the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Alana Bond and Lana Lovasic, directors of Simanye Group
The Simanye Group is on a mission to help South Africa, and the African continent as a whole, find sustainable solutions to positive transformation and to support new economic development and growth in the communities that most need it to grow and thrive.
Read more
Anne Nduati, founder of Narcolepsy Awareness Kenya
Anne Nduati is a woman on a mission, working to make more people in her country, Kenya, and indeed across the African continent, aware of the sleep disorder Narcolepsy, a condition that her daughter was diagnosed with when young. The organisation she founded, Narcolepsy Awareness Kenya, aims to empower those who suffer from the condition to live their lives to the fullest, but she also hopes to inform and support the families and teachers who look after those children.
Read more
Jacqueline Kiage, co-founder of Innovation Eye Centre (Kenya)
Africa has some truly dedicated and inspirational social entrepreneurs who want to make a real and positive difference to the lives of others. Jacqueline Kiage is doing just that in rural Kenya by starting a world-class social enterprise eye clinic, Innovation Eyecare Centre, to provide life-enhancing eye surgery and specialist eye care to patients that is affordable and accessible.
Read more
Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments (Uganda)
At a time when access to funding and capital-raising for business start-ups in Africa is difficult and stressful at the best of times, one Ugandan woman entrepreneur is looking to forge a path where few African women tread. Maria Auma is taking her passion for economics and financial management and building her company, Blue Luxury Investments, as a platform for investment management solutions for entrepreneurial ventures that are environmentally conscious.
Read more
Yolanda Methvin, LithaFlora African Botanicals (South Africa)
The world already knows of the unique beauty of the Cape Floral Kingdom and the amazing indigenous biodiversity that exists there. Entrepreneur Yolanda Methvin is demonstrating through her LithaFlora African Botanicals company that it is possible to capture the essence of this unique environment as the source of her environmentally friendly and luxurious wellness products.
Read more
Lynette Hundermark, co-founder & chief product officer, Useful & Beautiful (South Africa)
The mobile technology space is probably one of the most rapidly changing and dynamic sectors, and for businesses and organisations that can often prove a challenge, finding the best solutions to meet their needs. Lynette Hundermark’s company, Useful and Beautiful (U&B), is looking to breakthrough the clutter and find the right mobile technology solutions and develop the right strategies to fit each client’s specific objectives, and add real value to the business.
Read more
Suzie Wokabi, founder of Suzie Beauty Ltd. (Kenya)
The growing market and need in Africa for an authentic, affordable and high quality make-up brand created specifically for African women, inspired Kenyan entrepreneur, Suzie Wokabi, to launch a new trailblazing cosmetics brand, Suzie Beauty Ltd. The result is a world-class product range that understands the needs of today’s African women who want bespoke make-up products that work perfectly on African women’s skin-tones and creates a stunningly beautiful look.
Read more
Zuziwe Mkhwanazi and Sibabalwe Sesmani, co-founders of Unorthodox PR & Media Group (South Africa)
The all-woman entrepreneurial team behind South African niche PR company, Unorthodox, live up to their name as they take a unique approach to the corporate public relations, communications and partnerships they undertake. The dynamic duo of Sibabalwe Sesmani and Zuziwe Mkhwanazi work exclusively with corporates and differentiate themselves in the marketplace by dealing with "firsts" in their industry. They strive to create their own genre of public relations, one that specializes in corporates and thought leaders of industries.
Read more
Daniela Barajas and Priscilla Makundi, co-founders of Sote Tunaweza (Tanzania)
The challenge of addressing poverty and empowering women in emerging markets through entrepreneurship empowerment, is one that the Sote Tunaweza Initiative has risen to. Co-founders Daniela Barajas and Priscilla Makundi, together with their inspirational team, are on a mission to foster a global network of strong female leaders who will have the skills, confidence, and creativity to address some of the most pressing issues in their communities.
Read more
Nozuko Teto, opera singer and founder of Adesso Enterprises (South Africa)
In the eyes of the world, Africa and music have long been synonymous, and indeed, hugely respected and revered. Today, one South African woman is proving that the most wonderful musical talent, underpinned by an entrepreneurial spirit, is a powerful combination in this tradition. Gifted Opera singer, Nozuko Teto, is showing the world’s connoisseurs that she is a musical and entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with, and a true inspiration to the generation of young women who are following in her footsteps.
Read more
Tetsi & Lynn Bugaari and Nuba Elamin, founders of Buqisi-Ruux (Kenya)
Beautiful shoes and women have long been synonymous with one another. In the case of the three talented women entrepreneurs behind the wonderfully creative Kenyan shoe design brand, Buqisi-Ruux, their design inspiration comes directly from the personal stories of the women around them. Nuba Elamin, Lynn Bugaari and Tetsi Bugaari are taking the art of African storytelling to new heights, creating wearable art for the feet, and individual shoe designs that are named after the African women whose stories inspire them. Genuine inspiration for the soul or make that sole!
Read more
Mellisa Mazinga, founder of zedlabel (Zimbabwe)
The African fashion industry is definitely on the move, and in Zimbabwe one woman fashion retail-preneur is realising her vision to put the country’s fashion designers on the map, and create an innovative online retail fashion outlet to showcase their work. Mellisa Mazingi and her company zedlabel, is an African fashion-preneur with a big vision and big ideas - a name to watch on the continent.
Read more
Clare Kagimu, founder of Phoenix Design (United Kingdom)
Creative entrepreneurs in the interior design and architecture space are by their very nature, highly dynamic individuals with a wonderful eye for detail and a unique way of looking at the world. Clare Kagimu, founder of Phoenix Design, is dynamism personified. As a creative member of the African Diaspora, she showcases the best of her African design talent from her base in the UK, combined with a global perspective and stacks of energy and passion for what she does.
Read more
Johanette van Niekerk, founder of Sew Good Handmade (South Africa)
South Africa has a long tradition of beautiful jewellery and accessories craftmanship and beading, and one creative entrepreneur is taking it to a whole new level with her company, Sew Good Handmade. Johanette van Niekerk is a woman with a wonderful creative soul who sees beautiful design possibilities in everything around her and particularly in the materials she uses. Her handcrafted products are literally kaleidoscopes of colour, designed to lift the spirits of anyone wearing or displaying them.
Read more
Matilda Sekoakoa, co-founder of Help A Child Grow Foundation (South Africa)
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 edupreneur Matilda Sekoakoa, together with her business partner, Lerato Kadiaka, have embraced. They are not just actively working to provide solutions, but their inspirational Help A Child Grow Foundation is positively and tangibly changing the lives of these children each day.
Read more
Bushera Bashir, founder of Trebene (South Africa)
Every woman entrepreneur in Africa has a unique story to tell and usually an inspirational story of how their own personal entrepreneurial journey started. The back-story for Bushera Bashir, the founder of ethical fashion label Trebene, takes us on a unique journey from the birthplace of Cashmere wool, Kashmir, from where Trebene’s beautiful luxury cashmere scarves are handwoven, through to Cape Town in South Africa where they are designed, printed and retailed.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more