Entrepreneur Advice from Caroline McCann: The hardest thing to do is to make the leap forward

September 15, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Caroline McCann, owner of Braeside Butchery in Parkhurst, Johannesburg — **Caroline McCann**, owner of Braeside Butchery in Parkhurst, Johannesburg

Take the first leap....

"The hardest thing to do is to take a huge leap forward, and that is what being in business is all about. Every single day, you have to keep taking that jump, and if you are not progressing as a person by taking such leaps, then I don’t think you are getting very far. By nature, women are very much about the next day, so just take the entrepreneurial leap and do it. It is very easy to hold back and stay with your own insecurity, so just do it."

- Caroline McCann is the owner of Braeside Butchery in Parkhurst, Johannesburg. This lawyer turned butcher is passionate about the 100% certified free-range, grass-fed and ethically reared meat she sources from farmers she gets to know and trust.

Diane Goldie - The startup story of a one-of-a-kind entrepreneur who creates incredibly beautiful wearable art that tells its own unique story

September 14, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Diane Goldie, founder and creative force behind c.Art — **Diane Goldie**, founder and creative force behind c.Art

Once seen, never forgotten - that is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates the work of Diane Goldie and her company, c.Art. This is one highly talented, passionate woman entrepreneur that is creating unique, bespoke pieces of wearable art with stories woven into the very fabric, to appeal to the confident, unapologetic and strong women who inspire her.

Video: Ethel Cofie - be an opportunity creator

September 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Published on 13 September 2015

Ethel Cofie Talk about how being an opportunity creator helps your career. So be an opportunity creator!

ESSENTIAL READ: Innovative Women - How the World's Top Female Entrepreneurs Make It Happen by Justin Sachs and Emily Espey

September 12, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Innovative Women features the top female entrepreneurs and their secrets of the trade. It goes behind the scenes into the female-led businesses and shares the guiding principles, tools and strategies that serve them in competing. If you're looking to start a business, or are looking to build one you've already launched, these women will share their top tips for how you can become successful. The book describes specific steps women can take to combine business success with personal fulfillment and illustrates the benefits of men and women in the workplace and at home.

Talented women entrepreneurs to exhibit at the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair Johannesburg

September 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Some of South Africa’s most inspirational and innovative women entrepreneurs will once again be showcased at the wonderful Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair as it returns to the rooftop of Johannesburg’s Hyde Park Corner from 9 – 11 October.

PODCAST: LoA speaks to Suzana Moreira, founder of moWoza a mobile commerce platform in Mozambique

September 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Suzana Moreira, founder of moWoza (Mozambique) — **Suzana Moreira**, founder of moWoza (Mozambique)

Listen to LoA's interview with Suzana Moreira, founder of moWoza in Maputo, Mozambique. Recorded at the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards finalists press conference in Johannesburg on 28 July 2015.

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.

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