the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Helen Andrews, founder of White Rabbit Days (South Africa)
LoA had the opportunity to chat with Helen Andrews, the creative founder of White Rabbit Days, at the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair in October. Her unique jewellery design company uses laser cutting techniques to craft astonishingly beautiful pieces from a range of materials from leather to brass.
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Suret Louw, founder of Alive Image and Lifestyle Company
Startup Story
Taking a more holistic approach to helping women achieve greater emotional and physical wellbeing, Suret Louw’s entrepreneurial venture, Alive Image and Lifestyle Company, is dedicated to finding that elusive work/life balance.
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Leigh Lisk and Lucy Beard, founders of Hope on Hopkins (South Africa)
LoA chatted to Lucy Beard, who is the co-founder of Hope on Hopkins together with her husband Leigh Lisk, during a busy day at their exhibition stand at the recent Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair in Johannesburg. She shared the roller-coaster ride that is the startup experience, and how becoming an entrepreneur has its challenges, but is well worth the journey from a personal, life-enhancing perspective.
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Danielle Goldman, founder of Guanxi Connections Ltd.
Understanding the global marketplace is increasingly more important for African companies and getting access to specialist products is also key. Danielle Goldman, founder of Guanxi Connections Ltd, a digital marketing and design agency in China, and now incorporating a China sourcing agency here in South Africa, is looking to provide a solution and, importantly, bringing local market knowledge with her.
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Lilian Muhammed, founder of LONDRÉ TAN (South Africa)
Afroluxe brands are making quite a name for themselves on the global fashion scene right now, and South African entrepreneur, Lilian Muhammed, is looking to put her LONDRÉ TAN brand in the spotlight with her luxury fashion accessories, all proudly produced in her home country.
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Lorraine Steyn, founder of Khanyisa Real Systems (South Africa)
The tech sector has a wealth of exciting opportunies for entrepreneurs to make a difference and Lorraine Steyn, founder of Khanyisa Real Systems, is one such entrepreneur who has built a highly regarded and successful business, underpinned with a strong sense of wanting to do good in the world.
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Chantal Du Chenne, founder of mHealthCo, South Africa
It takes a highly innovative approach combined with a passion for making a difference, to find the necessary and urgent solutions to providing high quality, private primary healthcare to millions of employed medically uninsured South African. Entrepreneur Chantal Du Chenne has the solution and her new company, mHealthCo, is about to make huge waves in this space.
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Masego Mohajane, founder of M-Squared Medical (South Africa)
Following one’s passion is the hallmark of many successful entrepreneurs in Africa, and Masego Mohajane is building her company, M-Squared Medical, on that same foundation. She is passionate about her business and committed to building a brand and company that can really make a difference in the industry and community.
Read moreSuzana Moreira is one of three Sub-Saharan Finalists of the 2015 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards will be joining 17 other inspirational women entrepreneurs selected from over 1700 applications from more than 100 countries in Paris this month to hear the announcement of this year’s Laureates. The Laureates will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on October 15, 2015 in France. In this video she speaks about her experience as an entrepreneur.
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Olatorera Oniru, founder of dressmeoutlet.com (Nigeria)
In Nigeria’s rapidly growing fashion retail marketplace, Olatorera Oniru and her soon to be launched new online retail platform are on a mission to contribute to the growth of local manufacturing in the areas of fashion and health & beauty in the country.
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Linda Mukangoga & Candy Basomingera, founders of haute | baso (Rwanda)
There is something about young women entrepreneurs in Africa who not only are on a mission to promote the art and design culture they love, but who also see it as a vehicle for positive change. Linda Mukangoga and Candy Basomingera, the founders of haute | baso in Rwanda, are creating contemporary design products that celebrate the craftsmanship of local and regional artisans from their country. The result is dynamic, vibrant and uniquely beautiful.
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Lezel de Vos, founder of Fox Ingredients (South Africa)
People with a passion for what they do often make the most successful entrepreneurs, and in the case of Lezel de Vos and her company Fox Ingredients, her interest in the flavours and essences that go into making wonderful tasting and visually appealing food products is what took her into business.
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Eva Sonaike, founder of Eva Sonaike
There is a growing global interest in African design, textiles and products, and talented Nigerian interior designer and lifestyle brand creator, Eva Sonaike, is taking the world by storm on the back of this trend. Her aim is to position the 'African' aesthetic in the global textiles and interior industry as part of her bigger brand-building picture.
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Femi Olayebi, founder of My World of Bags and the Femi Handbags brand (Nigeria)
In the competitive world of global accessory and handbag design, one Nigerian designer is making the world sit up and take notice, with her unique take on beautiful, bespoke, handcrafted pieces that celebrate the art of craftsmanship combined with a uniquely African touch. Femi Olayebi is talent personified and her great eye for design together with a deep appreciation for African culture and textiles, has allowed her to create handbags and accessories that have a great story to tell and a wonderful visual appeal.
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Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales (South Africa)
There are some natural born entrepreneurs who see a problem, challenge or need, and have a burning desire to find the solution - Karen Wessels is one such entrepreneur. Her latest venture SnappSales has found a solution for all those companies who need to create quality sales leads, but whose salespeople hate cold-calling. She has found an innovative and highly efficient way of appointment setting, harnessing the power of conversation and the talents of a great team of people.
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Penny Mpanza, founder of Let’s Build Our Country Fund NPC (LBOC Fund), South Africa
There are some people you meet in life that really embody the idea of being a Changemaker and who genuinely understand the power of giving and positively touching the lives of others. Penny Mpanza is just that person, an inspirational social entrepreneur who passionately believes that real and lasting change will be driven by a new generation of young people who are well educated and have the tools to find the solutions to the challenges facing Africa today.
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Brigit Wasike (top) and Sophie Umazi Mvurya (bottom), founders of House of Tahzi
They say that great minds think alike, and in the case of Sophie Umazi Mvurya and Brigit Wasike, this is certainly a meeting of the minds. These two highly talented and passionate fashionpreneurs have a dynamic vision, to not only capture the fashion market in Kenya, but to take their unique House of Tahzi brand and transform it into a major global lifestyle name.
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Sarah Lambie, Work for Life
We all know that life as an entrepreneurial startup can be tough, but with the right support, training and skills development especially in those early days, achieving business success becomes more of a reality. Work For Life is a focused NGO providing essential entrepreneurial training and support to African entrepreneurs, many of whom are women, just when it is needed most.
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Diane Goldie, founder and creative force behind c.Art
Once seen, never forgotten - that is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates the work of Diane Goldie and her company, c.Art. This is one highly talented, passionate woman entrepreneur that is creating unique, bespoke pieces of wearable art with stories woven into the very fabric, to appeal to the confident, unapologetic and strong women who inspire her.
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Pippa Hetherington, founder of Behind the Faces (South Africa)
Africa has many challenges and one of those is giving voice to those who need it. Pippa Hetherington is a social and information entrepreneur who is creating a unique platform, Behind the Faces, for encouraging women to let their voices be heard. Using storytelling as a catalyst, she is providing a powerful mechanism for these women to share their own personal stories of strength and inspiration, and to communicate with their compatriots across the African continent.
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