the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Pitsi Ledwaba, founder of Bonolo Naturals (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Pitsi Ledwaba is from Polokwane in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and the founder of Bonolo Naturals, a growing natural, organic beauty brand. For the past 12 years she has been in the retail industry managing both local and international brands. It is where she fell in love with beauty, fashion and everything that makes people look and feel good.
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Nidia D’Almeida, founder of API - Agência de Propriedade Intelectual (Mozambique)
Startup Story
So many businesses wonder if you can protect your Intellectual Property Rights in Mozambique, and the answer is yes, you can. Entrepreneur Nidia D’Almeida, founder of API - Agência de Propriedade Intelectual, is there to show you how.
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Josefa Amélia Massinga, founder of Florista Flor Khyathu e Servicos (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Every great event needs great floral decorations to create memorable occasions, and it is the same with creating the right impression in a home or office. In Maputo, Mozambique, entrepreneur Josefa Amélia Massinga, founder and CEO of Florista Flor Khyathu e Servicos, has just the floral decorations and expertise to turn any event or space into something truly special.
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Charlene Shapiro, founder of CNC Products (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Charlene Shapiro is the founder and Managing Member of CNC Products in South Africa. She is an all-rounder entrepreneur and has 29 years’ business experience working in the hospitality industry. Charlene's business is focused on providing high quality service and affordable food products to the hospitality industry, corporates and home users at large. Her experience in sales and marketing come from her years spent in the newspaper industry. She is proudly continuing a family legacy of service and is proud to have her daughter, Kerry, continuing with the same passion at CNC Products.
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Esta van Heerden, founder of iWater Pty Ltd (South Africa)
Startup Story
Many women entrepreneurs in Africa are driven to start their businesses because of an identified need. For Esta van Heerden, founder of iWater Pty Ltd in South Africa, she is passionate about the environment and wants to ensure that all citizens have access to clean water in the future. She also believes that companies that have contaminated the environment MUST clean it up! Her business is now offering companies a solution to this clean-up need, harnessing the best of technology solutions to aid the process.
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Agnes Chikukwa Hove, founder of Sequor Consulting (South Africa)
Startup Story
Helping people to make the right financial life and business decisions is what drives entrepreneur Agnes Chikukwa Hove, founder of Sequor Consulting, in South Africa. Today, her company provides specialist financial training and money management coaching that also builds the confidence needed to make smart financial choices.
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Lucia Molefe, founder of Mokgalaka Creations (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Lucia Molefe is the founder of Mokgalaka Creations. She was always good with her hands and had a passion for making cakes and cooking, as she would make the occasional cake and platter for friends and family. In 2006, Lucia embraced this skillset and registered Mokgalaka Creations as a business. Immediately, she began taking cake designing and decoration classes after working hours to sharpen her God-given talent. During this time, she began growing her home-based business part-time. In 2008, Mokgalaka Creations had begun taking off. It was in this year that she resigned after 15 years of service with the Department of Social Development to focus full-time on her passion and her business.
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Suraya Williams, founder of Design26 (Pty) Ltd (South Africa)
Startup Story
In South Africa, clothing manufacturing has always played an important role in the local economy, creating jobs and developing skills. Today, Suraya Williams, founder of Design26 (Pty) Ltd, is carrying on the legacy of her late mother by transforming a clothing manufacturing business to a CMT (cut-make-trim) operation, creating skilled jobs in the process.
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Angellah Manda, founder of Angelos Crochet (Malawi)
Startup Story
Crocheting is an art that many Malawians are taught at an early age, but for Angellah Manda, founder of Angelos Crochet, she was inspired to take the craft to the next level and into business. Today, her beautifully crafted crochet garments and accessories are desirable fashion items by her growing customer base.
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Thuli Zikalala, founder of Yellow Owl (South Africa)
Startup Story
For the deaf and hard of hearing, being able to keep up to date with news, information and powerful digital content is so important to maintain those all important connections in life and in business. Thuli Zikalala, founder of specialist business Yellow Owl, is playing her part as a professional sign language interpreter.
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Siwinile Khumalo, founder of Sucxeed Projects (Pty) Ltd (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
In South Africa, many people still do not have access to clean and healthy water supplies each day. For entrepreneur Siwinile Khumalo, founder of Sucxeed Projects (Pty) Ltd, addressing this challenge was the inspiration for her business building journey. Today she is a water solutions and services provider, changing lives and communities.
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Michèle Mianza, founder of 2mk Healthcare (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Startup Story
Technology has become a real gamechanger in the world of healthcare, providing those in need with access to medical advice and healthcare professionals via apps and digital platforms. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, entrepreneur Michèle Mianza, founder of 2mk Healthcare empowers people to manage their health journeys using technology.
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Startup Story
For travellers who want to visit Cape Verde for vacations or business, help is at hand thanks to the team at Resermar Reservas Online, the country’s first online integrated booking platform co-founded by Leidimara Ramos. This one-stop-shop platform assists not only visitors, but also those smaller suppliers on Cape Verde who want to connect with potential new customers.
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Sibongile Mtsabe, founder of Sibocali Traders (South Africa)
Startup Story
Getting access to good, affordable and nutritious food that can also help in addressing obesity, diabetes and malnutrition is a challenge for many communities in South Africa. For entrepreneur Sibongile Mtsabe, founder of Sibocali Traders, that challenge provided the inspiration for the launch of her agriprocessing business.
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Xoliswa Hlongwane, founder of XO Collection (South Africa)
Startup Story
South Africa needs jobs, and it also needs to rebuild a strong clothing manufacturing industry sector, and that’s where entrepreneur Xoliswa Hlongwane is making her contribution to the economy through her XO Collection (Pty) Ltd.
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Zola Shabangu, founder of iGoda Clothing Manufacturing Incubator (South Africa)
Startup Story
Driven by a desire to create opportunities for South African clothing manufacturers and designers to create and supply their clothing to local retailers, Zola Shabangu launched iGoda Clothing Manufacturing Incubator PTY Ltd. Today, the business is a development incubator for a new generation of fashion designers and seamstresses.
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Karunas Reddy, ceo of Nonna’s Foods (South Africa)
Startup Story
For all those with a wheat or gluten intolerance in South Africa and looking for healthy, natural products such as plant based pastas and baking mixes, help is at hand from Nonna’s Foods. Entrepreneur Karunas Reddy is on a mission to offer her customers the widest range of delicious and healthy gluten and wheat free products that are tasty, healthy and importantly safe to eat.
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Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd (South Africa)
Startup Story
Agribusiness is big business in South Africa, and one passionate, enterprising woman entrepreneur, Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd, is putting bees at the heart of her business. Her production of beautifully natural honey has not only created local agri-processing jobs for women in her community, but also the creation of a natural skincare brand using the wax, propolis and royal jelly from her raw honey hives.
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Emmanuella Aboa, founder of Transolution Services Africa Ltd (Kenya)
Startup Story
For any individual or business wanting to achieve their full potential, it is often essential to get the right training, skills development and advice. Based in Kenya but with a pan-African presence, entrepreneur Emmanuella Aboa, founder of Transolution Services Africa Ltd, is focused on helping individuals and businesses thrive in their eco-systems.
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Anne Drane, founder of The Sawa Sawa Collection (Kenya/USA)
Startup Story
One of the biggest challenges for women artisans in Kenya is getting their handcrafted products into global markets. The Sawa Sawa Collection, founded by Anne Drane and her co-founders looks to help change that narrative, empowering women to make a sustainable living from their work and contribute to local economic empowerment.
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