Amanta Hooman - The startup story of a South African entrepreneur bringing the luxurious truffle to everyone’s table

June 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Amanta Hooman, founder of Flavour Union (South Africa) — **Amanta Hooman**, founder of Flavour Union (South Africa)

Just mention the word truffle and you are instantly transported to a world of luxury fine dining and one of the most exquisite tastes on earth. Now, one young South African woman entrepreneur is making it accessible to everyone through her wonderful new range of truffle-based gourmet products under her new label Flavour Union.

How to work with a Virtual Assistant to Manage your Social Media

June 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Love it or Hate it, social media is here to stay. As a smart entrepreneur you know the power that social media platforms carry. Combine all the social media platforms available, and you have an instant powerhouse of brand recognition, digital marketing and a 24/7 sales rep on your side. The downside? Great social media takes time and we all know time is a precious resource!

Entrepreneur Advice from Amy Sinovich: There is no set formula to follow

June 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Amy Sinovich, founder of Resonate by amy — **Amy Sinovich**, founder of Resonate by amy

Trust the process and be prepared to keep learning....

"There is no set formula to starting a business and no two businesses will ever be the same, so my advice is trust your instincts and make decisions based on what feels right for you and your business, not based on what other people are doing."

- Amy Sinovich is an incredibly talented South African jewellery designer and the founder of Resonate by amy, a company that designs and manufactures bespoke jewellery. Amy is a graduate of the University of Johannesburg and the Ruth Prowse School of Art and in 2012 she was selected to exhibit as part of the Emerging Creatives programme at the 2013 Design Indaba.

Unlocking the potential of female entrepreneurship

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Susan Mashibe, founder of VIA Aviation (Tanzania) — **Susan Mashibe**, founder of VIA Aviation (Tanzania)

Source: The Guardian | by Anthony Demetriou and Nathan Gamester | 10 June 2015

Entrepreneurship can be an empowering experience that has impacts beyond economic development. Barriers need to be removed so more African women have tools to become entrepreneurs. Success stories like that of Susan Mashibe are still the exception rather than the rule, but it offers a model of what can happen when women have access to the tools for successful entrepreneurship.

RAPELANG RABANA '100 Lionesses' Profile: Meet a game-changing South African education technology entrepreneur

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Rapelang Rabana is a South African technology entrepreneur who is making waves both on the African continent and around the world. Rapelang is the innovative founder of Rekindle Learning, a company looking to improve education in Africa by turning people’s compulsion to check their phones into an opportunity to learn.

The '100 LIONESSES' Project a window into the world of Africa's most inspiring women entrepreneurs

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

100 Lionesses is an ongoing project of Lionesses of Africa to identify and celebrate 100 extraordinary African women entrepreneurs whose example serves to motivate and inspire a belief in all of us that we can pursue our personal entrepreneurial dreams and make them a reality.

Angela Franklin - The startup story of the bookseller of Senegal with a passion to promote the writers of the Diaspora

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Angela Franklin, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal) — **Angela Franklin**, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal)

Many bookstores claim to be so much more, but in the case of Angela Franklin’s business, Chez Alpha Books, this is certainly the case. She has taken the concept of a bookselling business and elevated it into a truly multi-faceted learning and resource centre for those with a love of the English language and a need to access learning materials and language training resources in English.

12 Emerging Women jewellery designers taking Africa by storm

June 9, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Katherine-Mary Pichulik, founder of Pichulik (South Africa) is a hugely talented Cape-Town-based jewellery designer taking traditional African jewellery and beading craftsmanship to a whole new level. Click to learn more.

Laura Nyahuye, founder of AdornU (Zimbabwe) is a talented avant-garde Zimbabwean jewellery designer, who is challenging existing notions of jewellery design with her company, Adornu. Click to learn more.

Njuhi Chege, founder of RiRi Jewellery and inspired by the Kenyan landscape, utilising the skills of talented artisans to achieve interesting textures and vibrant colours. Click to learn more.

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki Designs (Rwanda) is a trend-setter who creates jewellery pieces that are integral to her seasonal accessory collections. Click to learn more.

Rachel Phiri, founder of Silverbox Jewellery (Zimbabwe) is a spirited jewellery designer with an eye for contemporary design that celebrates Africa's beautiful semi-precious stones and metals. Click to learn more.

Abimbola Baolgun founder of Nigeria’s Bimbeads Concept is elevating the art of beading and creating the most spectacular pieces inspired by nature. Click to learn more.

Ashley Heather, founder of Ashley Heather Jewellery (South Africa) is an innovative eco-designer who is creating fabulous contemporary jewellery made from the precious metals reclaimed from computer and cellphone circuit boards. Click to learn more.

Janet Pulford, founder of Gemboree, a South African jewellery designer inspired by the natural precious and semi-precious stones of her country to create unique, relaxed pieces reflecting the colours of the changing seasons. Click to learn more.

Amy Sinovich, founder of Resonate by amy (South Africa) who reinvents the art of storytelling through her exquisite handcrafted jewellery pieces. Click to learn more.

Mary-Anne Grobler & Kara Furter of Matter of Fakt (South Africa) have a passion for raw, precious and semi-precious stones, creating exquisite pieces that have an edgy, contemporary quality.

Karin Rae Matthee, founder of Dear Rae Jewellery, (South Africa), handcrafting timeless jewellery pieces with a romantic quality and an African essence.

Founder of Tilt Handmade Jewels, Clare Nouvel, French-born but now resident in South Africa, creates jewellery inspired by the local materials and metals of the African continent. Click to learn more.

Meet 12 emerging women jewellery designers who are putting the continent on the global map with their uniquely African-inspired designs and technical brilliance.

Essential Read: 'Do, Disrupt, Change the Status Quo - Or Become It' by Mark Shayler

June 9, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mark Shayler, author of 'Do, Disrupt, Change the Status Quo - or Become It' — **Mark Shayler**, author of 'Do, Disrupt, Change the Status Quo - or Become It'

In his thought provoking book, 'Do, Disrupt, Change the Status Quo - or Become It', Mark Shayler introduces us to the notion of disruption and how we perhaps need to consider doing things differently if we want to succeed as entrepreneurs.

DEF.I.NI.TION Africa set to unveil their latest fashion designs during their Kenya tour

June 4, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nahida and Nadia Bhegani & Olga Mugyenyi, founders of DEF.I.NI.TION Africa, Uganda — **Nahida and Nadia Bhegani & Olga Mugyenyi**, founders of DEF.I.NI.TION Africa, Uganda

The creative business team at DEF.I.NI.TION Africa are gearing up for an exciting month ahead as they take their brand and latest designs on the road to two major events coming up in Kenya this June. The team have created some special new designs to showcase, just for those Kenyan fashionistas who have an eye for something different.

Juliana Rotich: "It’s a really fantastic time to be in Africa, to build in Africa"

June 4, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Source: Mail & Guardian | by Lee Mwiti | 3 June 2015

World Economic Forum Africa, Cape Town, 3 June 2015: Young people are key to increasing intra-African trade, which currently stands at a paltry 3%, some of the continent’s top entrepreneurs said Wednesday as the World Economic Forum on Africa got underway.

Christine Buchanan and Louiza Rademan - The startup story of two Cape Town entrepreneurs turning the world of skin and body care 100% natural and organic

June 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Louiza Rademan & Christine Buchanan, founders of Oh-Lief (South Africa) — **Louiza Rademan & Christine Buchanan**, founders of Oh-Lief (South Africa)

Two entrepreneurial sisters from South Africa with a love of all things natural and organic are capturing the imagination of customers looking for an alternative to the mass produced, chemically formulated skin and body care products on the market. The Oh-Lief Natural Products company is developing 100% natural and organic products that are truly world class.

Faraja Nyalandu - The startup story of a Tanzanian edupreneur producing accessible, localized digital learning for secondary students

June 1, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Faraja Nyalandu, founder Shule Direct (Tanzania) — **Faraja Nyalandu**, founder Shule Direct (Tanzania)

Africa’s education challenges and the lack of access to quality learning resources for children and young people in Tanzania specifically, led one woman entrepreneur to take an innovative approach to finding a solution. Faraja Nyalandu is creating world-class digital learning content and making it available to students on mobile phones and through online learning portals.

Lionesses of Africa celebrates the continent’s most innovative and inspirational women edupreneurs throughout June

June 1, 2015 Melanie Hawken

June is Focus on Africa’s Women Edupreneurs Month: This month we are turning our attention to the truly inspirational edupreneurs of Africa, the women who are creating leading-edge technologies and revolutionary new approaches to education in order to make a real difference to the lives of new generations of children and young people across the African continent.

Daniela Wingate - The startup story of an entrepreneur with a passion for handmade gifts that become tomorrow’s heirlooms

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Daniela Wingate, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa) — **Daniela Wingate**, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa)

Walking into Daniela Wingate’s flagship Heirloom Treasury store is a wonderful experience, and a real celebration of lovingly hand-made, carefully selected and beautifully displayed stationery and gift items that reflect the art of fine craftsmanship in Africa.

5 Top Tips To Improve Your Entrepreneurial Networking Skills

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Guest Blog: by Lireko Dorothy Ncube

Over the years the business world has drastically changed. With the rapid developments and significant improvements in the technology we use each day, we have the world literally at our fingertips 24/7, and what we do with it is what will help us make it in business, or not. It also means that they way we network has changed dramatically too.

Next Stop Angola for the Bold Kampala World Tour

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

One of LoA's favourite 'fashionista' startups, Bold Kampala, are living up to their name, as they are about to embark on the next leg of their hugely successful world tour, taking their concept store to Luanda in Angola during the month of June.

Essential Read: 'It’s Not Rocket Science' by Mary Spio

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mary Spio, author, deep space engineer, Internet entrepreneur, Game Changer.... — **Mary Spio**, author, deep space engineer, Internet entrepreneur, Game Changer....

Once a shoeless African child, I have had the opportunity to sell technology to companies such as Boeing, to sit at the table with leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies and even to change the movie industry. Who does that? Game Changers do that! Game Changers are the ones who are bold enough and brash enough to believe we can achieve our dreams and change the world in the process.

How to save time and energy by harnessing the support of a VA

May 31, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Guest Post by: Karen Wessels, co-founder and COO of VA Connect

Even a superhero needs an assistant, and in the world of entrepreneurship, that is certainly the case. Having that key person by your side to assist you as part of your support team will free you up to do the more important things when it comes to growing your business.

Television Interview: Dr. Christel Coetzee co-founder of ADVIT Animal Nutrition talks about her entrepreneurial journey

May 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Watch Dr Christel Coetzee's interview on the kykNET TV programme 'Winslyn' where she talks about her company ADVIT Animal Nutrition and her entrepreneurial journey.