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Lionesses of Africa

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The Pride of Africa's Women Entrepreneurs

the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs

Lionesses of Africa

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Namibia’s women entrepreneurs inspire each other to greater success at the 2nd Lioness Lean In event in Windhoek

May 25, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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A packed audience of Namibia’s leading women entrepreneurs gathered together in Windhoek on the morning of Wednesday 22 May for the second Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was once again hosted by Lionesses of Africa (the fastest growing network of women entrepreneurs on the African continent with over 750,000 women business owners in all 54 African countries) in partnership with Nedbank Namibia. One again, the event lived up to all the expectations, as it delivered a morning of inspiration and great business networking. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Namibia
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Lusaka’s women entrepreneurs get the opportunity to learn about the Stanford Seed Transformation Programme

May 19, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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Getting access to world-class developmental support is the foundation for achieving  success for so many high growth potential women entrepreneurs in Africa. So, an exciting new initiative, the Stanford Seed programme, created by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, could be the key to that success. On Friday 10 May, a special event was organised by Lionesses of Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, hosted by NATSAVE, our impact partner in the country, in conjunction with Stanford Seed. The aim of the event was to introduce the Stanford Seed programme to potential women entrepreneur candidates from Zambia who are looking to grow their businesses and take their leadership expertise to the next level. 

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In Events Tags Academic Partner Event
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It’s the big Pitch Day for Johannesburg’s high growth potential women entrepreneurs on the Lionesses of Africa & Siemens Accelerator

May 12, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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It is always an exciting moment when a new cohort of high growth potential women entrepreneurs graduate from the Lionesses of Africa Accelerator programme. On 6 May, 29 women entrepreneurs had the opportunity to showcase their businesses at a very special Lionesses of Africa & Siemens Accelerator Pitch Day. The event took place at Siemens Africa offices in Midrand, South Africa, with invited guests including decision-makers from the Siemen’s supply chain management team and other divisions of the company. It was a morning designed to connect the Accelerator cohort members with future potential business to help them take their businesses to the next level of success.

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In Events Tags Lioness Accelerator Pitch Day
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Women entrepreneurs gather in Centurion, South Africa, for another great Lioness Lean In event on 3 May

May 12, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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On a beautiful morning in Centurion, South Africa, on Friday 3 May, 130 women entrepreneurs with businesses ranging across a wide variety of sectors, came together to be inspired and to network. The occasion, the latest Lioness Lean In event, always a great occasion to bring together established and new women business builders to share their experiences and to connect for greater business success. Once again, the event was co-hosted between Lionesses of Africa and Volkswagen Group in South Africa, and took place at the VW Training Academy in Centurion.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, South Africa
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Mozambique’s women entrepreneurs shine at the country’s first Lioness Lean In event of the year

May 5, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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On a perfect, blue sky morning in Maputo, Mozambique, over 120 women entrepreneurs gathered together for the first Lioness Lean In of the year in the country. The aim was to inspire one another, to connect for business, and to listen to successful women business builders and product creators share their stories. As always, it was an unforgettable morning, with business done, new relationships formed, and a significant amount of entrepreneurial energy in the air. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Mozambique
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Johannesburg’s women entrepreneurs come out in force to share, inspire and connect at the Lioness Lean in event on 5 April

April 10, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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There is always incredible energy at a Lioness Lean In event in Johannesburg, and the latest event on 5 April was no exception. The focus of the morning was on celebrating women entrepreneurs in South Africa as the key drivers of socio-economic growth and impact. And, the women entrepreneurs on the speaker panel were truly inspirational examples of this.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Johannesburg
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Celebrating women entrepreneur job creators at the 3rd Lioness Lean in event in Cote d’Ivoire

April 7, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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Lionesses of Africa’s key focus for 2019 on celebrating and acknowledging the power of Africa’s women entrepreneurs to create much needed jobs, continued and was the key topic for discussion at the 3rd Lioness Lean In Event in Cote d’Ivoire on 29 March. Women entrepreneurs who were looking to take their businesses to the next level and be the next job creators in the country, gathered in the city of Abidjan for a morning of sharing, inspiring and connecting for greater business success. The much-anticipated event was again hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Cote d'Ivoire
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Eswatini’s women entrepreneurs Lean In for greater business success with Lionesses of Africa and Standard Bank

March 24, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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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. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Eswatini
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Eswatini’s women entrepreneurs get ready to experience their first Lioness Lean In event in the country

March 19, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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This week, on Thursday 21 March, the hugely popular Lioness Lean In events are heading to Eswatini for the first time, giving women entrepreneurs in the country the opportunity to share their business building stories, inspire one another, and connect for greater business success. The Lioness Lean In Eswatini events are being hosted in partnership with Standard Bank. True to the bank’s Brand Philosophy in the country -   “Eswatini is our Home, We Drive Her Growth” - Standard Bank is encouraging the leading women entrepreneurs in its network to connect with fellow women in business from the Lionesses of Africa community at this first Lioness Lean In event to be held at the Royal Villas.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In
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Celebrating Africa’s Women Entrepreneur Changemakers in South Africa to commemorate International Women’s Day

March 17, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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As International Women’s Day celebrations finally came to a close, Lionesses of Africa and Facebook collaborated on a very special Changemakers Breakfast event in Hyde Park, Johannesburg on the morning of 11 March. The event brought together around 100 leading women entrepreneurs from the city to network and to hear from inspirational fellow women business and brand builders. The highlight of the morning was hearing from Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions, who flew into the city as a very special guest speaker for the morning. It was a truly inspirational, change-making morning for everyone there.

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In Events Tags Partner Events
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Four events, two cities, and hundreds of women networking as Lionesses of Africa celebrates International Women’s Day

March 10, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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This year, the Lionesses of Africa community celebrated International Women’s Day in real style, with not just one event, but four - each one with a different audience, geographic location, and objective. If you didn’t manage to attend one of them, here are some of the highlights.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, International Women's Day
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Women entrepreneurs from the African Diaspora set to celebrate International Women’s Day at a special Lioness Lean In event in London

March 2, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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On the morning of Friday 8 March, in celebration of International Women’s Day,  women entrepreneurs from Africa and the Diaspora will gather together in London for the first Lioness Lean In event of the year in the UK. The event, which promises to be an inspirational morning of sharing, inspiring and connecting, is being cohosted by Hogan Lovells at their spectacular Holborn offices in the city. It is the latest in the series of popular Lioness Lean In networking events which have been hosted by Lionesses of Africa for the past four years across the African continent, linking women entrepreneurs with important new markets. And it promises to be another great occasion!

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, United Kingdom, London
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Johannesburg’s women entrepreneurs kickstart 2019 with a powerful Lean In in Sandton

February 16, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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What better way to start the year than with a great Lioness Lean In event for women entrepreneurs, and the first event in what will be an exciting programme for 2019 took place in Johannesburg on Friday 8 February. Over 100 women business builders came together to share, inspire and connect at the impact partner host venue for the event, the Volkswagen SA headquarters in Sandton.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, South Africa
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Lionesses of Africa invited to showcase Africa’s women entrepreneurs at the Companies to Inspire Africa 2019 launch in London

January 20, 2019 Melanie Hawken
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On 16th January 2019, London Stock Exchange Group launched the second edition of its ‘Companies to Inspire Africa’ report, identifying and celebrating some of Africa’s most dynamic growth businesses. Lionesses of Africa Founder and CEO, Melanie Hawken, was a guest speaker at the high profile event in London, invited to showcase some of Africa’s most inspirational women-led growth businesses who were included in this year’s report. 

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In Events Tags Companies to Inspire Africa, London
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Cote d’Ivoire’s women entrepreneurs share, inspire and connect at the second Lioness Lean In event in the country

December 5, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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Cote d’Ivoire’s women entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level gathered in the city of Abidjan on the morning of Thursday 29th November for the second Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was again hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas. It promised to be a morning of inspiration and great business networking, and it lived up to that promise.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Cote d'Ivoire
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Mozambique’s women entrepreneurs gather for the country’s final Lioness Lean In event of the year in Maputo

December 2, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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What a year, and what a final gathering in Maputo, as around 100 women entrepreneurs got together for the last Lioness Lean In event in the country for 2018. On a blustery, rather chilly morning outside, the atmosphere was much warmer and more inspirational inside the Standard Bank Incubadora, once again the host venue for the event. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Mozambique
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Namibia’s women entrepreneurs connect for greater business success at the first Lioness Lean In event in Windhoek

November 22, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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Namibia’s women entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses to the next level gathered in Windhoek on the morning of Tuesday 20th November for the first Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Nedbank Namibia - and it lived up to its  promise of being a morning of inspiration and great business networking. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Namibia
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Lesotho’s women entrepreneurs showcase their strong business building spirit

November 18, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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On a beautiful and warm morning in Maseru, Lesotho on Friday 16th November, 60 leading women entrepreneurs gathered together at the Avani Hotel and Leisure Resort for a morning of inspiration and business networking at the final Lioness Lean in event of the year in the country. And what a morning it was! Co-hosted by Lionesses of Africa and Standard Lesotho Bank, the event aimed to inspire and connect women entrepreneurs from Maseru for greater business success. 

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, Lesotho
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South Africa’s women entrepreneurs get a high-powered start to the Lioness Lean In event in Centurion

November 6, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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At the final Lioness Lean In event of the year for South Africa, women entrepreneurs were given a unique opportunity to let off some steam and experience the thrill of adrenaline pumping, high-speed advanced driving, courtesy of impact partners Volkswagen. It was a great way of starting the morning’s programme with something a little different.

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In Events Tags Lioness Lean In, South Africa
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Botswana’s leading women entrepreneurs gathered to inspire and connect at the Lioness Lean In event in Gaborone

October 21, 2018 Melanie Hawken
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As part of the year-long rollout of Lionesses of Africa’s tour of the African continent with its Lioness Lean In Breakfast events, October 19th saw the latest event coming to Gaborone. Co-hosted by Stanbic Bank, this unique event aimed to showcase the game-changing women entrepreneurs who have built some of the country’s most successful businesses, and to inspire a new generation of young women entrepreneurs who aspire to follow in their footsteps.

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LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
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Thandekile Moloko, an entrepreneur empowering her clients’ financial futures
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The Wedding Planner…Every big celebration day needs great organization, and that’s where Iris Lezi Munguambe, founder of Mariée Eventos in Mozambique, is your go-to person. She launched he
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Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi
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Big bold accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The brand c Image of the Day / ReelFruit
 
Healthy snack treats…We love showcasing Africa’s women agribusiness builders, and ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, is inspirational - it’s the largest fruit processing, packaging and distributi Image of the Day / Dokmai Rwanda

Made in Rwanda Handbag…A passion for handcrafted accessories, combined with a sense of pride for ‘Made in Rwanda’ products, inspired Dokmai Rwanda founder, Bernadette Umunyana, to create a company Image of the Day / Eki Silk

Silk Serenity…Nothing is quite as luxurious as silk, that’s why we love the ‘Africa on Silk’ collections from Eki, founded by Hazel Eki Osunde. Her latest Deep Dive Collection is inspired by the p Image of the Day / The Nanjala Company

Pot plants delivered… Give gifts that will last, such as these stunning plants in individual pots from The Nanjala Company in Kenya, founded by Teresa Nanjala Lubano. This online store creates customized Image of the Day / Sari for Change

Sustainable Sari Glamour - If you want to wear a robe that makes you feel and look glamorous, then Rayana Edwards, founder of Harem in South Africa, has a range of fabulous robes all made from sari fabrics. She has Image of the Day / MonChoco

Pure chocolate heaven…If you are a chocolate lover, then you need to experience raw chocolate at its finest, and Dana Mroueh, founder of MonChoco an artisan chocolatier in Côte d’Ivoire, has just what y Image of the Day / Mulandi Brindes

Say it with flowers…If you want to make someone feel special, then there is no better way than with the gift of fresh flowers, and Mulandi Brindes in Mozambique, founded by Vanessa Guilherme Nhabete, creates Image of the Day / Mariée Eventos

The Wedding Planner…Every big celebration day needs great organization, and that’s where Iris Lezi Munguambe, founder of Mariée Eventos in Mozambique, is your go-to person. She launched he Image of the Day / Dounia Home

Statement lighting… from Dounia Home, the home of innovative, handcrafted and ethically made Moroccan lighting and home decor founded by Dounia Tamri-Loeper. Her company designs, produces and brings to market hi

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Unstoppable Entrepreneurs: 7 Paths for Unleashing Successful Startups and Creating Value through Innovation by Lori Rosenkopf

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