the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
A big LoA community congratulations to Swaady Martin-Leke, founder of Yswara the African luxury tea brand, who was recently nominated an Emerging Leader by the Aspen Institute France under the patronage of President François Hollande. Félicitations Swaady!
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Swaady Martin-Leke, founder of Yswara
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder of soleRebels, Ethiopia
Source: AllAfrica.com | by Tsadenna Gebru | December 7, 2014
When Bethelhem Tilahun, co-founder of global brand soleRebels, spoke at a recent entrepreneurship conference she highlighted the challenges entrepreneurs face when protecting their intellectual property in Africa.
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Julian 'Mama Cheers' Omalla, founder of Delight Limited, Uganda
This inspirational woman entrepreneur from Uganda shows the power of grit and determination to succeed in business, despite the many hurdles encountered, to build a highly respected, multi-million dollar drinks and foodstuff empire in Africa.
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Deola Sagoe, founder of haute couture fashion house, Deola
Source: This Day Live | December 7, 2014
The Business Side of Fashion (BSoF) forum in Nigeria brings together successful fashion designers every year to serve as an inspiration to the upcoming ones. This year's Forum featured Deola Sagoe who shared with the participants some of her hard earned business knowledge of the industry.
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Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, founder of WeCyclers and winner of the 2014 Sustania Award
Wecyclers, founded by Nigerian entrepreneur and innovator, Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, has won the 2014 Sustainia Award, chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, for a solution that enables low-income communities to make money from waste piling up in their streets. By deploying a fleet of cargo bicycles to collect and recycle unmanaged waste in Nigeria’s capital Lagos, Wecyclers lets families exchange garbage for consumer goods via an SMS-based point system.
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Tara Fela-Durotoye (centre) at the Kenyan launch of House of Tara
Source: Capital FM Kenya | December 2, 2014
House of Tara International, a Nigerian beauty and cosmetics brand founded by Tara Fela-Durotoye launched its products in the Kenyan market as part of its continental expansion strategy. House of Tara has developed makeup products with international standards that are tailor made for the African woman by an African woman.
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Source: Financial Times | October 19, 2014
The fledgling business in Parkhurst, one of Johannesburg’s affluent northern suburbs, is the brainchild of Martin-Leke, who forged ahead with the project in spite of initial scepticism among her friends and peers. “I did my research, but no one believed in it,” she says, sipping a new blend she is testing at the elegant townhouse that has been transformed into a chic store....
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Divine Ndhlukula, founder of Securico, Zimbabwe
This year's Exceptional Entrepreneur Award at the 2014 EY Africa Chapter of the World Entrepreneur Awards has been awarded to the inspirational Zimbabwean woman entrepreneur, Divine Ndhlukula, founder of Securico.
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Divine Ndhlukula, founder and managing director of Securico
Source: The Zimbabwean | by Nelson Sibanda | November 11, 2014
Dynamic Zimbabwean entrepreneur, Divine Ndhlukula has been honoured by the United Nations for her success in business. She was runner-up in this year's UNCTAD’s Empretec Women in Business Awards and received her award from Tarja Halonen, the former President of Finland at a ceremony held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. Here, she shares some of the secrets to her success.
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Monica Musonda, founder and ceo of Java Foods, Zambia
This inspirational and award-winning entrepreneur is a testimony to hard work, perseverance and a can-do attitude to building a major food brand, Java Foods, and also improving the nutrition of a country and a continent.
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Tabitha Karanja, founder and ceo of Keroche Breweries, Kenya
Source: Capital FM Kenya | published on November 23, 2014 | written by Margaret Wahito
The Founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries Limited Tabitha Karanja is one woman whom I can say has gone to ‘hell and back’ to be where she is now. She has had to withstand a myriad of challenges for her business to be worth the billions of shillings it is worth at the moment....
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Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, founder of SELFINA (Tanzania)
Source: Vital Voices | by Dr. Victoria Kisyombe | 19 November 2014
Since I founded my company SELFINA 20 years ago, I have seen the enormous impact a small investment can make in the life of a woman. And it doesn’t stop there — from one modest lease, a woman can create dozens of jobs, touching the lives of dozens more.
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Penny Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Marrakesh, Morocco, November 19, 2014 --- U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker delivered remarks to approximately 300 women entrepreneurs to kick off Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in Marrakesh, Morocco. Secretary Pritzker discussed America’s leadership in empowering entrepreneurs at home and abroad, addressed the importance of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) which she chairs, and touted how a strong entrepreneurial society can lead to greater economic growth, stability and security, and a rising middle class.
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Swaady Martin-Leke, founder and CEO of Yswara
The story of an Afropolitan entrepreneur building a unique global luxury brand by creating elegant, high-end products using the continent’s finest natural resources.
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This month, the Choiseul Institute of France has just published its inaugural list of Africa’s 100 Most Promising Young Business Leaders Under the Age of 40, and making the rankings are seven women entrepreneurs, our Lionesses of Africa.
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Swaady Martin-Leke, founder of Yswara
Video Source: BBC New Africa | November, 3 2014
As part of the BBC's African Dream series, Swaady Martin-Leke the French-Ivorian founder of luxury tea brand Yswara discusses the importance of being based on the continent, where people feel "alive". Swaady says she decided to "implant" her luxury brand in South Africa. The entrepreneur opened her first shop in Johannesburg. She then decided to aim for Nigeria before turning her attention to the entire continent via digital sales.
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Source: Forbes | September 16, 2014
Named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa in 2011 by FORBES, celebrated Ethiopian entrepreneur, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu launched her first US offering at the beginning of this month; a flagship store of her eco-friendly shoe brand, SoleRebels, in Silicon Valley, California.
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Source: New Vision | Published October 15, 2012
Over 1,000 locals including homeless young mothers are to get gainful employment following the setting up of a 5,000 acre fruit processing plant in Nwoya district. The ministry of Local Government with support from the United Nations Centre for Development and Nwoya district local government have partnered with Delight Uganda limited to set up a fresh fruit processing factory in Nwoya.
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Source: How We Made It In Africa | May 16, 2013
Cote d’Ivoire-born Swaady Martin-Leke is the founder and CEO of YSWARA, a newly launched African tea company that is targeted at the higher-end consumer market. The company is based in South Africa, but sources its teas from across the continent. According to Martin-Leke, the luxury market in Africa offers increasing opportunities with the steady growth in the African middle class and discretionary income.
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