As an entrepreneur, have you ever thought that banks are not exactly designed to meet your needs, or don't really understand what it is like being an entrepreneur and the challenges you face each day? Well, here is your chance to imagine what the ideal entrepreneur-centric bank would look like - enter this exciting new competition and win great prizes for your ideas.
Read moreElizabeth Holmes founder of Theranos gets women helping other women
Elizabeth Holmes speaks to emerging women leaders in STEM from 21 countries in Africa, Central Asia & the Middle East. These 100 women pledged to be #ironsisters: women helping 100 other women so as to impact 10,000.
Read moreEVENT WATCH: Lynette Hundermark of Useful and Beautiful set to share her path to entrepreneurial success
Lynette Hundermark, Managing Director and co-Founder of Useful and Beautiful (South Africa)
This week sees one of South Africa’s leading mobile solutions entrepreneurs, Lynette Hundermark, Managing Director and co-Founder of Useful and Beautiful, taking to the speaker platform. She will be addressing delegates at the Achieve Success Summit 2015 on 7th October at the Royal Swazi Convention Centre in Swaziland. The event positions itself as the Region's #1 Success Seminar and aims to help attendees to develop a wealth creation attitude by learning the psychology of success, unlocking a real "Can do" Attitude, and creating the right strategies to achieve success.
Read moreNew e-book celebrates Lionesses of Africa through the power of images
They say that a picture says a thousand words, and we couldn't agree more. In the world of Lionesses of Africa, we celebrate women's entrepreneurship in all its forms on the continent, and we love the powerful images that conjure up the spirit of women-owned businesses and the products and services they create. These images give us an insight into the unique creativity that exists here in Africa and that is capturing the imagination of the world.
Read moreWomen in Tech Africa fix a problem!
In many organizations, the excuse for not having women in senior management teams or women in the pipeline of people they interview for available positions is that cannot find qualified women for these positions. In addition, a large number of technology events usually have very few women speakers and the explanation is the same, they cannot find women in the area to invite to speak. Women in Tech Africa is solving this problem.
Read moreLionesses of Africa celebrates the continent’s most inspiring women entrepreneurs in Media, PR & Communications in August
Every month at Lionesses of Africa, we shine a spotlight on a particular industry sector where Africa’s women entrepreneurs are making a real impact, through their businesses, their innovation, their products, services and craftsmanship, and their passion for what they do. This month (August), we are turning our attention to the women who are changing the PR, media and communications landscape in Africa.
Read morePODCAST: Launch your startup on the AMPION Venture Buses - Hit the road and apply now!
The deadline is nearing for applications for the third edition of The Ampion Venture Bus Africa initiative which will take over 200 Ampioneers on 5 buses in 2015. LoA had the opportunity to chat to Ampion Founder and MD, Fabian-Carlos Guhl and he gave a greater insight into how women entrepreneurs in Africa could benefit from this amazing initiative. Listen to the interview here, and apply now!
Read moreTsungie Ncube - a talented, aspirant young Zimbabwean techpreneur designs a new app to help vendors connect better with customers
Tsungie Ncube pitches her new app at the Muzinda startup hub in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s first entrepreneurship and innovation Hub, Muzinda, provided the opportunity and the platform for aspirant techpreneurs and app developers in the country to come together on 17-18 July for a StartUp Weekend aimed at developing and pitching new app ideas for potential future funding and commercialisation. The aim, to identify viable new tech ideas that investors might look to provide funding to in order to achieve commercialisation in the future. One young aspirant woman techpreneur, Tsungie Ncube, was one of the winners at the event.
Read moreSocial entrepreneurship venture, Help A Child Grow Foundation, is building school libraries for disadvantaged children, one book at a time
Melanie Hawken, Lerato Kadiaka and Matilda Sekoakoa at the launch of the Help A Child Grow Foundation Book Drive in Johannesburg on July 11th, 2015
The challenge of inspiring young, underprivileged and orphaned children in South Africa to learn to read and develop a love of books and learning, is one that social edupreneurs Matilda Sekoakoa and Lerato Kadiaka, have embraced. Their inspirational Help A Child Grow Foundation is positively and tangibly changing the lives of these children each day by collecting books and building libraries for schools in need.
Read more2 Young Namibian women entrepreneurs selected to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit set to be hosted by President Barak Obama in Kenya
US ambassador to Namibia, Thomas Daughton, flanked by Ally Angula (L) and Tammy Knott (R)
Ally Angula and Tammy Knott are two young women entrepreneurs making names for themselves as rising stars of the Namibian business scene. Their success has seen them invited to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) to be held July 24-26, 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya under the auspices of the United States Government. President Barack Obama will attend the GES summit reinforcing his commitment to women's entrepreneurship in a recent Whitehouse briefing where he stated, "... we’re going to step up our efforts to support young entrepreneurs and women, which is just smart business."
Read moreUganda ranked as the country with the highest level of entrepreneurship in the world according to latest research
It might come as a surprise to some that an African country, Uganda, ranks first in the world for having the most entrepreneurs per capita, according to recent research conducted by UK-based business-networking group, Approved Index. Three further African countries, Cameroon, Angola and Botswana also occupy places amongst the top nine countries with the most entrepreneurs, many of them women.
Read moreLionesses of Africa celebrates the continent’s most innovative and inspirational women edupreneurs throughout June
June is Focus on Africa’s Women Edupreneurs Month: This month we are turning our attention to the truly inspirational edupreneurs of Africa, the women who are creating leading-edge technologies and revolutionary new approaches to education in order to make a real difference to the lives of new generations of children and young people across the African continent.
Read moreSpark's SHE Programme accelerates women led social ventures impacting women and girls
Spark South Africa is on a mission - to search across the country for female startup founders who have launched a venture that exists to improve the lives of women and girls. The SHE programme believes that women are the best levers for change in South Africa, and it recognises that female founders need help if they are to succeed. And, they need that help now.
Read moreLittle Bo Baby Company launches its Mandela Day 'Remembrance Doll Competition'
Gayathrie Schatz, founder of The Little Bo Baby Company
With Mandela Day approaching on 18 July 2015, Little Bo Baby Company, founded by the wonderfully creative Gayathrie Schatz, is aiming to make a difference by running a very special competition in remembrance of the great icon. Children from schools and children’s homes around South Africa are being invited to share what Nelson Mandela meant to them and submit their drawing for a 'Remembrance Doll Competition'. Five lucky children will have their drawing of Nelson Mandela turned into a plush toy!
Read moreSpecial Offer! Download 2 FREE chapters of the Award-Winning book 'UNDETERRED' by Rania Anderson
Rania Anderson author of the award-winning book UNDTERRED: The Six Success Habits of Women in Emerging Economies will be visiting and speaking in South Africa during May. Ahead of her visit she has made available a FREE download of 2 chapters of her book. Make sure to get your download of this great read and to book your seat at one of her presentations!
Read moreAnother entrepreneurial showcase success for Kamers Autumn2015 in Johannesburg
This year’s Kamers Autumn 2015 event in Johannesburg may just have come to a close, but the enthusiastic buzz will last for sometime to come, amongst Jozi shoppers and lifestyle enthusiasts alike, plus the many entrepreneurs that were showcasing their fabulous products there.
Read moreAkosua Afriyie-Kumi, founder of AAKS, Ghana shares her expertise as a panellist on The Guardian's Branding masterclass webchat
Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, founder of AAKS, Ghana
The 'The Guardian' UK hosted an online webchat entitled: 'Branding masterclass - how to tell your business story in a new market' - on 29 April between 12 and 1pm. Representing Africa was the highly talented Akosua Afriyie-Kumi the founder and creative director of AAKS, Ghana. AAKS is a luxury accessories brand that handcrafts bags utilising traditional weaving techniques. LoA joined the webchat and got to ask Akosua her thoughts on the current Afroluxe market trend.
Read moreWangechi Mwangi founder of Kenyan fintech startup Valuraha, has been awarded the 2015 Global Social Impact Award by GSEA
(Centre) Wangechi Mwangi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Valuraha (Kenya)
On April 17th the US-based Entrepreneurs' Organization's (EO) Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), the premier global competition honoring the top student entrepreneurs who have founded and are running revenue-generating businesses, named Wangechi Mwangi, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Kenyan fintech startup Valuraha, as winner of the Global Social Impact Award. The award gala took place at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Read moreJohannesburg entrepreneurs harness the local urban market trend providing artisanal food and lifestyle shopping
When it comes to finding great places in which to hang-out and relax at the weekend, Johannesburg urbanites can now add to their lists a wealth of on-trend destinations downtown in the old converted industrial warehouses of the City, now transformed into artisanal food and entertainment spaces. The latest of these developments is The Sheds@1 Fox Street.
Read moreViva La Revolución! Fashion Revolution in South Africa
Guest Blog by Georgie Polkinghorne
Fashion Revolution is an International Day celebrating sustainable and ethical fashion in key cities around the world. Cape Town commemorated its own Fashion Revolution Day on Friday 24th April at the Bello Studio at the Old Biscuit Mill. Cape Town’s fashion community, from editors to designers, gathered to celebrate the country's best sustainable and locally produced fashion. LoA fcovered this exciting event....
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