Zamabuya Muhanelwa, a South African perfumier creating jobs and empowering young people

July 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Zamabuya Muhanelwa, founder, Indoni Perfumes (South Africa)

Zamabuya Muhanelwa is the founder of Indoni Perfumes in South Africa, a manufacturer and retailer of fragrances. Originally with a PR & Communications background, her entrepreneurial journey has taken her into the market of high end fragrance creation. When she first founded Indoni Perfumes in 2018, Zamabuya had no idea it would grow into one of the best fragrance retailers, creating job opportunities and empowering youngsters in the process. Today, Indoni Perfumes is a perfume manufacturer and retailer based in Johannesburg, South Africa, but trading nationwide. It is predominantly known for offering cutting edge fragrances as well as home and pamper care products for less.

Sónia Lumeka, an Angolan entrepreneur telling stories through photography

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sónia Lumeka, founder, Kaylina Photos (Angola)

Sónia Lumeka is the founder of Kaylina Photos in Angola. She is an artist, architect, writer and photographer. An introvert person who enjoys good reflection and quiet places, she was born and raised in the country and is married and the mother of three children as well as being an entrepreneur.

Mbalenhle Ndaba, a South African entrepreneur creating cleaning solutions for clients

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Mbalenhle Ndaba, founder, HomeMinder4U (South Africa)

For those who need specialist cleaning services in their homes and offices, help is at hand from entrepreneur Mbalenhle Ndaba, founder of HomeMinder4U in South Africa. Improving lives through cleaning is her passion and prompted her to launch her business offering a wide range of cleaning services in 2019 in Johannesburg.

Charlotte Flavienne Binya, an innovative agri-food processing entrepreneur from Cameroon

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Charlotte Binya, founder, Country Foods SARL (Cameroon)

Charlotte Binya is the founder of Country Foods SARL which is an agri-food company based in Douala, Cameroon, producing products such as fish, pork, beef sausages, natural jams, natural fruit juices and peanut butter. Holder of an engineering diploma in transformation and quality control of fishery products, Charlotte is also a trainer in the food industry and delivers several training courses in the food industry, as well as with international organizations, individuals or companies wishing to update their teams in the food industry.

Wada Kealotswe, an eco-friendly pencil manufacturer from Botswana creating jobs and positively impacting the planet

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Wada Kealotswe, founder & director Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera (Botswana)

Wada Kealotswe is the founder and director of Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera in Botswana, a company that manufactures eco graphite and colour pencils. The business has been running for 2 years and today has 3 permanent employees and 15 part time employees, mostly youth who have never worked before. Wada is a Development Economist from Botswana with over 10 years’ experience doing developmental work, and a graduate from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The company was a 2021 runner-up for the Catalyst SEED award in the Waste Management category, and its stories have been featured on global platforms like Forbes and Xinhua.

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge, a luxury jewellery brand builder changing the lives of Kenya’s artisans

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge, founder and creative director, Umutoni (Kenya)

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge is the founder and creative director of Umutoni, a luxury jewelry brand where every piece is handmade with love by the best artisans from the heart of Kenya. She is on a mission to empower the disenfranchised through her ethically driven jewellery. With a degree in Economics and background in the IT industry, Umutoni is utilizing skills developed in her professional background to share the narrative that jewellery can be an agent for social change. Having spoken at Cambridge University, being featured in Forbes and BBC, she's keen to share the brand story and continue to make an impact as she continues to amalgamate her worlds together.

Sasha Knott, a South African techpreneur building an innovative recruitment solution connecting companies to talent

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sasha Knott, CEO, Job Crystal (South Africa)

Sasha Knott, the CEO of Job Crystal in South Africa, started her career in IT and moved quickly in her career finding her passion for entrepreneurship and combining this with technology that works for the customer and often disrupts industries. Sasha’s current plan is to make job seekers lives easier while helping SMEs find talent fast and effortlessly! With Job Crystal’s new system called Crystal which combines RecTech, AI, machine learning and UX functionality that makes it easy to find the needle in the haystack for SMEs looking for talent. The vision is to make a dent in unemployment.

Ruth Obizo, a Nigerian beauty entrepreneur creating professional make-up experiences

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

**Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka, founder, GlambyRuthie (Nigeria)**

Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka is the founder of GlambyRuthie in Nigeria, a brand focused on providing the best makeup services for women across the nation and the training of aspiring makeup artists. She is also studying accountancy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and currently pursuing her ICAN qualification. Ruth founded GlambyRuthie in 2020 and is focused on growing her brand, getting involved in fashion shows, and looking for collaborations in the beauty industry.

Sibongile Mthimunye, a South African entrepreneur building an environmentally friendly cleaning business

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sibongile Mthimunye, founder, BWGL Group (South Africa)

Sibongile Mthimunye is the founder of BWGL Group in South Africa, a specialist business providing cleaning services to companies, businesses and households. Sibongile’s business is also a distributor of natural and environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The business was founded in 2020 and is growing and continuing to employ women from local communities. Sibongile is harnessing her 23 years of experience working in both the non-profit and corporate sectors for the benefit of her own business.

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu, a Kenyan entrepreneur with a passion for training and consulting to elevate opportunities for the youth

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu, founder & ceo, Woven Link Africa (Kenya)

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu is the founder and ceo of Woven Link Africa, with 19 years of combined experience in youth capacity building programs. Her greatest accomplishments are in setting up systems and structures for design, delivery and management of vocational education, entrepreneurship, and employability programs. She has worked with various organizations in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and UK.

Stacey Spilsbury, a South African entrepreneur helping clients to connect mind, body and wellness

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Stacey Spilsbury, co-founder, Connectable Life (South Africa)

Stacey Spilsbury is the co-founder of Connectable Life in South Africa, an online platform that connects Mind, Body and Wellness specialists with clients. She grew up in the heart of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. She is married to an incredible man, father and farmer, and they have 4 earth loving, wild and free, little boys. Both Stacey and her husband are passionate about Family, Faith and Business. She has a background in marketing and worked for a few years in London, UK before getting married and settling down back in South Africa.

Elohor Oderowho, a Nigerian digital magazine creator promoting women-empowered lifestyles

May 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Elohor Oderowho, Founder and Chief Editor, Elowell Max (Nigeria)

Elohor Oderowho is the Founder and Chief Editor of Elowell Max which was established in 2020. Her initial pursuit was to promote healthy living and wellness among African Women. This passion started when she noticed that African women needed a platform solely dedicated to their growth in all aspects. Thus, she vowed to create a women's site like no other, giving every African woman something to feed on. Being a passionate writer, she begun creating awareness for African women on how to go about vital aspects of life including relationships, femininity, fashion and beauty on her website www.elowellmaxpost.com.

Filomena Matimbe, a Mozambican entrepreneur creating business through banana flour innovation

May 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Filomena Matimbe, founder and ceo, Finana (Mozambique)

Filomena Matimbe is the founder and ceo of Finana, a Mozambican company specializing in Banana Flour processing and dry banana. She brings five years of experience in this business. Finana has won multiple awards including the world Gold Medal at the II World of Inventors and Innovators Forum, and also a SANBio award in Mozambique 2017. Banana flour is available in supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. It is also served as a snack in schools and in the largest hospital in the country.

Maureen Obaweya, a Nigerian entrepreneur building a luxury leather accessory brand

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Maureen Obaweya, founder and Creative Director, Morin.O Designs (Nigeria)

Maureen Obaweya is the Founder and Creative Director of Morin.O Designs in Nigeria. She is an award-winning designer whose initial career was in a pharmacy before taking an unchartered course. The Morin.O brand is a luxury brand focused on creating leather items and accessories for individuals with the aim to share African beauty, craftsmanship, and creativity with the world. Maureen established her brand in 2013 and opened her first store in Lagos in 2015. She has over 29 years of experience that cuts across arts, decor, gift company, pharmacies, and many more.

Rachelle Best, a South African entrepreneur creating an app to help parents manage their children’s online safety

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Rachelle Best, founder, FYI play it safe (South Africa)

Rachelle Best founded FYI play it safe, a downloadable app that helps parents protect their children from online harm and potential physical danger. She wanted to create a solution she and other parents can use to navigate the harsh realities of managing children’s online safety. Being confronted by the dangers associated with social media platforms and the open world of the internet, led Rachelle to embark on a research study to get a clear view of the available solutions.

Jean Archary, a South African financial wellness coach empowering people about money matters

May 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Jean Archary is a Certified Financial Planner® and created MONEY MESSAGES, a financial education and wellness company in South Africa that offers a range of solutions for employees and their families. Jean is a published and AfriCan award-winning author, financial wellness coach, speaker and mom. Her passion is to empower as many people about money matters and shift the way they think, feel and behave with money. Her company is based on the philosophy that "When you know better, you do better - (Maya Angelou).

Sian Louw, an entrepreneur in eSwatini on a mission to change lives and organisations

May 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sian Louw, ceo and owner, The Pacific Institute Swaziland

Everyone wants to have the opportunity to become the best versions of themselves, but achieving the desired end goal is not always easy with out expert help. In eSwatini, entrepreneur Sian Louw, ceo and owner of The Pacific Institute Swaziland, is assisting those who are looking to transform themselves and their organisations.

Oghenetega Gbadagri, an entrepreneur delivering on-demand mobile spa services to customers in Lagos, Nigeria

May 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Oghenetega Gbadagri, founder, The Mobile Spa (Nigeria)

Oghenetega Gbadagri is a well-being entrepreneur and the founder of Nigeria’s foremost on-demand Spa, The Mobile Spa, founded in 2017 and now a business employing 17 people. She is certified by the International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC UK), and she has certifications in various therapies including – Massage, Facials, Collagen Induction, Electrocautery and Advanced Skin Peel. Oghenetega is committed to helping people improve their skincare and well-being by making rejuvenating spa services easily accessible to them in their personal space.

Gugu Mpungose, a South Africa entrepreneur with a passion for media and storytelling that inspires

May 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Gugu Mpungose, founder, Black Tie Media and Communications (South Africa)

There is nothing quite as powerful as women who share their experiences and insights through storytelling in order to inspire others. Gugu Mpungose, founder of Black Tie Media and Communications, is creating platforms through publishing, content creation and event experiences to tell stories and share information that can help and inspire others.

Marie Behrens, a serial entrepreneur in Mauritius building a pan-African marketplace for beauty and wellness professionals

May 1, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Marie Behrens, founder and CEO, Kipepeo (Mauritius)

Marie Behrens is the founder and CEO of Kipepeo in Mauritius. She is a serial entrepreneur with over 13 years experience developing beauty salons and spas internationally, and with that skillset and passion for the industry she is now building a pan African marketplace that provides beauty and wellness professionals with a management and booking solution to optimize their business. It is the first start up of its kind in Mauritius and has been operational for more than a year, creating a community and business support to over 100 professionals. Her vision is to create equal growth opportunities for these professionals across Africa by using an end-to-end digital solution.

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