Sheila Afari - The startup story of a PR entrepreneur with a passion for promoting proudly African brands

August 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Sheila Afari, founder of Sheila Afari Public Relations (South Africa)

Africa has a wealth of PR, media and communications talent, and no two companies are the same. In the case of Sheila Afari Public Relations, this proudly African PR entrepreneur is passionate about showcasing the best of African brands to the rest of the world, and is differentiating herself and her company in the marketplace as a result.

Juanita van der Merwe - The startup story of an award winning South African social enterprise up-cycling billboard ads into funky bags!

August 12, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Juanita van der Merwe, co-founder of Little Green Number (South Africa) — **Juanita van der Merwe**, co-founder of Little Green Number (South Africa)

Little Green Number is the brainchild of a passionate young social entrepreneur, Juanita van der Merwe, who is aiming to change the world for the better by not only creating unique, really funky handmade bags from up cycled advertising billboard posters thereby helping the environment, but also creating much-needed local jobs for young people in her community.

Kerryne Krause Neufeldt - The startup story of a South African beauty and wellness global brand builder

July 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Kerryne Krause Neufeldt, founder of eyeSlices® (South Africa) — **Kerryne Krause Neufeldt**, founder of eyeSlices® (South Africa)

Many of us with busy entrepreneurial lives, heavy travel schedules, and lots of late nights will probably have experienced the effects of tired puffy eyes, with increasingly dark circles and redness, exacerbated by staring at computer screens and smartphones all day long. However, one innovative South African entrepreneur, Kerryne Krause Neufeldt, thinks she has found the solution - eyeSlices®!

Thokozile Mangwiro - The startup story of a South African entrepreneur building a natural hair and skin care brand formulated for African women

July 30, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Thokozile Mangwiro, founder of Nyla Naturals (South Africa) — **Thokozile Mangwiro**, founder of Nyla Naturals (South Africa)

Africa is seeing a growing interest in natural skin and haircare products, utilising indigenous ingredients and demonstrating an ethical and more environmentally friendly approach to production. South African based Nyla Naturals is the brainchild of founder Thokozile Mangwiro, who is taking the renowned native Marula oil and using its natural properties to create a whole new product range that is both sustainable and specially formulated to care for African women’s skin and hair.

Alana Bond - The startup story of a South African entrepreneur dedicated to helping the country transform itself through business and social enterprise

July 29, 2015 Melanie Hawken

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.

Jacqueline Kiage - The startup story of a social entrepreneur with a vision to tackle the issue of preventable blindness in rural Kenya

July 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Jacqueline Kiage, co-founder of Innovation Eye Centre (Kenya) — **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.

Maria Auma - The startup story of an African woman-owned investment management company looking to empower the continent’s entrepreneurs

July 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments (Uganda) — **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.

Yolanda Methvin - The startup story of an inspirational wellness brand with a heart and in tune with indigenous African botanical health

July 26, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Yolanda Methvin, LithaFlora African Botanicals (South Africa) — **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.

Lynette Hundermark - The startup story of a South African techpreneur looking to push the boundaries of mobile technology

July 23, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Lynette Hundermark, co-founder & chief product officer, Useful & Beautiful (South Africa) — **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.

Suzie Wokabi - The startup story of an entrepreneur with a vision to create Kenya’s first homegrown make-up brand

July 21, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Suzie Wokabi, founder of Suzie Beauty Ltd. (Kenya) — **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.

Sibabalwe Sesmani and Zuziwe Mkhwanazi - The startup story of a South African PR company that takes a pioneering approach to industry positioning

July 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Zuziwe Mkhwanazi and Sibabalwe Sesmani, co-founders of Unorthodox PR & Media Group (South Africa) — **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.

Nozuko Teto - The startup story of a uniquely talented South African Opera singer, who made her incredible voice the foundation of her entrepreneurial journey

July 15, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nozuko Teto, opera singer and founder of Adesso Enterprises (South Africa) — **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.

Tetsi & Lynn Bugaari and Nuba Elamin - The startup story of Buqisi-Ruux, a stylish African shoe brand creating wearable art with soul for the feet

July 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Tetsi & Lynn Bugaari and Nuba Elamin, founders of Buqisi-Ruux (Kenya) — **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!

Mellisa Mazingi - The startup story of a Zimbabwean online fashion retailer with a vision to grow the country’s fashion sector

July 9, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mellisa Mazinga, founder of zedlabel (Zimbabwe) — **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.

Clare Kagimu - The startup story of a talented Ugandan interior architect bringing her unique design vision to the UK

July 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Clare Kagimu, founder of Phoenix Design (United Kingdom) — **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.

Johanette van Niekerk - The startup story of a South African jewellery and accessories designer whose creative passion turned into a business and a new, positive life direction

July 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Johanette van Niekerk, founder of Sew Good Handmade (South Africa) — **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.

Matilda Sekoakoa - The startup story of a social-edu-preneur with a vision to help underprivileged South African children develop a love of reading

June 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Matilda Sekoakoa, co-founder of Help A Child Grow Foundation (South Africa) — **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.

Bushera Bashir - The startup story of an entrepreneur building a luxury ethical cashmere fashion label in South Africa

June 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Bushera Bashir, founder of Trebene (South Africa) — **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.

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