the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Bianca & Khaya Sibiya, co-founders of Punk & Ivy (South Africa)
The fashion industry loves a brand that is unique, authentic and has a refreshingly different approach to the way it promotes itself to its customers. The dynamic husband and wife team, Bianca and Khaya Sibiya, deliver all of this and so much more with their uber-trendy Punk and Ivy clothing brand.
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Anna Raimondo, founder of SMITH Jewellery (South Africa)
In any jewellery design space, it is sometimes hard to make things that are instantly recognisable as the work of one creative person. Yet Anna Raimondo has created a brand personality and a design style that are uniquely hers, and as a result, the SMITH Jewellery brand is truly memorable.
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Amanta Hooman, founder of Flavour Union (South Africa)
Just mention the word truffle and you are instantly transported to a world of luxury fine dining and one of the most exquisite tastes on earth. Now, one young South African woman entrepreneur is making it accessible to everyone through her wonderful new range of truffle-based gourmet products under her new label Flavour Union.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tigui Traoré (L), founder of Cocostyle (Guinea)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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