Stélia Dgedge, a Mozambican entrepreneur creating access to clean drinking water

October 8, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Stélia Dgedge, founder, Khuwana Water Filters Lda (Mozambique)

Stélia Dgedge is the founder of Khuwana Water Filters Lda, a Mozambican company dedicated to the production and sale of ceramic-based water purifying filters. She has a degree in Financial and Insurance Management from ISCTEM. Since very early on, she has always been interested in topics related to preservation, sustainability, and the environment. About five years ago Stélia was invited to be part of the Finance Department of a startup that operates in the Renewable Energy sector. It was a unique opportunity for her to demonstrate once again the knowledge obtained at the associated University and her professional experience, as she came from a company with over twenty years in the market and was well positioned in it. She discovered her purpose - a mixture of three words, “Entrepreneurship, Impact, and Sustainability”.

Betty David, a Kenyan media entrepreneur telling remarkable stories through video production

October 8, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Betty David, founder, Spot Africa Media (Kenya)

Spot Africa Media, a production house founded by media entrepreneur, Betty David, based in Nairobi-Kenya and a business which has been in operation since 2016. This highly reputable video production company has a track record and a great desire to tell remarkable stories. Betty and her team pride themselves in every shot, edit, and decision that is executed with a lot of care. Founder Betty David’s own journey is exemplified by her unyielding passion to serve humanity and to impact lives positively.

Nonopa Tenza, a South African agripreneur passionate about rural economic development and farming

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Nonopa Tenza, founder of Kevinot Farming (South Africa)

Nonopa Tenza is the founder of Kevinot Farming in South Africa - she is an accountant by training, and a seasoned finance and banking professional. She has fulfilled various roles in financial management, credit risk management, sales, and relationship management roles in SA’s blue-chip companies and has worked in SA and Scotland. In 2017, Nonopa founded Kevinot Farming as a side hustle whilst still in corporate. In 2021 she left a successful career in Corporate and Investment Banking to run the business on a full-time basis. Kevinot Farming is a business that farms in the deep rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa, and is a mixed farming business growing maize and beans and also farming sheep and cattle.

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, a trailblazing entrepreneur dedicated to revolutionizing the energy landscape in Sierra Leone

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, Founder and CEO of Women in Energy Sierra Leone Limited

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray is a trailblazing entrepreneur and visionary leader dedicated to revolutionizing the energy landscape in Sierra Leone and beyond. As the Founder and CEO of Women in Energy Sierra Leone Limited, Margaret's journey has been defined by her unwavering commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and innovative solutions. Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Margaret witnessed firsthand the energy challenges faced by her community. This ignited a passion within her to effect meaningful change. Armed with a background in energy engineering, she embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between traditional energy practices and modern, environmentally conscious solutions. Margaret's brainchild, the Smart Green Stove, stands as a testament to her ingenuity. This groundbreaking innovation not only reduces emissions and fuel consumption but also empowers marginalized communities, particularly women, by providing them with a sustainable and efficient cooking solution.

Gemiene Mueni, a Kenyan PR specialist helping brands tell their stories

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Gemiene Mueni, founder, Click'd Age Consultancy (Kenya)

Gemiene Mueni, a Kenyan PR communication consultant and the founder of Click'd Age Consultancy (CAC_PR), is passionate about helping remarkable brands tell their stories. As a consultant, she helps brands create great content that people choose to talk about. Her dedication to her work is evident in the outstanding results she has consistently achieved for her clients. CAC_PR is very dear to her heart for it's not only helping remarkable brands tell their stories, but it's the connection she has with her clients. They Click!

Linda Young, a South African entrepreneur with a passion for managing people talent

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Linda Young, co-founder, Pocket People Solutions (South Africa)

Linda Young is the co-founder of Pocket People Solutions, a South African specialist HR business built on a foundation of strong values and a holistic approach to managing people talent for its clients. The business focuses on helping other businesses to build highly skilled and motivated workforces that can fulfill their potential and contribute to overall company success.

Matilda Akinsuyi, a Nigerian creative design entrepreneur building an empowering fashion brand

September 13, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Matilda Akinsuyi, founder and creative director, Myra Woman (Nigeria)

Matilda Akinsuyi is the founder and creative director of Myra Woman in Nigeria. She is a visionary entrepreneur, and a trailblazer in the world of fashion. With a background as a successful lawyer, her journey towards building a fashion business was driven by an unwavering passion for elegance and sophistication. As a young girl, she was captivated by the transformative power of fashion, and with an unyielding desire to follow her dreams, finally took a leap of faith and founded her fashion business in 2017. With a focus on providing classy and elegant corporate and occasion wear for sophisticated women, Matilda was keen to redefine the concept of professional attire. The pieces she creates exude timeless sophistication, empowering women to feel confident and radiant in any setting. Attention to detail and commitment to quality set the creations apart, making them the go-to choice for women who crave understated elegance.

Goretti Kat, an entrepreneur educating and empowering young people to thrive in Democratic Republic of Congo

August 29, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Goretti Kat, CEO, Minzoto Club (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Goretti Kat is the founder and CEO of Minzoto Club, an educational cultural centre for teenagers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has a degree in organizational and corporate communications and is a member of the global network of educators HUNDRED.org. She is also a facilitator and trainer in entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development. Goretti first worked for young people’s development as an activist for 5 years. During this time, she acquired 3 leadership certifications after helping to set up 4 youth support structures in universities. After that, she then set up Minzoto Club in early 2021. In 2018, she was awarded the title of "100 young pages of hope in the DRC", an annual diploma honouring the 100 country's most active young people of the year.

Queen Uwabuofu, an entrepreneur creating an African doll brand celebrating the beauty of diversity

August 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Queen Uwabuofu, founder and Creative Director, CloveKids International (Nigeria)

Queen is the Founder and Creative Director of CloveKids International in Nigeria. Her business, founded in 2019, is focused on raising and building the African child for the future through a range of innovation products that promote black representation, inclusion, diversity, child education and sustainability. Queen is an award winning innovative entrepreneur with 12 years of experience in Business administration and handcrafting. She is a graduate of International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin.

Shádia Gafur Chachine, a Mozambican entrepreneur building a people management consulting business

August 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Shádia Gafur Chachine, founder, Mbira Advisory (Mozambique)

Shádia Gafur Chachine is the founder of Mbira Advisory, a consulting company specializing in people management in Mozambique. She has 15 years of professional experience, mostly in NGOs, of which 4 are in project management in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and 11 years in the area of HR, people management. With this experience Shádia acquired an understanding of international standards, dealt with a diversity of people, cultures and different realities, always in close collaboration with those responsible for the departments/areas in the organization, to ensure that all tasks were carried out in compliance with organizational growth and challenges. It was in this context that during the COVID pandemic, when the effects of the pandemic were already being felt in the work area, she decided to create Mbira, with the aim of contributing to the well-being of people in the work environment.

Diana Dwamena, a digital transformation strategist developing workforces for the future in Ghana

August 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Diana Dwamena, founder and ceo, The Learning Nuggets Company Limited (Ghana)

Diana Dwamena is the founder and ceo of digital learning and transformation company, The Learning Nuggets Company Limited, in Ghana. She is a trailblazing strategist and tech-savvy innovator who has been shaping the digital transformation landscape for over two decades. With her impressive track record of pioneering impactful technology solutions, she has been featured in the esteemed UK History of Parliament Trust's “300 Years of Leadership and Innovation” commemorative album. She launched her business in 2007 and it employs 5 people.

Safia Shatta, a woman entrepreneur empowering others through language learning in Sudan

August 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Safia Shatta, founder and CEO, Mango Gate (Sudan)

Safia Shatta is the founder and CEO of Mango Gate in Sudan, a specialist language learning platform. She is an urban planner, education activist, and a passionate polyglot, and is also proud to be an alumni of Orange Corners Sudan, a member of Women in Africa (WIA) and eTrade for Women. Additionally, she has been recognized as a UNDP-4YFN women innovator and the winner of North Africa's Most Promising Entrepreneur Award at the AfricArena Summit 2022. Through Mango Gate, Safia is dedicated to empowering people through language learning and breaking down communication barriers. She started the business in 2020 and today it employs 12 people.

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson, a Ghanaian social entrepreneur creating impact through coffee

August 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson, Founder & CEO, Kawa Moka Coffee Company (Ghana)

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson is the Founder, CEO and Chief Caffeination Officer at Kawa Moka Coffee Company, Ghana's leading social enterprise coffee company and roaster, where she drives investment and growth. She has raised over $200,000 in debt and equity investments; created over 250 jobs in coffee through farmer partnerships and employment of marginalized groups; and established Accra's largest roastery, supplying major supermarkets and cafes across the country and internationally. Emi-Beth has been recognized by the President of the Republic of Ghana, President Akuffo Addo. Prior to founding Kawa Moka in 2015, Emi-Beth worked as a tax consultant and transfer pricing expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Ghana and Kenya.

Cátia Siueia, a Mozambican entrepreneur creating smart energy solutions for low income women and communities

August 20, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Cátia Siueia, founder, Smart Energy Initiatives (Mozambique)

Cátia Siueia is the founder of Smart Energy Initiatives in Mozambique. She is an entrepreneur extremely passionate about technology. Her business distinction lies in offering totally environmentally friendly and economically sustainable solar cookers to low-income women. At the end of 2021, Smart Energy Initiatives was created for the purpose of reaching women who do not have access to energy. The company currently has four employees who promote this impact driven initiative.

Yolanda Matine, a Mozambican entrepreneur helping families to prepare healthy lunchboxes for children

August 20, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Yolanda Matine, founder, MomlifeMarmitas (Mozambique)

Yolanda Matine is the founder of MomlifeMarmitas in Mozambique, a business idea inspired by her two daughters. Yolanda has taken various entrepreneurial routes in the past 10 years, but has now arrived at her destination, doing what she loves the most, which is cooking. She is using this love to help caretakers (moms, dads, grannies, aunties, uncles, helpers) to make healthy lunchboxes (with less processed food) for their children, while at the same time creating incredible food memories. MomlifeMarmitas offers courses with weekly menus, recipes, weekly shopping lists, lunchbox set ups, bento boxes, accessories, and an eBook with more than 25 recipes, tips on food storage, and lunchbox plans.

Ama Brenya, a Ghanaian entrepreneur building a wholesale bakery products manufacturing business

August 12, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Ama Brenya, founder and ceo, LADL Patisserie Company Limited (Ghana)

Ama Brenya is the founder and ceo of LADL Patisserie Company Limited in Ghana. She has about 10 years’ experience working in the mining industry as a Chemical Engineer and three years working in the banking sector in supply and logistics management. She officially ventured in to entrepreneurship since 2017, operating a brick and mortar pastry shop and then added a mobile food truck from which she sold pastries along some streets in the business district in Accra. During the pandemic in 2020, it became necessary to rethink her business strategy in order to remain relevant and resilient. During the lockdown, the idea of producing frozen croissants and bread rolls was birthed.

Kgabiso Palesa Sephai, a South African entrepreneur passionate about socio-economic development in grass-roots communities

August 12, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Kgabiso Palesa Sephai is the founder and managing director of two entities, KgabisoPalesa Consulting and KgabisoPalesa Cares NPC in South Africa. She is also a director at In Pursuit Renewable Energy. She has over 15 years experience in project planning, project & programme management, PMO setup and management. She holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering from Multimedia University in Malaysia, a Postgraduate Diploma in General Management, and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science. She is also a Project Management Professional and a member of the Project Management Institute.

Silvia Ferreira, a Mozambican entrepreneur changing the world one brick at a time

August 6, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Silvia Ferreira, founder, Cosini Lda (Mozambique)

Silvia Ferreira is the founder of Cosini Lda, a construction, real estate and industrial solutions company started in Mozambique in 2020 and with a workforce of 12. She is the winner of the Access bank 2022 award for the biggest Female Entrepreneurship project in Mozambique. She has an MBA in supply chain from Vlerick Business School in Belgium.

Daphne Kasambala, an entrepreneur in Malawi building a wholesale marketplace for African creatives

August 6, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Daphne Kasambala, founder and CEO, Meekono (Malawi)

Daphne Kasambala is the founder and CEO of Meekono, a wholesale marketplace for African creatives seeking global trading opportunities. A multifaceted entrepreneur and former corporate banker with experience gained with major institutions in Europe and Africa, Daphne is a relentless problem-solver and collaborator who is determined to play a key role in putting African creativity on the map. Daphne considers herself a global citizen, and has recently returned after many years abroad to focus on growing her business. One of Daphne’s proudest moments was scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds for a revolving micro-loan facility for African women micro-entrepreneurs. Her business was launched in 2021 and today employs 5 people.

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