Lungile Kunene - The startup story of a South African fashion designer embarking on a global retail journey

September 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Lungile Kunene, founder of Izembatho Creations (South Africa)

Typically, fashionpreneurs are some of the most creative individuals and always passionate about the work they produce. They have a vision for the clothes they design and an idea of the people who will be wearing their creations and how they will make those people feel. Lungile Kunene of Izembatho Creations is one designer who has a clear vision for the aesthetic and emotional response she wishes the women who will be wearing her clothes to have.

Nobesuthu Ndlovu - The startup story of a South African fashion entrepreneur showcasing the best of the country’s design talent

September 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nobesuthu Ndlovu, co-founder of Burgundy Fly (South Africa) — **Nobesuthu Ndlovu**, co-founder of Burgundy Fly (South Africa)

Building a successful fashion retail showcase brand is no small feat, and requires endless amounts of energy and passion, not to mention a great eye for detail and the knack of selecting the best designs for different marketplaces. However, Nobesuthu Ndlovu, the co-founder of Burgundy Fly, is a great example of a woman entrepreneur who has all these skills and more, and together with her business partner and husband, is building an exciting fashion retail company.

Nisha Maharaj - The startup story of a South African techpreneur looking to bridge the technology gap in her country

August 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nisha Maharaj, founder of Niche Integrated Solutions (South Africa) — **Nisha Maharaj**, founder of Niche Integrated Solutions (South Africa)

Companies in the IT sector have long built a reputation for finding solutions to many of the business challenges we face today, but Niche Integrated Solutions is an IT company with a difference, thanks to its founder Nisha Maharaj. It has genuinely found a niche for itself in a highly competitive sector, and as a result, is not just building a rapidly growing and successful business, but it is also positively impacting on the lives and businesses of others.

Terryanne Chebet - The startup story of a Kenyan entrepreneur with a passion for changing how the world looks at Africa, beautifully

August 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Terryanne Chebet, founder of Keyara Organics (Kenya) — **Terryanne Chebet**, founder of Keyara Organics (Kenya)

Keyara Organics is a natural skincare company with a soul and a real passion for African ingredients. Founder and serial entrepreneur, Terryanne Chebet, has a vision to grow the company to be among the world’s leading natural skincare brands, understanding that everyone needs a natural skincare routine.

Damaris Nyabuti - The startup story of a Kenyan PR company that exemplifies the entrepreneurial never-give-up attitude

August 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Damaris Nyabuti, founder of Dharkemmy Corporate Communications — **Damaris Nyabuti**, founder of Dharkemmy Corporate Communications

If there is one word that could best describe PR entrepreneur, Damaris Nyabuti, the founder of Dharkemmy Corporate Communications in Nairobi, Kenya, it is tenacious. Despite all the challenges that have faced her throughout her career, she has remained true to her passion for PR and communications and been determined to realise her vision of starting her own company. She is a force to be reckoned with and understands the power of sheer hard work to make things happen.

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.

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