Togo entrepreneur, Emefa Kpegba, speaks to LoA about her recent award wins for her crowdfunding solution

November 26, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Emefa Kpegba, founder and CEO of e-Technopole — **Emefa Kpegba**, founder and CEO of e-Technopole

The 2015 AppsAfrica Innovation Awards have just taken place in South Africa and the winner of this year’s Women in Tech Innovation Award is Emefa Kpegba, the founder and CEO of e-Technopole from Togo. Emefa’s OMobile Funding platform, which is a crowdfunding and microfinance platform for local technology innovators, won the award against stiff competition.

Young aspirant entrepreneurs gather in Johannesburg to be inspired and motivated to follow their business dreams

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

ACTIVATE! is a network of young leaders equipped to drive change for the public good across South Africa. Connecting youth who have the skills, sense of self and spark to address tough challenges and initiate innovative and creative solutions that can reshape the country’s society. On Saturday 21 November, the ACTIVATE Switch initiative organised a reunion of some of its Johannesburg-based activators for an update event and brunch, held in the historical surroundings of the Women’s Jail on Constitutional Hill in the City. The aim was to provide a platform for each of the young activators to update one another on their current initiatives, their ideas for entrepreneurial ventures, and their progress to date.

Emefa Kpegba, founder of OMobileFunding in Togo, wins 2015 AppsAfrica.com 'Women In Tech' Innovation Award

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Cape Town, South Africa was the host venue for the announcement of the much anticipated AppsAfrica.com Innovation Awards 2015 on 16 November, supported by Uber, Mobile Monday South Africa, Appsworld and Picup. The awards are a celebration of African mobile and tech ecosystem innovation, and the winner of this year’s prestigious Women in Tech Award was Emefa Kpegba, founder of OMobileFunding in Togo.

New Gemboree end of year campaign launched

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Janet Pulford, founder of Gemboree — **Janet Pulford**, founder of Gemboree

South African gem-based accessory company, Gemboree, has just launched its new online newsletter and its end of year sales campaign, with some great new discounts for online shoppers. Gemboree has built a reputation for hand-crafting exquisite accessories from a range of beautiful semi-precious stones.

Ugandan woman-owned advertising agency, Kinaya, scoops prestigious award for its latest campaign

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

The prestigious AfriCannes awards take place each year as part of the annual TBWA Africa conference, an event aimed at celebrating the best creative advertising work to come out that year. The highly talented, woman-owned and run Kampala-based advertising agency in Uganda, Kinaya, scooped its first award.

AAKS in Ghana launches its new handbag collection and its new online store

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, founder of AAKS, Ghana — **Akosua Afriyie-Kumi,** founder of AAKS, Ghana

One of our favourite Afroluxe handbag designers, Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, founder of Ghanaian brand A A K S, has just launched her much-anticipated Spring/Summer 2016 collection, and its great new online store - www.aaksonline.com - and both were well worth the wait! The new online store has been beautifully designed and is as eye-catching as all the AAKS handbag designs are. The beautiful and refreshing new collection itself reunites Akosua’s impeccable eye for detail, with superb craftsmanship and a raw visceral energy of new shapes.

Want to outperform the competition? Use the Flower!

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Every business has a central challenge. With my first business it was this: We were distributors for several famous software companies, reselling their products in South Africa through a network of partners that included IBM, Unisys, NCR, Accenture, DiData, etc, often as part of large systems solutions.

Young South African entrepreneur wins business plan competition for her mobile X-Ray services business

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Budding South African entrepreneur, Lebohang Selloane, has been named the winner of the 2015 Business Partners /SME Toolkit Global Entrepreneurship Week's Business Plan Competition for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs at an awards ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa on 17 November 2015. She received an additional R10,000 mentorship support voucher, R20,000 cash prize and a smart tablet.

Quote of the Day by Sibongile Sambo

November 25, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Sibongile Sambo, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd.

"Nobody will see you if you are sitting in your own corner. You have to go out there, you have to be visible, to do something to be able to get even more support and assistance,"

- Sibongile Sambo is a pioneering woman of South African aviation. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd., the first 100 percent black, female-owned aviation services company in South Africa. Launched in 2004, SRS is an integrated provider of private aviation services offering South African and international clients professional and personalized flight options including VIP Charter, tourist charter and helicopter services, to destinations around the world. Today, the company also provides maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners.

PODCAST: LoA had a great time talking chocolate with the co-founder of Chocolate Mamas Gourmet Tanzanian Chocolate Company, Jaki Kweka

November 23, 2015 Melanie Hawken

With the launch of the Choose Artisan campaign recently, the spotlight has been firmly shining on Africa’s amazing women artisans, particularly those producing world-class, luxury products. One such woman artisan attracting global attention right now is the talented Jaki Kweka, Director and Co-Founder of Chocolate Mamas Gourmet Tanzanian Chocolate Co. which is the country’s first and only indigenous producer of fine chocolate.

Essential Read: Lifestyle Entrepreneurship by Evelyn Ivy

November 22, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Evelyn Ivy, author and founder of Lifestylecpa.com — **Evelyn Ivy**, author and founder of Lifestylecpa.com

In her new book Lifestyle Entrepreneurship, Evelyn Ivy gives a CPA’s perspective on why having money in the bank does not necessarily mean that all is well with your business, or that you are on the way to financial freedom. “Lifestyle Entrepreneurship” explains how to plan and build a business, and how through the use of a variety of accounting processes and metrics, you can make the correct financial decisions to attain your dream of financial freedom.

PODCAST: LoA chats to the uniquely talented leather accessory designer, Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri of Vanhu Vamwe, who has just returned from a life-changing trip to Ecuador

November 21, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri, founder of Vanhu Vamwe — **Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri**, founder of Vanhu Vamwe

On 28 October in Berlin, social enterprise Abury, and creator of the first global contest in search of the best accessories design talent worldwide, the ABURY Design Experience, unveiled the first collection of handmade handbags made by artisans in Ecuador and designed by the winner of the 2015 contest, Zimbabwean designer, Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri, founder of Vanhu Vamwe.

PODCAST: LoA speaks to the Queen of Afroluxe, Swaady Martin, founder of Yswara, the luxury African tea and teatime accessories brand, about taking her brand experience to the next level

November 21, 2015 Melanie Hawken

The Yswara luxury African tea and teatime accessories brand is a real celebration of the continent, with its essence created from the ingredients and narratives that are so unique to Africa. It is this essence that makes the Yswara brand so unique.

Entrepreneur Advice from Susan Mashibe: What I learnt from Marissa Mayer

November 20, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Susan Mashibe, founder and executive director of VIA Aviation — **Susan Mashibe**, founder and executive director of VIA Aviation

Susan was lucky enough to be mentored by Marissa Mayer the current CEO of Yahoo - what did she learn?....

“What Marissa taught me is to hire smart people who get things done. I saw how important it was to have a healthy team, but to be willing to dismiss bad apples before they contaminate the team. You also have to nurture your team well.”

- Susan Mashibe is founder and executive director of VIA Aviation, an international fixed-base aircraft services operation and the first company of its kind in Tanzania. Susan is also the first woman in Tanzania to hold both a FAA certified commercial pilot and an aircraft maintenance engineering qualification.

PODCAST: LoA talks with co-founder Nahida Bhegani, about advertising and exciting new times ahead for Kinaya, their Ugandan advertising agency

November 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

When two sisters and a close friend all met at school in Uganda many years ago, who would have thought their close friendship would lead to a series of highly successful business ventures in the future, one of which is Kinaya, a leading advertising agency in the country. LoA chatted to Nahida about the business, affiliations, new challenges and exciting times ahead for the company.

PODCAST: LoA talks fashion with Olga Mugyenyi, co-founder of uber trendy Ugandan brand, DEF.I.NI.TION AFRICA

November 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Olga Mugyenyi, co-founder of the highly successful and uber trendy Ugandan fashion brand, DEF.I.NI.TION AFRICA, talks about their latest collection launch with LoA during a visit to South Africa on 16 November. Their incredible new collection reflects their love of print and news headlines in some really original designs that are taking the catwalks of Africa by storm, produced in collaboration with a hot new design talent who is just 15 years old - prepare to be amazed!

PODCAST: LoA chats to entrepreneur Mavis Nduchwa of Chabana Farms in Botswana

November 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mavis Nduchwa, Chabana Farms (Botswana) — **Mavis Nduchwa**, Chabana Farms (Botswana)

Meeting young entrepreneurs in the agri-business sector from Africa is always a pleasure for Lionesses of Africa, and on 16 November, founder Melanie Hawken met with a young woman agri-entrepreneur who is a bright prospect for the future. Mavis Nduchwa of Chabana Farms, a family owned enterprise located in Semitwe Village, TutumweSub-district of Botswana, talked about the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur in the farming sector, and shared her aspirations for the future.

PODCAST: Mosidi Modise, co-founder of GroShoot in South Africa chats agribusiness to LoA

November 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Mosidi Modise, co-founder of GroShoot (South Africa) — **Mosidi Modise**, co-founder of GroShoot (South Africa)

LoA's founder, Melanie Hawken, had the pleasure of speaking at the Ampion Venture Bus Tour Johannesburg stopover event on 16 November and meeting some amazing young entrepreneurs from around the African continent and the world. One agri-business entrepreneur in the making was Mosidi Modise of GroShoot in Cape Town. She spoke to Melanie about her business initiative and her aspirations for the future.

Pick n Pay co-founder Wendy Ackerman of The Ackerman Foundation receives the All Africa Philanthropist of the Year Award

November 19, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Wendy Ackerman, co-founder Pick n Pay — **Wendy Ackerman**, co-founder Pick n Pay

JOHANNESBURG November 16, 2015 – The overall winners of the 5th All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in Partnership with CNBC Africa Grand Finale, hosted by Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela were revealed at a sensational gala dinner held in Sandton, South Africa on November 13. Wendy Ackerman of The Ackerman Foundation received the All Africa Philanthropist of the Year - one of two new awards added to the line-up.