Mary Miner and Kate Woska - The startup story of two women entrepreneurs with a passion for expanding access to capital for underserved women in Rwanda

December 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Kate Woska and Mary Miner, co-founders of Atikus Investments Incorporated (Rwanda) — **Kate Woska and Mary Miner**, co-founders of Atikus Investments Incorporated (Rwanda)

Co-founders Mary Miner and Kate Woska are first time entrepreneurs and the inspiration behind Atikus Investments Incorporated. They chose Rwanda as the perfect place to start their business because the country is serious about financial inclusion and developing at a rapid pace. Atikus develops meso-level interventions committed to democratizing opportunity and improving financial inclusion for un(der)served demographics, among which women, youth, and rural/agricultural workers are core groups.

The best ways to give back this festive season

December 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Haley Joel Osment stole our hearts in the beautiful movie drama Pay It Forward. Young Trevor McKinney (played by Osment) is assigned the task by his social studies teacher of coming up with an idea to make the world a better place. The actions put in motion by McKinney’s idea has a positive ripple effect on his immediate family and community – their lives improve by paying it forward.

Quote of the Day

December 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Emma Kaye, founder and ceo of Bozza — **Emma Kaye**, founder and ceo of Bozza

"In my experience, women tend to create a collective around them and then it is ‘let’s go into battle together’. For me, it is this type of collaborative, collective thinking that is useful in this industry, an industry full of innovation."

- Emma Kaye is a serial techpreneur and most recently the founder and CEO of a startup venture called Bozza. Bozza is a plug & play solution for African musicians, poets & film makers to promote and sell their digital content. Emma was previously a founder of South African companies, Triggerfish Animation and Breakdesign.

Patience Maame Mensah - The start up story of a Ghanaian entrepreneur on a mission to provide the best home care service delivery to busy, stressed people

December 9, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Patience Maame Mensah, founder of Indulgence — **Patience Maame Mensah**, founder of Indulgence

Finding a niche that can be filled with a great service or product is key to building a successful business, and in the case of Patience Maame Mensah and her company, Indulgence, she has definitely found that niche. She has recognised that busy people with busy lives need a range of home and personal support services to help them to cope with the inevitable stresses and strains that occur.

Two South African women entrepreneurs take on retail in Africa with their new online portal

December 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Driven by a desire to see the growth of Black-owned brands in their country, South Africa, combined with a deep affinity to their continent, two women entrepreneurs, Nobuntu Webster and Sibahle Malunga, have launched “My African Buy”, a new online marketplace offering products owned and manufactured by African entrepreneurs.

Essential Read: 50 Billion Dollar Boss - African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership by Kathey Porter and Andrea Hoffman

December 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Kathey Porter (top) and Andrea Hoffman (bottom)

In their new book Billion Dollar Boss, authors Kathey Porter and Andrea Hoffman feature 12 successful African American women entrepreneurs and leaders who have built impressive and dynamic businesses and deliver their stories of how they solved various dilemmas while growing their businesses.

Entrepreneurs Smarts: Legal Documents and why thinking like Tammy Wynette (D-I-V-O-R-C-E) is good for your health

December 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Law - learn to love it, always respect it. In the latest of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on legal documents.

This December, Lionesses of Africa celebrates Africa’s inspiring Healthpreneurs

December 6, 2015 Melanie Hawken

December is Focus on Africa’s Women Healthpreneurs. Every month at Lionesses of Africa, we shine a spotlight on a particular industry sector where Africa’s women entrepreneurs are making a real impact, through their businesses, their innovation, their products, services and craftsmanship, and their passion for what they do. This month (December), we are turning our attention to the women who are tackling the continent's significant health challenges through their businesses, their innovations, and their social health enterprises.

Leading South African entrepreneur, Margaret Hirsch, speaks to LoA about her recent participation in the prestigious 9th IWEC event in Turkey

December 4, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Margaret Hirsch at the speaker podium giving her talk in Turkey — **Margaret Hirsch** at the speaker podium giving her talk in Turkey

The 9th IWEC International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge and Awards event took place last month in Istanbul, Turkey, and one of South Africa’s most respected and successful women entrepreneurs, Margaret Hirsch, co-founder and Chief Operations Executive of Hirschs, was invited to speak about her work, her philosophy on women’s economic participation and upliftment, and her own entrepreneurial journey. LoA spoke to Margaret about this amazing experience and what she learned from it.

Tamarind Nott - The startup story of a Namibian entrepreneur harnessing the raw natural plant ingredients of her country to create a business and a community support system

December 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Tammy Nott, founder of Mbiri Natural Skincare (Namibia) — **Tammy Nott**, founder of Mbiri Natural Skincare (Namibia)

It is hard not to be inspired by the wild natural beauty of Namibia’s desert regions, and in the case of Tamarind (Tammy) Nott, she is capturing the essence of the Namibian Myrrh, Marula Oil and Kalahari Melon Seed Oil that is indigenous to the area, and creating a wonderful business, Mbiri Natural Skincare.

Getty Choenyana - The startup story of a South African mechanical engineer turned skin and haircare entrepreneur

December 3, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Getty Choenyana, founder of Oamobu Naturals (South Africa) — **Getty Choenyana**, founder of Oamobu Naturals (South Africa)

At LoA, we love those women entrepreneurs who have done a complete career pivot and turned a passion or need to solve a key challenge, into a great entrepreneurial venture. South African entrepreneur, Getty Choenyana, is one such example, who harnessed her frustration of not being able to find great all-natural hair and skincare products, and turned it into a great new business venture, Oamobu Naturals.

Essential Read: The New Entrepreneur: A Practical Marketing Guide for Growing Your Business Now by Shirley Anthony

November 29, 2015 Melanie Hawken

"The world today is filled with opportunities and people are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur. There are those who have a breakthrough idea and successfully launch it; others see a gap in the market to buy a franchise or an existing business; some establish consulting or advisory services. These are the NEW entrepreneurs and all have in common a passion to pursue a business of their own and have taken action to make it happen." - Shirley Anthony, Author and Entrepreneur

Jaki Kweka - The startup story of a Tanzanian artisan chocolatier who is creating the country’s first gourmet chocolate brand

November 29, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Jaki Kweka, co-founder of Chocolate Mamas (Tanzania) — **Jaki Kweka**, co-founder of Chocolate Mamas (Tanzania)

With the launch of the #Choose Artisan campaign recently, the spotlight has been shining firmly on those women artisans in Africa who are creating world-class luxury products right here on the continent. Chocolate Mamas Gourmet Tanzanian Chocolate Company is an entrepreneurial startup making real waves in the luxury artisan chocolate space in Africa, and its co-founder, Jaki Kweka, has big ambitions for the brand going forward.

Mavis Nduchwa - The startup story of a young Botswana agripreneur on a mission to demonstrate that women farmers in Africa can make a difference

November 29, 2015 Melanie Hawken

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

To make real and lasting positive change happen in the agricultural sector in Africa for women entrepreneurs, it is important to have great role models. Mavis Nduchwa, the force behind successful agribusiness Chabana Farms, is one such role model. She is harnessing the power of technology and innovative new methods to make a difference in her business.

Entrepreneur Smarts: More fun ratios!

November 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

In the latest of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on getting a better understanding of ratios.

Celebrating our Community - Two women entrepreneurs impress at the annual Anzisha Prize

November 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

The Anzisha Prize, which is Africa’s premier award for youth entrepreneurship and in its 5th year, has just announcedthis year’s winners, and two young women entrepreneurs impressed the judging panel. Fashion entrepreneur Mabel Suglo, 22 and the founder of Eco-Shoes from Ghana, was 2nd Runner Up in the competition and Chantal Butare, founder of Kinazi Dairy Cooperative in Rwanda received the prestigious Anzisha Sector Prize in Agriculture.

Quote of the Day

November 27, 2015 Melanie Hawken

“Corruption leads to a lot of missed opportunities, .... Corruption stops someone to think that he can be an entrepreneur. Corruption makes you fear to take the risk. When you have corruption in a country, people are just discouraged. There is no hope. They don’t see themselves successful in the long term. They just feel that they need to know a minister or the son of the minister to be successful in a country.”

- Lydie Hakizimana is co-founder and Managing Director of Drakkar Limited, a specialist reseller and distributor of educational textbooks in Rwanda. Today, Lydie manages 45 employees and thirty part-time distributors covering the five provinces of Rwanda. Lydie has also added exclusive distributor deals with Longman, Heinemann and Penguin to her Pearson contract.

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.