Angela Franklin - The startup story of the bookseller of Senegal with a passion to promote the writers of the Diaspora

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Angela Franklin, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal) — **Angela Franklin**, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal)

Many bookstores claim to be so much more, but in the case of Angela Franklin’s business, Chez Alpha Books, this is certainly the case. She has taken the concept of a bookselling business and elevated it into a truly multi-faceted learning and resource centre for those with a love of the English language and a need to access learning materials and language training resources in English.

Christine Buchanan and Louiza Rademan - The startup story of two Cape Town entrepreneurs turning the world of skin and body care 100% natural and organic

June 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Louiza Rademan & Christine Buchanan, founders of Oh-Lief (South Africa) — **Louiza Rademan & Christine Buchanan**, founders of Oh-Lief (South Africa)

Two entrepreneurial sisters from South Africa with a love of all things natural and organic are capturing the imagination of customers looking for an alternative to the mass produced, chemically formulated skin and body care products on the market. The Oh-Lief Natural Products company is developing 100% natural and organic products that are truly world class.

Faraja Nyalandu - The startup story of a Tanzanian edupreneur producing accessible, localized digital learning for secondary students

June 1, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Faraja Nyalandu, founder Shule Direct (Tanzania) — **Faraja Nyalandu**, founder Shule Direct (Tanzania)

Africa’s education challenges and the lack of access to quality learning resources for children and young people in Tanzania specifically, led one woman entrepreneur to take an innovative approach to finding a solution. Faraja Nyalandu is creating world-class digital learning content and making it available to students on mobile phones and through online learning portals.

Daniela Wingate - The startup story of an entrepreneur with a passion for handmade gifts that become tomorrow’s heirlooms

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Daniela Wingate, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa) — **Daniela Wingate**, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa)

Walking into Daniela Wingate’s flagship Heirloom Treasury store is a wonderful experience, and a real celebration of lovingly hand-made, carefully selected and beautifully displayed stationery and gift items that reflect the art of fine craftsmanship in Africa.

Ethel Cofie - The startup story of a woman helping to change the face of the tech sector in Africa

May 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Ethel Cofie, founder of Edel Technologies (Ghana) — **Ethel Cofie**, founder of Edel Technologies (Ghana)

If there is a stand-out dynamic woman techpreneur in Africa who is challenging the industry status quo and helping other women to spearhead a new and innovative era in the sector on the continent, then it is Ethel Cofie, founder of Edel Technologies in Ghana.

Tigui Traoré - The startup story of a visionary Guinean fashionpreneur elevating Afrochic to a whole new level

May 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Tigui Traoré (L), founder of Cocostyle (Guinea) — **Tigui Traoré (L)**, founder of Cocostyle (Guinea)

A creative explosion of colour, textures and designs, inspired by deep African roots but acknowledging European fashion trends, is at the heart of Tigui Traoré’s inspirational Cocostyle fashion and events brand from Guinea.

Mary-Anne Grobler - The startup story of a trend-setting jewellery business with an eye for natural raw materials

May 24, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mary-Anne Grobler & Kara Furter, of Matter of Fakt (South Africa) — **Mary-Anne Grobler & Kara Furter**, of Matter of Fakt (South Africa)

South Africa is renowned for its precious and semi-precious stones and for one of the country’s up-and-coming jewellery design brands, Matter of Fakt, these wonderful raw materials provide all the inspiration needed to create unique contemporary pieces.

Rachel Phiri - The startup story of a Zimbabwean jewellery designer with an independent creative spirit

May 18, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Rachel Phiri, founder of Silverbox Jewellery (Zimbabwe) — **Rachel Phiri**, founder of Silverbox Jewellery (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwean jewellery designer, Rachel Phiri, founded her company Silverbox Jewellery based on a passion for beautiful accessories and an inbuilt creativity that was looking for an outlet. The result is a jewellery business being built across two countries in Africa, and involving the family and their talents in its growth and development.

Asma Dukanda - The startup story of a unique baby clothing entrepreneur celebrating traditional South African textile design

May 17, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Asma Dukanda, founder of Mokopu (South Africa) — **Asma Dukanda**, founder of Mokopu (South Africa)

The African marketplace for beautifully designed and crafted baby and children’s wear and toy products is continually growing, and with it are emerging some wonderful new design talents in this space. South African entrepreneur, Asma Dukanda, is just such a talent, creating a great new niche for herself and her clothing and products, all of which celebrate the best of the country’s traditional fabric design culture.

Laura Nyahuye - The startup story of an avant garde Zimbabwean designer challenging existing notions of jewellery design

May 17, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Laura Nyahuye, founder of AdornU (Zimbabwe) — **Laura Nyahuye**, founder of AdornU (Zimbabwe)

There is a real sense of drama about the design work of Laura Nyahuye and her brand, AdornU, who is challenging convention and creating sculptural adornments for the body that speak volumes for the individuality and confidence of the wearer.

Robyn Victor - The startup story of a South African fashionpreneur building a resort-inspired lifestyle clothing brand

May 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Robyn Victor, founder of August — **Robyn Victor**, founder of August

South Africa currently has a rich fashion scene that is building a significant fan-base, both at home and abroad, and the August resort-inspired, lifestyle clothing brand is one of the labels that is getting noticed, for all the right reasons. August’s design philosophy is pure and sophisticated, inspired by both the resort and casual sides of the South African lifestyle, and appealing to the fashion-minded, modern woman.

Sera Holland - The startup story of a talented textile designer elevating handmade fabrics to an artform

May 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Sera Holland, founder of Handmade by Me — **Sera Holland**, founder of Handmade by Me

For women entrepreneurs, their personal journeys to setting up their businesses and realising their dreams are always unique - some are very focused on long-held identified goals, whilst others are almost accidental or organic in nature. South African-based textile designer, Sera Holland, falls into the latter category of an entrepreneur who never set out to be in business, but ended up discovering a love of textile printing and built the most amazing business around it.

Teta Isibo - The startup story of a Rwandan designer creating bold African fusion jewellery with a contemporary edge

May 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki Designs — **Teta Isibo**, founder of Inzuki Designs

Rwandan jewellery and accessory brandbuilder, Teta Isibo, is passionate about bold design and harnessing the creative craftsmanship talent of local women artisans to create unique pieces that have an instantly recognisable Inzuki Design style and aesthetic.

Ashley Heather - The startup story of an innovative jewellery designer reclaiming precious metals from computer circuit boards as source materials

May 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Ashley Heather, founder of Ashley Heather Jewellery — **Ashley Heather**, founder of Ashley Heather Jewellery

When LoA heard about South African jewellery designer, Ashley Heather, and how she is creating beautiful, handcrafted and contemporary jewellery pieces from, of all things, precious metals reclaimed from computer circuit boards, we just had to find out more.

Claire Nouvel - The startup story of a South African-based jeweller inspired by the precious metals and fabrics of the country

May 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Claire Nouvel, founder and designer, TiLT Handmade Jewels — **Claire Nouvel**, founder and designer, TiLT Handmade Jewels

Claire Nouvel is a young French-born, but South Africa-based jewellery designer who is deeply inspired by African culture and uses that inspiration for the creation of her unique, contemporary jewellery pieces, each one celebrating the local metals and materials used and preserving their integrity and authenticity.

Janet Pulford a South African jewellery designer inspired by the colours of the changing seasons

May 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Janet Pulford, founder of Gemboree — **Janet Pulford**, founder of Gemboree

As part of LoA’s Focus on Africa’s Women Jewellery Designers this month, we spoke to Janet Pulford, the Founder and Creative Director of South African company, Gemboree, about her current collection, its design inspiration, and what customers can look forward to in the coming weeks.

Pietie Coetzee - The startup story of a retired sporting legend now building her company and brand

April 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Pietie Coetzee, founder of PC15 — **Pietie Coetzee**, founder of PC15

Pietie Coetzee is a field hockey legend who recently retired from the sport and has started a new phase in her life building a sports company and brand. As a top-level international sports woman, Pietie had an amazing, record-breaking career and she now harnesses that same passion and determination for her new business as a sportspreneur and in her advocacy work campaigning for cancer awareness.

Rainat Komolafe - The startup story of a Nigerian entrepreneur taking all the stress out of shopping for your baby

April 26, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Rainat Komolafe, founder of Babies Essence, Nigeria — **Rainat Komolafe**, founder of Babies Essence, Nigeria

For new parents-to-be in Nigeria, planning for the new arrival can be a little daunting, particularly if it is a first baby. So, entrepreneur Rainat Komolafe has created a startup business, Babies Essence, taking all the guess work and effort out of the process, providing a genuinely one-stop shop for everything needed to welcome the new member of the family into the world.

Tamara Watkins & Akila Hunte - The startup story of two passionate online fashion retailers opening global markets to African women designers

April 23, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Tamara Watkins, co-founder of shopDOKU.com — **Tamara Watkins**, co-founder of shopDOKU.com

One of the key challenges often facing talented and ambitious African women fashion designers is how to access global markets and successfully position their brands to international buyers. Tamara Watkins and her business partner Akila Hunte have a solution - their passion for raising awareness of emerging design talent, particularly from the African continent, led the team to set up an online marketplace, shopDOKU.com, retailing the creations of emerging designers to buyers in North America and the United Kingdom.

Amy Sinovich - The startup story of a South African jewellery designer telling inspirational stories through her wearable art

April 22, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Amy Sinovich, founder of Resonate by amy — **Amy Sinovich**, founder of Resonate by amy

There is something truly wonderful about translating the power of storytelling into beautiful pieces of bespoke, wearable art that connect on a deeply personal level with the person commissioning it. Amy Sinovich is an incredibly talented South African jewellery designer that is one such storyteller par excellence. Every unique handcrafted piece she creates from precious metals and semi-precious stones tells its own story, inspired by nature, poetry and the life of the person for whom it is made.

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