Quote of the Day by Nkemdilim Begho

October 17, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Nkemdilim Begho, founder and managing director of Future Software Resources, Nigeria — **Nkemdilim Begho**, founder and managing director of Future Software Resources, Nigeria

"Failure is necessary for any learning curve. Failure makes you stronger, bolder, and less scared of taking risks."

- Nkemdilim Begho is founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. As one of a few Nigerian women in the industry, her success is founded on a passion for driving innovative thinking, building a globally recognized technology brand and setting trends in the Nigerian Technology space.

Quote of the Day by Anne Githuku-Shongwe

October 11, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“I learned through working with the UN that the greatest return on investment comes not from ‘fixing’ a problem but from shaping new mindsets amongst youth, .... I wanted to help forge mindsets that are not limited by current circumstances, but can re-imagine and re-create new possibilities.”

- Anne Githuku-Shongwe is the newly-appointed Representative for UN Women's South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), which is responsible for women's empowerment and gender equality in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, as well as South Africa, where the office is based. Anne is an award-winning social entrepreneur and founder of youth-development digital innovation organization Afroes Transformational Games. She has a Masters’ degree in International Development from The American University; a postgraduate certificate in Social Innovation from the University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business, and a certificate in The Art of Large Scale Systems Change for Social Entrepreneurship from Harvard University. Anne also brings to her role 20 years of experience as a senior international development professional with the United Nations Development Programme, during which she pioneered innovative and successful approaches to combating HIV and AIDS, as well as Public Sector Capacity Development.

Quote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja

September 29, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Tabitha Karanja, founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries, Kenya — Tabitha Karanja, founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries, Kenya

"I believe in myself. I also work very hard and I've got the inner determination to achieve what I set out to do."

- Tabitha Karanja is founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries. She is one of Kenya's leading entrepreneurs, a remarkable trailblazer and an example of a woman made good against all the odds. Tabitha chose to venture where none before her had dared. She took on an 87-year-old business monopoly and entered an industry with a deeply entrenched male gender stereotype. Tabitha broke the mould to become Kenya’s first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer. Today, her company's state-of-the-art factory produces 10,000 bottles of gin and ready-to-drink vodka, as well as 15,000 bottles of beer per hour.

Quote of the Day by Wendy Appelbaum

September 26, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"The more you have the more responsibility you have to share it with those who don’t."

- Wendy Appelbaum is a leading South African business woman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Having previously enjoyed a high flying career in the business world, Wendy now devotes much of her time to her award-winning DeMorgenzon wine estate in Stellenbosch. Wendy was a director of Liberty Investors Limited, the previously listed holding company of the Liberty Group. In an earlier life she was the Deputy Chairman of Women's Investment Portfolio Limited (Wiphold), the first women controlled company to list on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange with then assets in excess of R1 billion. She also was deputy chairman of the Connection Group Limited, a major listed information technology and retailing company.

Quote of the Day by Njeri Rionge

September 23, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Njeri Rionge, serial entrepreneur — **Njeri Rionge**, serial entrepreneur

“I create companies serially because I believe that Africa is the next economic frontier and we must build indigenous organisations that will support this growth.”

- Njeri Rionge is one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and one of the very few women pioneers in the ICT sector on the African continent. She has co-founded internet service provider Wananchi Online, Ignite Consulting, Insite Limited, Business Lounge, and Njeri Rionge Business Consulting Inc. These days Njeri describes herself as a global citizen cross-pollinating her business interests in Africa, North America and Europe. She 'telecommutes' and regularly travels between her offices in Nairobi and Toronto.

Quote of the Day by Carrol Boyes

September 22, 2016 Melanie Hawken

“Nineteen people may love your work, but the twentieth one will hate it and will tell you so; you cannot allow that to affect you. That may sound trite, but there is huge risk in letting criticism get you down.”

- Carrol Boyes is an iconic South African designer who has built a global brand. She founded Carrol Boyes (Pty) Ltd in 1991 combining her artistic flair and talent in sculpture with her jewellery experience to create an extensive range of distinctive homeware, giftware, flatware and table top products. Today, her company designs and manufactures a meticulously crafted product range of well over 1000 items and sells over a million items every year. Products are always imbued with Carrol's trademark artistic flair and finesse. The brand is available through her 35 branded shops in South Africa and in over 30 other countries around the world.

Quote of the Day by Mo Abudu

September 20, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Mo Abudu, founder and Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife TV — **Mo Abudu**, founder and Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife TV

"We can change the narrative about Africa with content."

- Mo Abudu is founder and Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife TV, Africa's first and fastest growing black entertainment and lifestyle network. This Nigerian media entrepreneur and talk show host is the first African woman to launch a Pan-African TV channel. The channel currently on DSTV Channel 165, as well as in the UK on the TalkTalk platform, providing premium, original and home-grown programming to its ever increasing viewership. She has received many awards in recognition of her outstanding work in media and her services to humanity, and was most recently honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Babcock University.

Quote of the Day by Magatte Wade

September 15, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Magatte Wade, founder of Tiossan (Senegal) — **Magatte Wade**, founder of Tiossan (Senegal)

"I’d like to think that I’m instead part of a new wave of conscious entrepreneurs, committed to social and environmental responsibility as we do business in Africa."

- Magatte Wade is the Senegalese-born founder of Tiossan, an all-natural, artisan skin care brand inspired by the traditional Sufi healers of Senegal. At the heart of this growing global brand are the proud tradition of ancient Senegalese recipes from which Tiossan draws inspiration. Magatte is a passionate champion of entrepreneurial education in Senegal and 50% of Tiossan profits are dedicated to the creation of innovative schools.

Quote of the Day by Ally Angula

September 13, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Ally Angula, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia) — **Ally Angula**, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia)

"People must understand that only hard work brings desired results. Work ethic is something that we must really cultivate in this country, but I am sure we will get there."

- Ally Angula is a qualified charted accountant and co-founder of Leap Holdings, a group of companies involved in the growing of fresh produce, garment manufacturing and retail in Namibia. She is also the founder of My Republik Brand, Namibia’s first locally designed, manufactured and retailed clothing brand with a flagship store situated in the Grove Mall in Windhoek's Kleine Kuppe suburb. She currently serves as non-executive director for Old Mutual Life Assurance (Namibia) and Rio Tinto's Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia. Ally was chosen as a Desmond Tutu Fellowship programme Associate in April 2013 and was one of two Namibian entrepreneurs selected to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama in Kenya.

Quote of the Day by Adenah Bayoh

September 12, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Adenah Bayoh, serial entrepreneur (United States)

“Adversity puts you at a crossroads — you can allow it to victimize you or propel you. Escaping the war made me hungry for opportunity. I figured out that there was no problem for which I could not find a solution if I dedicated all of my efforts and smarts to it. So, I bring that tenacity, work ethic and commitment to everything I do.”

- Adenah Bayoh is a very successful real estate entrepreneur in the United States. She embodies the American dream. At age 13, she escaped the civil war in her native country of Liberia, immigrated to the United States and is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her home state of New Jersey. Adenah is the founder and CEO of Adenah Bayoh and Companies, which is the parent corporation that owns IHOP franchises in Paterson and Irvington, New Jersey and a real estate development portfolio with over $225 million in urban redevelopment projects. Because of the success of her flagship IHOP in Irvington, she is the second largest employer in the area. Next year, Adenah will launch Cornbread, her signature line of fast casual, farm-to-table, soul food restaurants.

Quote of the Day by Njeri Rionge

September 9, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"Africa is the next economic frontier. There is a huge opportunity ahead for family business and for existing businesses that have been around a long time. Let’s create a work culture; let’s have integrity in our processes; let’s be passionate about doing it right the first time; and Africa will enjoy the fruits of our labour."

Quote of the Day by Angela Dick

September 8, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Angela Dick, founder and ceo of Transman, South Africa — **Angela Dick**, founder and ceo of Transman, South Africa

"...don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough because you are."

- Angela Dick is founder and CEO of Transman, the largest privately owned, temporary employment service provider in South Africa. Since the company’s inception in 1983, Angela and her team have been responsible for finding employment for and recruiting and placing between 7,000 to 10,000 temporary and contract staff daily into the workplace, with a focus on previously disadvantaged individuals. She has driven her company’s revenue from R85 000 in 1983 to R640 million today. Angela was the inaugural winner of the South Africa Business Woman of the Year Award - Entrepreneurial category in 2006.

Quote of the Day by Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu

September 5, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder of soleRebels and Republic of Leather — Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder of soleRebels and Republic of Leather

“I wanted to show that it is possible to be a local person, in Ethiopia and in Africa, and to be globally successful.... It is possible to deploy local resources while creating a market-leading global brand, and to do it all from scratch.”

- Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is founder and Managing Director of soleRebels, the world's fastest-growing African footwear brand and the only Fair Trade-certified footwear company in the world. Growing up in a poor suburb of Addis Ababa, Bethlehem decided that there was only one way to defeat poverty – use local craftsmanship to make products that can compete in the global marketplace. She decided on footwear and today 70,000 pairs of shoes leave her factory every year. soleRebels has been expanding rapidly and has 18 stores around the world, including in Silicon Valley (USA), Japan, Singapore, Austria, Greece, Spain and Switzerland, along with an aggressive e-commerce marketing strategy. It expects to open another 50 to 60 stores in next 18 to 36 months. In 2015, Bethlehem launched an new venture, Republic of Leather, offering bespoke, hand crafted leather wear and accessories.

Quote of the Day by Monica Musonda

August 31, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Monica Musonda, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods (Zambia) — Monica Musonda, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods (Zambia)

“Don’t happily be a spectator in your own economy,”

- 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

Quote of the Day by Jenna Clifford

August 30, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Jenna Clifford, founder of Jenna Clifford Designs

"If you want to stand out from the crowd and become known for your talent, you need to breathe, eat and sleep your chosen career path.”

- Jenna Clifford is a world-renowned jewellery designer, known for her unique designs and superlative craftsmanship. Established in 1992, her company has steadily grown its clientele and improved its profile to institute itself as a powerful force in the jewellery industry. Her bold and dramatic designs are sought after by some of the most recognised business icons and celebrities from around the world. Today, Jenna Clifford Designs employs around 70 people, including some of the finest jewellery artisans and craftsmen in South Africa.

Quote of the Day by Bilikiss Abiola

August 26, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Bilikiss Abiola, founder and CEO of WeCyclers — **Bilikiss Abiola**, founder and CEO of WeCyclers

“Waste management is one of the main problems for poor populations in Nigeria. We want to create a system that would mean waste is no longer a problem, but a solution for everyone.”

- Bilikiss Adebiyi is a Nigerian entrepreneur and innovator, and founder and CEO of WeCyclers. This Lagos-based company is focused on giving low-income communities in developing countries a chance to capture value from waste and clean up their neighborhoods through an incentive-based recycling program. Bilikiss holds an MBA from MIT and a Masters degree from Vanderbilt University. She is a 2013 Echoing Green Fellow and WeCyclers were a Sustainia100 Company Award winner in 2014.

Quote of the Day by Jennifer Riria

August 25, 2016 Melanie Hawken

"We have proven women are bankable. That you can invest in women and they can be trusted to pay back and grow their business."

- Dr. Jennifer Riria is the Group CEO of Kenya Women Holding and one of Africa's leading women entrepreneurs who has always been on a mission to transform the lives of women and their families in her native Kenya. She is distinguished as a microfinance banker and practitioner, researcher and gender specialist. She has served in many leadership roles for which she has been recognized locally and internationally. In 2013 she was awarded the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the year, East Africa 2013, and subsequently, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014, at which point she was admitted to EY’s Global Hall of Fame.

Quote of the Day by Margaret Hirsch

August 24, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Margaret Hirsch, co-founder Hirsch's Homestores (South Africa)

"Whatever you do - do it the best you can and then go the extra mile."

- Margaret Hirsch is one half of a dynamic husband and wife duo that founded Hirsch's Homestores. Back in 1979, as a secretary, together with her husband Allan, then an appliance repair man, they unwittingly became entrepreneurs who went on to build an appliance, electronics and furnishing retail empire. Today, Hirsch's Homestores is the largest independently owned appliance and electronics business in Southern Africa, with seventeen branches and concept stores spread throughout South Africa. Margaret was recently announced as the winner in the Standard Bank sponsored Top Business Woman of South Africa Award, her 17th major business award.

Quote of the Day by Sarah Collins

August 23, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Sarah Collins, founder of Wonderbag — **Sarah Collins**, founder of Wonderbag

"My heroines are African women. I am exceptionally proud to be African. Our resilience and capacity for innovation is so inspiring!"

- Sarah Collins is the founder and CEO of Wonderbag, a simple non electric slow cooker which works in mud huts in Africa to Manhattan apartments, possibly one of the only cooking devices that is globally relevant! Sarah is a South African adventurer, entrepreneur, and lifelong social activist. She thrives on challenges and has worked tirelessly over the past two decades to inspire change in the realms of gender-equality and environmental sustainability. As of November 2015, Wonderbag reached the 1 million milestone of Wonderbags sold across the world.

Quote of the Day by Divine Ndhlukula

August 22, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Divine Ndhlukula, founder SECURICO Security Services (Zimbabwe) — **Divine Ndhlukula**, founder SECURICO Security Services (Zimbabwe)

“What Africa requires are entrepreneurs that start up and create not just wealth for themselves, but employment for others, because that is what is vital for sustainable development.”

- Divine Ndhlukula founded SECURICO Security Services from humble beginnings in Zimbabwe in 1998. Divine identified a need in the market for a quality oriented security company and she has driven SECURICO to become the market leader in Zimbabwe. She has tackled a previously male-dominated industry head on and her business success story is nothing short of remarkable - marking her as one of Africa's most tenacious and inspiring women entrepreneurs. She is also the largest employer of women in her country outside of government.