PODCAST: LoA speaks to Nobesuthu Ndlovu, co-founder of South African fashion retail brand Burgundy Fly

September 9, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nobesuthu Ndlovu, co-founder of Burgundy Fly (South Africa) — **Nobesuthu Ndlovu**, co-founder of Burgundy Fly (South Africa)

Lionesses of Africa had the pleasure of meeting Nobesuthu Ndlovu, the highly creative and engaging founder of South African fashion retail brand, Burgundy Fly, earlier this month in Johannesburg. She took time out of her busy schedule to share some of her aspirations for her company and her brand as it moves into an exciting new phase. Listen to our interview.

Only two days left to enter the Appsafrica.com Innovation Awards 2015

September 8, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mobile, tech ventures and leading women in Africa have just two days left to submit their entries for the Appsafrica.com Innovation Awards 2015 to be held in Cape Town on 16 November. Make sure you've applied!

Ally Angula: Reliable prices crucial for horticulturists

September 8, 2015 Melanie Hawken

While the creation of the Agro Marketing Trading Agency (AMTA) has addressed the issue of marketing fresh produce for Namibian farmers, it has not addressed the issue of pricing. This is according to Ally Angula, Managing Director of Leap Holdings, which also owns Leap Agriculture, the group’s farming arm that focuses on supplying fresh produce to retailers and the general public. The farming operation is based approximately 30 km outside Tsintsabis in the Oshikoto Region.

FINANCIAL SMARTS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: Foreign Exchange for Lionesses

September 8, 2015 Melanie Hawken

LOA Financial Smarts for Women Entrepreneurs Series

In the first of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management issues for women entrepreneurs, this week we get a better understanding of how Foreign Exchange works, particularly for those businesses that import and export - and importantly, how to get the best rates!

How women entrepreneurs need to leverage the current increasing interest in all things African

September 8, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Image credit: Centro de Artes Africana, Wooden Vessels - courtesy Deborah Mason for Aid to Artisans. Featured in Contemporary Design Africa, a book by Tapiwa Matsinde

Guest Blog by Clare Kagimu, interior architect and designer and founder of Phoenix Designs

This week, I wish to expand on the urgency of keeping our tabs on all things African, as interest for this market is generating worldwide buzz. I cannot emphasise the need to have shared vision and to stand together in order to see Africa become a viable destination for all things trend-setting.

Quote of the Day

September 8, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Essma Ben Hamida, co-founder and Executive Director of Enda Inter-Arabe (Tunisia) — **Essma Ben Hamida**, co-founder and Executive Director of Enda Inter-Arabe (Tunisia)

"Women in Tunisia are active; they want to work and own a business; they have Phoenician blood from Dido and the Queen of Carthage .... Money empowers women and lets them contribute in decision-making. After 20 years I can see the changes. Everything changed completely for these entrepreneurial women."

- Essma Ben Hamida is director of Enda Inter-Arabe (Enda), which she co-founded in 1990. She is also the President of the microfinance network of Arab countries Sanabel. In 1995, Enda launched the first microcredit institution in Tunisia, which today reaches around 40,000 active clients, mainly women, in the poor areas of Tunisia. Previously, Essma worked as a secondary school teacher and as a TV journalist/reporter. She opened the first bureau of the national press agency, TAP, in New York at the United Nations.

Lungile Kunene - The startup story of a South African fashion designer embarking on a global retail journey

September 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Lungile Kunene, founder of Izembatho Creations (South Africa)

Typically, fashionpreneurs are some of the most creative individuals and always passionate about the work they produce. They have a vision for the clothes they design and an idea of the people who will be wearing their creations and how they will make those people feel. Lungile Kunene of Izembatho Creations is one designer who has a clear vision for the aesthetic and emotional response she wishes the women who will be wearing her clothes to have.

PODCAST: Clare Kagimu – You can’t be a good leader without investing in yourself

September 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Clare Kagimu, founder and CEO of Phoenix Design — **Clare Kagimu**, founder and CEO of Phoenix Design

Podcast: Business Mic with Daudi Mugabi

In this interview with Daudi Mugabi from Business Mic in Uganda, Clare shares some of the struggles she went through while building her brand as well as the lessons she’s learnt along the way.

Entrepreneur Advice from Monica Musonda: The right time to start a business? The earlier, the better!

September 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Monica Musonda, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods (Zambia) — **Monica Musonda**, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods (Zambia)

Aspiring women entrepreneurs should take the plunge sooner rather than later....

“I would have loved to have been younger and have less commitments… At this stage to fail is a lot more painful than if I failed at 20 or 25 or 30, for instance. I think it is a lot harder when you’re older, you have more commitments… I think there is never a perfect scenario for you to start a business – but I think if you are going to take the leap, the earlier the better.”

- Monica Musonda is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Java Foods, a food processing company based in Zambia. Monica's vision is to revolutionize the eating habits of the youth market by offering them affordable and nutritious food options made from local products. Monica is a dual-qualified English solicitor and Zambian advocate with over 15 years of experience in legal practice and corporate management, including being corporate counsel at the International Finance Corporation and for Aliko Dangote of Dangote Industries Limited.

Video: Ethel Cofie shares the story of her career path and entrepreneurial journey

September 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Video published on 13 September 2015

Ethel Cofie shares the story of her career path and entrepreneurial journey.

Nobesuthu Ndlovu - The startup story of a South African fashion entrepreneur showcasing the best of the country’s design talent

September 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Building a successful fashion retail showcase brand is no small feat, and requires endless amounts of energy and passion, not to mention a great eye for detail and the knack of selecting the best designs for different marketplaces. However, Nobesuthu Ndlovu, the co-founder of Burgundy Fly, is a great example of a woman entrepreneur who has all these skills and more, and together with her business partner and husband, is building an exciting fashion retail company.

East Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs Impress at the E4Impact Innovation Challenge

September 5, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Lucy Mayer, co-director of Bubayi Products Ltd, winner of the E4Impact Innovation Challenge — **Lucy Mayer**, co-director of Bubayi Products Ltd, winner of the E4Impact Innovation Challenge

The fourth edition of the E4Impact Innovation Challenge, one of the largest university business plan competitions in East Africa, took place on 29 August 2015 at Tangaza University College in Nairobi, Kenya - and, the winner was an inspirational woman entrepreneur, Lucy Mayer.

Entrepreneur Advice from Nkemdilim Begho: Share your vision with the world

September 4, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nkemdilim Begho, a Nigerian serial entrepreneur — **Nkemdilim Begho**, a Nigerian serial entrepreneur

Share your vision with the world....

"Believe in your vision, share it with the world and never give up. Put aside all your fears - if your dreams don’t scare you they aren’t big enough!"

- Nkemdilim Begho is a Nigerian serial entrepreneur. She is the founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. She is also a co-founder of 'Always Me by Anne Li', a company producing baby and maternity products in Nigeria. Nkem has been the recipient of many awards including the Jim Ovia Prize for Software Excellence, and the Etisalat Prize for Innovation. She regularly volunteers for mentoring and empowerment programmes often sharing her experiences with young Nigerians and less privileged children.

Entrepreneur Advice from Margaret Hirsch: My top 3 tips for women entrepreneurs

September 2, 2015 Melanie Hawken

My top 3 tips for women entrepreneurs....

"1. Look after your health. Your wealth is no good if you are not healthy. 2. You can have anything you want in life if you are willing to pay the price. 3. If you can't afford it, don't have it."

- Margaret Hirsch is one half of a dynamic husband and wife duo that founded Hirsch's Homestores. Back in 1979, as a secretary, together with her husband Allan, then an appliance repair man, they unwittingly became entrepreneurs who went on to build an appliance, electronics and furnishing retail empire. Today, Hirsch's Homestores is the largest independently owned appliance and electronics business in Southern Africa, with seventeen branches and concept stores spread throughout South Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Wendy Ackerman: Set yourself achievable goals

September 1, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Take it one step at a time....

"Anything is within anyones reach. You have to stand up to take it. It is within yourself. Set achievable goals and do it one step at a time.”

- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.

Nisha Maharaj - The startup story of a South African techpreneur looking to bridge the technology gap in her country

August 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Nisha Maharaj, founder of Niche Integrated Solutions (South Africa) — **Nisha Maharaj**, founder of Niche Integrated Solutions (South Africa)

Companies in the IT sector have long built a reputation for finding solutions to many of the business challenges we face today, but Niche Integrated Solutions is an IT company with a difference, thanks to its founder Nisha Maharaj. It has genuinely found a niche for itself in a highly competitive sector, and as a result, is not just building a rapidly growing and successful business, but it is also positively impacting on the lives and businesses of others.

BOOK REVIEW: A Woman’s Guide to Bootstrapping a Business by Beverly Sallee Ophoff

August 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Beverly Sallee Ophoff, author of  'A Woman’s Guide to Bootstrapping a Business' — **Beverly Sallee Ophoff**, author of 'A Woman’s Guide to Bootstrapping a Business'

For many woman-owned business startups, the early days can be tough and challenging in so many different ways. In particular, the challenge of trying to build a new business, build a new brand, and perhaps launch a new product or service, all with very little capital to play with. There have been many books written on the subject, but few with as much empathy as Beverly Sallee Ophoff shares in her book A Woman’s Guide to Bootstrapping a Business.

Entrepreneur Advice from Swaady Martin: Top advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs

August 28, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Top advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs trying to make it in Africa....

"Before you start anything, my advice is to find your passion and pursue it passionately. In addition, as an entrepreneur, you need to be able to create a compelling vision, to passionately own the vision, to define the roadmap to execution, and to bring together and relentlessly drive the energies, the talents and the values necessary to ensure success. You need to become an execution machine. Building a venture from scratch is not for the faint-hearted, you need to be courageous, tenacious, have perseverance and resilience. Never take no for an answer and be solution-oriented, constantly."

- Swaady Martin, is founder of YSWARA, a growing African luxury brand that creates elegant, high-end products using the continent’s natural resources, all produced by African artisans. Complimenting their hand-selected tea blends, Yswara also offers a range of luxury tea accessories. Swaady aims to capture a true spirit of African luxury by reviving Africa’s endangered cultural heritage and unique ancestral craftsmanship.

Quote of the Day

August 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

"The biggest thing that has enabled women entrepreneurs is technology and the internet. You can find customers and get publicity without massive amounts of money."

- Deborah B. Jackson is the founder and CEO of Plum Alley, a crowdfunding platform for women entrepreneurs founded in 2012 to increase the economic strength of female founded companies and to provide greater access to capital. Deborah's expertise comes from a two decade long career raising capital for companies, governments and other issuers in both the public and private markets starting at Goldman Sachs in 1980.