the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Wunmi Amokeodo, founder of Design for Love (Nigeria)
For many entrepreneurs, their businesses start with a passion or a need to address a key challenge that exists in the marketplace - in the case of talented Nigerian fashion design entrepreneur, Wunmi Amokeodo, founder of Design for Love (DFL), it was both of these factors.
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Bhavya Kalsi and Nimisha Kalipurayath, founders of KONA (Uganda)
KONA, the name of a unique new accessories and homeware company in Uganda was inspired by a mixture of cultures, the word literally meaning CORNER in Swahili Luganda and Hindi. So, from a little corner in Africa, two women entrepreneurs, are creating an exciting new brand with a distinctive personality.
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Bernadette Umunyana, founder of Dokmai Rwanda
A passion for handcrafted accessories, combined with a sense of pride for Made in Rwanda products, inspired Dokmai Rwanda founder, Bernadette Umunyana, to create a company and a brand that would celebrate the skills and raw materials of Rwanda. Today, her company is producing a range of high quality leather fashion accessories that are proudly made and designed in Rwanda, and custom tailored to meet the needs of the brand’s discerning customers.
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Sonia Mugabo, founder of Sonia Mugabo (SM), Rwanda
Recognising the high potential of the Rwandan fashion scene, and having a passion for mainstream and bespoke clothing design, was the inspiration for Sonia Mugabo to make the move and establish a new and exciting fashion company in the country. Her label, Sonia Mugabo (SM) is winning legions of new fashion conscious fans along the way.
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Nkem Okocha, founder of Mamamoni Limited (Nigeria)
Empowering women who come from low-income rural and urban backgrounds, but who have the potential to become independent micro-entrepreneurs, is the mission of Mamamoni Limited, a social enterprise founded by Nkem Okocha. She is providing a powerful combination of free vocational skills and mobile loans to help them on their way to becoming financially independent.
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Thokozile Mangwiro, founder of Nyla Naturals (South Africa)
In 2015, Lionesses of Africa featured a wonderful young startup company, Nyla Naturals, the brainchild of creative entrepreneur Thokozile Mangwiro. Today, one year on, so much has happened in the life of this great young company and entrepreneur, and a new natural hair care product line, Nilotiqua, has been launched which is just as exciting.
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Sarah Nakisanze, founder of Easy Afric Design (Uganda)
The world is becoming increasingly more enamoured by the wonderful traditional designs and fabrics of Africa, particularly when they are incorporated into contemporary fashion and decor pieces. Entrepreneur Sarah Nakisanze and her business Easy Afric Design, is harnessing the inspiration of the wonderful Ugandan traditional fabric of Barkcloth for her collections of fashion and art.
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Irisha Luhanga, founder Redefine Human Capital (South Africa)
In today’s increasingly competitive world, companies and organisations are becoming more focused on empowering their people in order to help them fulfil their full potential in their careers and in the workplace generally. Irisha Luhanga is one entrepreneur with a passion for human capital and with her company, Redefine Human Capital, she is redefining the way people view their work and helping them to align it to their true purpose.
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Olubukola Asafa, founder of Oba Couture (Nigeria)
There is a growing interest right now in AfroLuxe, bespoke finely crafted luxury items all proudly designed and created here in Africa. Oba Couture, the brand created by Nigerian entrepreneur Olubukola Asafa, is a new name in the world of luxury leather accessory brands emerging from the African continent, to add to the list of those brands currently winning legions of fans around the world with their high-end, luxury products.
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Ysolde Shimwe and Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founders of Azuri K&Y (Rwanda)
The art of fine shoe-making is a specific design discipline and one that excites the team of entrepreneurs behind the Rwandan shoe brand, UZURI K&Y. Ysolde Shimwe (CFO & Co-Creative designer) and Kevine Kagirimpundu (CEO & Co-Creative designer), are combining their substantial design talents to create some of the hottest shoes on the continent.
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Samantha Skyring, founder of Oryx Desert Salt (South Africa)
With the world looking to source more sustainable, ethically produced and renewable sources of foodstuffs, one South African business venture, Oryx Desert Salt, founded by entrepreneur Samantha Skyring, is looking to bring an exceptional source of salt to enrich both the flavour of food and also promote good health.
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Shereen Makhanye, founder of Nubian Nature (South Africa)
Nubian Nature (Pty) Ltd is the entrepreneurial creation of founder Shereen Makhanye, whose journey to find products that are not harmful to use on African hair led her to harness the power of the continent’s natural ingredients to find a solution. Her company and its products are the showcase for her genuine passion for Africa, science, hair and all things natural and it's been her life dream to share the experience and richness of Africa with Africans and the rest of world.
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Evashnee Naidu, founder of EnablED (South Africa)
In an increasingly competitive market environment, making companies stand out in the marketplace and helping them to maximise the enterprise development opportunities that exist is key. EnablED, the brainchild of South African entrepreneur, Evashnee Naidu, is one such company that is playing a key role in managing enterprise and supplier development solutions for SMMEs.
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Natacha Nduwimana, founder of Jelim Premier Events
In the highly competitive world of event production, understanding the experiential brand and marketing needs of customers is key, and if there is one company that understands this fact it is Jelim Premier Events. Founder Natacha Nduwimana is an entrepreneur with a keen eye for detail and a comprehensive understanding of the power of brand positioning through event activation, delivering innovative and high quality event experiences in the countries she works in.
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Kimmies non toxic enterprises is the entrepreneurial brainchild of three women co-founders - Linda Kimeu, Faith Kimeu and Mel Ngao - who are committed to making a difference to the lives and health of Kenyan people, especially children and youth, by improving their personal hygiene knowledge and awareness.
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Adhiambo Mula-Lauwers, founder of GALAGO (South Africa)
GALAGO is a footwear brand with a difference. It not only celebrates an African aesthetic, embracing the traditional techniques and craftsmanship renowned on the continent, but also brings in a uniquely customised aspect for the wearer. Fashion entrepreneur and founder, Adhiambo Mula-Lauwers, is tapping into a new design aesthetic that is highly customer centric and very individual.
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Lynda Smith, founder of Refirement Network (South Africa)
As the world’s population ages, and the baby boomer generation (those 50+) are looking to make a difference in the next productive phase of their lives, Lynda Smith's Refirement Network in South Africa is there to help. Instead of retiring, the focus is on refiring - harnessing the energy, passion, skills and commitment of those people with vast amounts of experience and expertise, to make a difference in society.
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Adenike Akinsemolu, founder of The Green Campus Initiative (Nigeria)
Like many parts of Africa, Nigeria has a number of environmental challenges that need to be addressed by innovative thinking and action. The Green Campus Initiative is entrepreneur Adenike Akinsemolu’s solution to getting young people in the country thinking green and becoming eco-conscious citizens.
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Angela Kamanzi, founder of Arkad World Limited & publisher of Mkazi Magazine (Kenya)
One woman entrepreneur is bringing her wealth of expertise and experience in the field of publishing to create an online magazine that celebrates enterprising African women and provides a great resource of homegrown solutions to Africa’s unique challenges. Arkad World Limited, the holding company behind Mkazi Magazine, is the brainchild of Kenyan entrepreneur, Angela Kamanzi, and creates information to inspire, motivate and improve the lives of African women entrepreneurs.
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Sandra Idossou, founder of The ServiceMag (Rwanda)
Good customer service is so critical to success in all aspects of entrepreneurial life, and therefore the concept and ethos behind Sandra Idossou’s company, The ServiceMag, couldn’t have come at a better time in Africa. She is passionately committed to helping companies and organisations to improve their customer centricity and, as a result, helping to make the continent more customer focused in its entrepreneurial approach.
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