Shingai Nyagweta - The startup story of a South African entrepreneur passionate about creating vibrant children’s clothing celebrating local textiles

December 15, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Shingai Nyagweta, founder of KuNa Kids — **Shingai Nyagweta**, founder of KuNa Kids

Finding great children’s clothing that appeals to both the young ones and the parents, and which at the same time celebrates the vibrancy of African textiles, has now been made so much easier. South African entrepreneur and designer, Shingai Nyagweta, founder of KuNa Kids, has built a niche children’s clothing company that embraces the uniquely local shweshwe fabrics, but incorporated into funky and practical designs.

Entrepreneur Advice from Shanley Knox: Engage clients in your building process

December 15, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Shanley Knox, co-founder of Olivia Knox Collective — **Shanley Knox**, co-founder of Olivia Knox Collective

Tell your story and engage clients in your building process....

"At first, we were hesitant to pitch to potential clients until we had a finished supply chain. But, we quickly learned that our clients had already tried (and failed) to source from the area of the world we were working in, and were eager to share their past mistakes so we could build-off of them as we put our supply chain together. Our strategy shifted toward being a kind of open collaboration with them, as we were honest about our lack of experience, and looked to them to give us the advice and help necessary to make us their best supplier. Many responses we received became the building blocks of our operations."

- Shanley Knox is co-founder of Olivia Knox Collective, a manufacturing collective that is focused on promoting the use of Ankole cow horn in the creation of beautiful products for the luxury markets in Europe and US. They work with design partners in three distinct business segments - Eyewear, Accessories and Home Goods. Shanley began her career as a journalist, focused on human interest stories and went on to work in nonprofit development in rural villages and slums throughout East Africa for five years. Olivia Knox is a combination of all facets of her career, combining storytelling with positive business with the power to transform lives throughout Uganda.

Oluwatosin Lawson - The startup story of a Nigerian entrepreneur with a passion for contemporary African-inspired lifestyle products

December 14, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Oluwatosin Lawson, founder of African Things (Nigeria) — **Oluwatosin Lawson**, founder of African Things (Nigeria)

Building a pan-African and global brand relies on appreciating the need for high quality manufacturing combined with a unique selling point, and Nigerian entrepreneur, Oluwatosin Lawson, is building her African ThingsLifestyle and Fashion brand by addressing both factors. Her sense of pride for African design shines through all her products, whilst at the same time, recognising the power of mass production to tap into new markets.

100 LIONESSES: Empowering A Billion Women by 2020 (EBW2020) recognises Zimbabwe’s Divine Ndhlukula

December 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Divine Ndhlukula, Founder and Managing Director of SECURICO — Divine Ndhlukula, Founder and Managing Director of SECURICO

Zimbabwe’s Divine Ndhlukula, Founder and Managing Director of DDNS Security Operations, trading as Securico, has been selected as one of the most influential female leaders of 2015 in the world for her concerted efforts in empowering women in Zimbabwe and the region.

Entrepreneur Smarts: Systems are your Building Blocks

December 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

I’m sitting with a startup team helping them prepare for a critical sales presentation. Errol is not present, so we don’t have his correspondence with the client. And no one can find the phone number of the consultant coordinating the evaluation for the client. It’s a mess!

Essential Read: Leadership Girl - Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Achieve Extraordinary Results by Capturing Massive Sales by Haley Lynn Gray

December 13, 2015 Melanie Hawken

In her book, Leadership Girl - Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Achieve Extraordinary Results by Capturing Massive Sales, author Haley Lynn Gray helps give small business owners the information that they need to grow their businesses. She offers techniques including marketing and sales both online and offline, and focuses on teaching the specific skills that you need to grow your business.

Olivia Byanyima and Shanley Knox - The startup story of two women creating a unique manufacturing business celebrating Uganda’s unique Ankole cow horn

December 12, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Olivia Byanyima and Shanley Knox, founders of Olivia Knox (Uganda) — **Olivia Byanyima and Shanley Knox**, founders of Olivia Knox (Uganda)

The world’s discerning consumers have become so much more conscious about the provenance and sustainability of the products they buy, particularly in the luxury market. By creating new luxury markets for products crafted from East Africa’s unique Ankole horn, Olivia Byanyima and Shanley Knox through their company, Olivia Knox, are improving the economic value of this culturally significant breed, providing incentive for Ugandan ranchers to continue their ancient practice of raising the Ankole.

Gaby Lobban - The startup story of a South African techpreneur providing an innovative way of accessing professional healthcare advice online

December 11, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Gaby Lobban, founder of Zumbudda (South Africa) — **Gaby Lobban**, founder of Zumbudda (South Africa)

The chances are that in our increasingly busy lives, we will need to get health advice and information at short notice and potentially outside of usual medical practitioner hours or without having to wait for clinic appointments, meaning that an alternative is required. South African techpreneur, Gaby Lobban, founder of Zumbudda, knows this scenario only too well as a busy working mother of three children. Her website offering real-time e-chats with expert healthcare professionals is providing a great and innovative solution.

VIDEO: Kofo Akinkugbe shares her entrepreneurial journey to founding SecureID in Nigeria

December 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Kofo Akinkugbe, founder of Secure ID Limited share her entrepreneurial journey at the 7th Annual Career Conference themed ''Continuous Improvement'' held in Lagos on 17 March 2015. She talks about the birth of her company SecureID Nigeria Ltd.

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.