the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Bianca & Khaya Sibiya, co-founders of Punk & Ivy (South Africa)
The fashion industry loves a brand that is unique, authentic and has a refreshingly different approach to the way it promotes itself to its customers. The dynamic husband and wife team, Bianca and Khaya Sibiya, deliver all of this and so much more with their uber-trendy Punk and Ivy clothing brand.
Read more
Anna Raimondo, founder of SMITH Jewellery (South Africa)
In any jewellery design space, it is sometimes hard to make things that are instantly recognisable as the work of one creative person. Yet Anna Raimondo has created a brand personality and a design style that are uniquely hers, and as a result, the SMITH Jewellery brand is truly memorable.
Read more
Monica Musonda, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods (Zambia)
Source: How We Made It in Africa | by Kate Douglas | 12 June 2015
In 2012 Monica Musonda left her 15-year career as a successful commercial lawyer to return to her home country Zambia and set up a food processing company, Java Foods. The company supplies the market with the eeZee instant noodles brand.
Read more
Rebecca Enonchong, founder and CEO of AppsTech
- Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian born technology entrepreneur. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AppsTech, a leading global provider of enterprise application solutions serving clients in more than 50 countries. Rebecca currently serves as a mentor/advisor to several Africa based technology startups and sits on the board of VC4Africa, the largest online community dedicated to entrepreneurs and investors building companies in Africa. She is also a director of the award winning Salesforce.com Foundation.
Read more
Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre
- Arancha González is the recently appointed Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization. Arancha is an expert in international trade and development and is passionate about using trade and aid4trade as an engine for development, growth and jobs; working to unlock the potential of SMEs. She is a leading advocate of women's economic empowerment.
Read more
Amorie Daubern, founder of Volhart
Coping with the many challenges that you will confront as an entrepreneur....
- Amorie Daubern is an interior architect and the founder of Volhart, a company that creates beautiful and unique, handmade and environmentally friendly homeware and stationery items. Armorie's products are inspired by the breath-taking beauty and indigenous character of the country she so loves - South Africa.
Read more
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.
Read more
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!
Read more
Amy Sinovich, founder of Resonate by amy
Trust the process and be prepared to keep learning....
- 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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more