and providing solid waste collection services, solid waste management training, and environmental project evaluation. It was founded in August 2020 and began operations in 2023. It employs four people, two full-time and two part-time.

Claudia Machaieie, a Mozambican green business innovator transforming marine waste into reading glasses

Startup Story

Cláudia Machaieie is the founder of Sea Glasses in Mozambique. She is a 28-year-old with a degree in Marine Biology, a postgraduate degree in Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biology and Conservation Ecology. She has completed several technical courses in monitoring and project management. She began her activity as a volunteer and social activist at the age of 14 and is currently a founding volunteer of SOA Mozambique and a volunteer with Solo Adventures. She has worked in public (IIP), private (SEPPA, Centro Terra Viva), and international organizations (Girl Move Academy, UN - World Food Programme) developing activities in administration, monitoring, and management of humanitarian and environmental programs. Currently, she is the social responsibility coordinator at TOPACK Mozambique.

Matilde Mawelele Rungo, a Mozambican tech-preneur helping to drive digital transformation in the country

Startup Story

Matilde Mawelele Rungo is a digital transformation consultant, cybersecurity specialist, and founder of RealityTech Advisory in Mozambique, where she leads technology-driven projects for businesses and startups. She is also an evangelist and the creator of MTI – A Triad of Hope for Children, an initiative that integrates Evangelism, Technology, and Innovation to empower young people and communities. With a global vision, Matilde is committed to advancing individuals, organizations, and ecosystems through technology, faith, and meaningful social impact. The business was launched in 2024 and today has created jobs for 6 people.

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LIONESS BOOK REVIEWS

Featured

Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore

Book Review

Successful entrepreneur Betsy Fore, in her new book Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams, shows how, by practicing a manifesting mindset, you can discover your deepest purpose. She calls this an “inner why” and believes finding it can unlock your greatest potential as a creator, founder, and builder of great products.

The Magnetic Female Entrepreneur: The Art of Empowered Presence, Rising to New Levels of Impact and Influence, and Financial Success on Your Own Terms by Mary Grant

Book Review

The Magnetic Female Entrepreneur by Mary Grant is a transformative guide for high-achieving women entrepreneurs, business owners, and coaches who are ready to amplify their influence, impact, and income. Written by Mary Grant, a seasoned entrepreneur and innovation expert with over 30 years in the fashion industry, this book unpacks the art of empowered presence, bold confidence, and defining success on your own terms. Through insights, strategies, and a fresh perspective on success, the author empowers women to harness their unique strengths, navigate challenges, and rise to their next level with clarity and unstoppable momentum.

Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter

Book Review

Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter is not just another business book. Most focus on strategies and tactics. This one rewires the woman behind the business—so your growth is aligned, sustainable, and actually feels good.

Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting

Book Review

In the book, Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business, author Liz Elting, one of the most celebrated and successful women in America, has created a guide for how to not only dream big, but also win―both in business and in life.

After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin

Book Review

In her new book, After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup, entrepreneurship expert Julia Austin shares battle-tested strategies to help founders and startup joiners build their venture from the ground up.

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