Entrepreneur Advice for Julian Omalla: Don't rush into borrowing money for your business

November 7, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You should consider banks as the last resort when looking for sources of funds ....

"First establish yourself then think of borrowing. When I borrowed, I noticed that my business was not growing as fast as I thought—it slowed me down, .... I started with personal savings and I think that is the best way.”

- Julian Adyeri Omalla is one of Uganda's top female entrepreneurs. She is founder, chairperson and managing director of Delight Uganda Limited, producing the country's most popular fruit drink sold under the brand name 'Cheers'. Julian has diversified into a range of other business activities, including egg and poultry farming, maize-feed production, a flour mill and bakery, a student hostel for 400, as well as coordinating women’s farmer cooperatives that provide food aid into Sudan. Today, Julian employs over 1,000 Ugandans and exports to countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and Zaire.

Swaady Martin - The startup story of this stylish purveyor of African Luxury

November 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Swaady Martin-Leke, founder and CEO of Yswara — **Swaady Martin-Leke**, founder and CEO of Yswara

The story of an Afropolitan entrepreneur building a unique global luxury brand by creating elegant, high-end products using the continent’s finest natural resources.

Entrepreneur Advice from Aissa Dione: Entrepreneurs often have to swim against the tide to realise their dreams

November 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Reviving an industry; creating jobs; starting a new venture - sometimes this means you have to swim against the tide of conventional thinking....

"I do realize that I am swimming against the economic tide .... But at the same time, I know that this is the only way you can develop. We are showing the way forward."

- Aïssa Dione, a renowned Senegalese painter and textile designer, founded the company that bears her name, Aissa Dione Tissus back in 1992. Her mission: to revive Senegal's traditional and unique fabric weaving craftsmanship and build a production chain that is truly '100% Made in Senegal'. Her approach is to combine unique design, know-how and artisan craftsmanship to transform African grown cotton into a valuable product. She has succeeded in this, building a high-end fabric brand underpinned by centuries old cotton processing and weaving skills. Today, Aissa has more than 100 employees whose traditional handwoven fabrics are delivered to the absolute top-end interior design brands across Africa, Europe and the United States. Aissa's designs and fabrics grace major design salons and brands such as Hermés, Fendi, Christian Liaigre and Peter Marino.

Africa's Top 100 Young Business Leaders List Features 7 Women Entrepreneurs

November 5, 2014 Melanie Hawken

This month, the Choiseul Institute of France has just published its inaugural list of Africa’s 100 Most Promising Young Business Leaders Under the Age of 40, and making the rankings are seven women entrepreneurs, our Lionesses of Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Adenike Ogunlesi: Get people to believe in your dream

November 5, 2014 Melanie Hawken

The challenge is getting people to believe in your dream....

“The typical challenges that most start-ups would face would be definitely finance and getting people to believe in your dream. But being able to articulate this in a business plan is one of the ways you can overcome that challenge.”

- Adenike 'Nike' Ogunlesi is the founder of Ruff 'n' Tumble a leading designer, manufacturer and retailer of designer children's clothing in Nigeria. Nike started out modestly in 1996 selling the clothes she made from the boot of her car and in bazaars. Today, Ruff 'n' Tumble is an instantly recognisable brand in Nigeria and has a reputation for being one of the top manufacturers of children's clothing throughout West Africa. Ruff 'n' Tumble successfully caters to the unique fashion sense of today’s youngsters, from new born to age 16, happily mixing indigenous lifestyle trends with an international appeal.

Let's celebrate and support Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on November 19

November 4, 2014 Melanie Hawken

It’s official - women entrepreneurs get their own global day of recognition this month – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, 19th November 2014. Let's join to celebrate, support and empower women entrepreneurs worldwide and especially women on our own continent, Africa!

BBC TV Interview: African Dream - Swaady Martin of Yswara tea brand

November 3, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Swaady Martin-Leke, founder of Yswara — **Swaady Martin-Leke**, founder of Yswara

Video Source: BBC New Africa | November, 3 2014

As part of the BBC's African Dream series, Swaady Martin-Leke the French-Ivorian founder of luxury tea brand Yswara discusses the importance of being based on the continent, where people feel "alive". Swaady says she decided to "implant" her luxury brand in South Africa. The entrepreneur opened her first shop in Johannesburg. She then decided to aim for Nigeria before turning her attention to the entire continent via digital sales.

Quote of the Day

October 30, 2014 Melanie Hawken

"I swore never to lead a poor life .... While growing up, we were poor. We had to dig and brew alcohol to raise school fees. I saw the problems my father faced raising us on a primary school teachers salary. I decided not to have many children. I have a few, but I support many others."

Quote of the Day

October 29, 2014 Melanie Hawken

“We cannot tackle our problems alone, as shown by issues such a climate change and biodiversity. This is why it is so important for us to empower women as actors in the global world, to have networks, and to exchange experience on practical problems and potential solutions.”

- Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. She is best known for being elected the first female chancellor of Germany and for being one of the lead architects of the European Union. Ms Merkel is former research scientist, who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and the leader of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000.

Video: Aissa Dione is at the heart of magically weaving African grown cotton into prized fabric

October 27, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: Bruno demeocq

Watch highly skilled artisan weavers at work in Assia Dione's workshop in Dakar, Senegal as they create beautiful fabrics prized by many of the high-end interior design brands of the world.

Fastest Growing African Shoe-Brand 'SoleRebels' Launches Flagship Store In Silicon Valley

October 26, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: Forbes | September 16, 2014

Named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa in 2011 by FORBES, celebrated Ethiopian entrepreneur, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu launched her first US offering at the beginning of this month; a flagship store of her eco-friendly shoe brand, SoleRebels, in Silicon Valley, California.

Quote of the Day

October 24, 2014 Melanie Hawken

"The mobile market will continue to grow in Africa. We are already the second largest market after Asia. The use of mobiles games could help people to move from a place of apathy to a place of hope. My belief is that there is a huge potential that these games can and are already helping young people to learn critical skills and knowledge."

- Anne Githuku-Shongwe is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afroes Transformational Games - a company that builds mobile game-based learning platforms out of South Africa and Kenya. Anne's vision is to revolutionise learning in Africa with a focus on delivering positive Africa-focused mobile phone entertainment to the youth market across the continent.

Quote of the Day

October 23, 2014 Melanie Hawken

“Money makes you more of who you already are. If you are a jerk, it will make you a bigger jerk; if you are insecure, you become even more insecure; if you are generous, you become even more generous; if you are nice, you become even nicer. Making money is like holding up a magnifying glass to who you are, personally and professionally. It creates a lot of power, and it’s up to you to use that in a really good way."

- Sara Blakely, is an American businesswoman and founder of Spanx, a multi-million-dollar undergarment company. She is the world's youngest self-made female billionaire. It all started back in 2000 - whilst she was getting ready for a party, Sara realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to provide a blemish-free look under white pants. Armed with scissors and sheer genius, she cut the feet off her control top pantyhose and the Spanx revolution began! The Spanx brand now houses over 200 products ranging from slimming apparel and swimsuits, to bras, activewear and men’s undershirts.

Entrepreneur Advice from Aissa Dione: Big things can be achieved from humble beginnings

October 23, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Remember, you can achieve big things from the most humble of beginnings....

"I began with this company in 1992. I was working from home with a single weaver. Before too long, there were 15 working with me and I moved to an area specifically designed for small and medium enterprises. I wanted to re-launch textile production – but in a different way."

Entrepreneur Advice from Julian Omalla: Is it possible to start and manage multiple businesses?

October 22, 2014 Melanie Hawken

How do you manage all your businesses?....

"I love challenges, work and starting new businesses. I like employing people. So I work until late in the night. When I am writing business proposals and starting a new business, I sleep at midnight. When I'm launching a new product, I sleep at 10:00pm and get up at 2:00am to work and sleep again at 5:00am."

Podcast: DW Deutsche Welle - Interviews Julian Omalla inspiring Ugandan entrepreneur

October 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

PODCAST: Listen to this fascinating interview

Julian Adyeri Omalla changed her biography from a story of poverty to prosperity. How did she manage to move from having nothing to creating a business employing 450 people nowadays? Listen and find out this amazing woman’s philosophy.

Entrepreneur Advice from Julian Omalla: Find that gap in the market

October 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You need to identify a gap in the market....

“My aim was to start a juice processing business, not just small scale like the market vendors, but a real factory. My mother had taught us to process local fruit and I’d done a certificate course in food science, so I had the technical background. I could see there was a gap in the market.”

Entrepreneur Advice from Julian Omalla: Don't put all your eggs in one basket

October 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Never put all your eggs in one basket....

“As a woman I wanted to show I could have my own business, too. I was doing well until I became too trusting… I transferred all my funds to my business partner to purchase stock and he just disappeared from his place of business. I was back to square zero .... I learnt the hard way not to put all my eggs in one basket."

- Julian Adyeri Omalla is one of Uganda's top female entrepreneurs. She is founder, chairperson and managing director of Delight Uganda Limited, producing the country's most popular fruit drink sold under the brand name 'Cheers'. Julian has diversified into a range of other business activities, including egg and poultry farming, maize-feed production, a flour mill and bakery, a student hostel for 400, as well as coordinating women’s farmer cooperatives that provide food aid into Sudan. Today, Julian employs over 1,000 Ugandans and exports to countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and Zaire.

Julian Omalla: 1,000 jobs up for grabs in Nwoya fresh fruit processing plant

October 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: New Vision | Published October 15, 2012

Over 1,000 locals including homeless young mothers are to get gainful employment following the setting up of a 5,000 acre fruit processing plant in Nwoya district. The ministry of Local Government with support from the United Nations Centre for Development and Nwoya district local government have partnered with Delight Uganda limited to set up a fresh fruit processing factory in Nwoya.

Building a venture from scratch not for the faint-hearted says gourmet tea entrepreneur

October 19, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Source: How We Made It In Africa | May 16, 2013

Cote d’Ivoire-born Swaady Martin-Leke is the founder and CEO of YSWARA, a newly launched African tea company that is targeted at the higher-end consumer market. The company is based in South Africa, but sources its teas from across the continent. According to Martin-Leke, the luxury market in Africa offers increasing opportunities with the steady growth in the African middle class and discretionary income.