the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Nira Sklair Photography (South Africa)
Some people have to wait a lifetime to find their real purpose in life, one that harnesses their innate talents. For talented photographer, Nira Sklair, that time came after the age of 50 when life presented the opportunity for her to finally pursue her real passion and turn it into an encore business.
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How many of us struggle on a daily basis to organize their lives and businesses efficiently, removing the extraneous clutter that holds us back from achieving goals and full potential? Well, help is at hand from entrepreneur Londeka Mlawuza, founder of LV & Co, the organizing specialists.
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Realizing that the South African consumer is far more educated in the field of enzyme, bacterial and green cleaning products than just a few years ago, entrepreneur Vasie Seweramulu and two of her fellow women entrepreneurs, created Safeguard Hygiene and Safety.
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Annabel Biggar-David, founder of Organico (South Africa)
There is a growing interest on the part of consumers to find products that have been created with a gentler footprint on the planet. So it’s exciting to hear of a great holistic lifestyle store in South Africa, Organico, created by passionate social entrepreneur Annabel Biggar-David. This is a business that has environmental sustainability at its heart.
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Marjon Meyer
Everyone encounters difficulties and challenges in their lives at some time or another, and often specialist help and coaching is needed to overcome those challenges. Marjon Meyer, founder of the specialist Training and HR Consulting business that carries her name, has the expertise to help others to fulfill their potential in life and business.
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Marjorie Atuhurra, founder of Gejja Women Foundation (Uganda)
For countries and communities to thrive, they need to ensure that every person is empowered and equipped to fulfill their potential. In Uganda, Marjorie Atuhurra, founder of Gejja Women Foundation is working tirelessly to ensure that other women and young girls are given the opportunity to become fully participating, independent and contributing members of society.
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Karen Carr & Hanneke Schutte, founders of Benji + Moon (South Africa)
As any pet-lover will tell you, trying to find the perfect products for those furry friends in our lives that are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye in our homes, can be quite a challenge. However two enterprising women from South Africa have the solution. Benji + Moon is a business that creates beautifully designed, compassionately driven pet products that will make both owners and their beloved pets happy.
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Tatenda Ndambakuwa, founder of Shiri (Zimbabwe)
Many entrepreneurs are driven by a passion to solve problems or address key societal issues. For Tatenda Ndambakuwa, founder of Shiri, her driving force is to address food security challenges by helping farmers in her country to become more productive and efficient using the power of technology.
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Masana Sangweni, founder of Sanaandi Events & Hospitality (South Africa)
Events are very personal occasions and for the clients hosting them finding the right event planner who can create the right experience is crucial. That is where South African entrepreneur Masana Sangweni, founder of Sanaandi Events & Hospitality, comes in. She helps her clients create beautiful and unique event memories that last.
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South Africa has a rich traditional heritage and one that is celebrated through dress and costumes that tell a unique story. Today, entrepreneur Nomafu Mdlambuzi is carrying on the family business and her mother’s original vision, creating beautiful traditional wear for her customers through her company, Ezakwantu Sewing Co-op.
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Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ (Tanzania)
Trying to find the right company to create a gifting and party favour experience can be a real challenge, but in Tanzania, one woman manufacturer is providing a solution. Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ, is creating a range of gifting and party favour products that are made locally at a great price.
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Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations (Nigeria)
Personal experiences and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others are often the two key drivers of social entrepreneurs when it comes to starting up their businesses. For Nigerian social entrepreneur, Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations, her inspiration came from the need to help women and girls to manage their menstrual hygiene and fulfill their potential.
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Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments (Uganda)
For many startups, taking their businesses to the next level can be challenging. In Uganda, one woman entrepreneur is helping small business owners to increase their production capacity and access finance. Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments, is bringing her expertise and investment community to help startups to fulfill their potential.
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Bianca Hansen, co-founder of Toast Ale SA (South Africa)
When you think about beer making, bread as a key ingredient doesn’t automatically come to mind. But Toast Ale SA, co-founded by Bianca Hansen, is different, using surplus bread from bakeries as the foundation for brewing this delicious beer.
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Liesl Esau, founder of HSE Matters (South Africa)
Every company needs to ensure their workplace is safe and their employees are trained in best practice health, safety and environmental compliance, and that’s where Liesl Esau comes in. Her company HSE Matters is helping companies to get it right.
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Goeun Bae, founder of Little Pine Tree (South Africa)
Social entrepreneurs are driven to make a difference in the world, and in the case of Goeun Bae, her inspiration came from working with unemployed women in South Africa. Her social enterprise, Little Pine Tree, is giving new economic opportunities and skills to Johannesburg’s unemployed women, making their lives better through economic independence.
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Katy Valentine, founder of Katy Valentine Collection (South Africa)
Jewellery is such a personal thing, and often those buying pieces to wear or to give as gifts are inspired by the stories behind each unique piece, or by the cultures they reflect. The Katy Valentine Collection, a business and brand named after its creator, uniquely takes its inspiration from Africa and India, but with a contemporary design aesthetic.
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Gaceri Kirimi, co-founder of Destello Laundry Cleaning Services (Kenya)
As entrepreneurs, we all know how difficult it can be to balance work and life commitments, and when it comes to managing household chores such as laundry, it can be difficult without help. That’s where Destello Laundry Cleaning Services comes in, helping Nairobi’s busy professionals and families to deal with the chore of doing laundry each week.
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Chef Naledi, Private Chef and Cooking Instructor (South Africa)
They say that to build a successful business, you should start with your specialist skills, passion and knowledge, and harness those as the basis for a business that can grow. This is an approach being taken to the full by the talented Chef Naledi, a South African private chef and culinary instructor who is now helping others to build their knowledge and experience of cooking at home.
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Maria Natália João, founder of MNJ Eventos & Serviços (Mozambique)
The world of eventing is a hugely competitive business, so the secret to success is building a reputation and service offering that is differentiated in the industry. For entrepreneur, Maria Natália João, founder of MNJ Eventos & Serviços, that meant harnessing her considerable expertise and experience as an event MC and building upon that to create a multifaceted business.
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