Kimmies non toxic enterprises is the entrepreneurial brainchild of three women co-founders - Linda Kimeu, Faith Kimeu and Mel Ngao - who are committed to making a difference to the lives and health of Kenyan people, especially children and youth, by improving their personal hygiene knowledge and awareness.
Read moreAdhiambo Mula-Lauwers - The startup story of a South African footwear brand turning the traditional concept of shoe design on its head
Adhiambo Mula-Lauwers, founder of GALAGO (South Africa)
GALAGO is a footwear brand with a difference. It not only celebrates an African aesthetic, embracing the traditional techniques and craftsmanship renowned on the continent, but also brings in a uniquely customised aspect for the wearer. Fashion entrepreneur and founder, Adhiambo Mula-Lauwers, is tapping into a new design aesthetic that is highly customer centric and very individual.
Read moreThe Global Women’s Summit heads to Rwanda to celebrate International Women’s Day
Each year, over 1000 Global Women’s Summits are being presented by The Women Information Network (WIN) in major cities worldwide. The mission is to strengthen women and families through Education, Empowerment, and Entrepreneurship in order to eradicate illiteracy, poverty and hunger in every nation. This year’s theme is Towards Vision 2020, Women Leading Innovative Transformation.
Read moreQuote of the Day from Dr. Victoria Kisyombe
Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, founder of SELFINA (Tanzania)
"I have seen the enormous impact a small investment can make in the life of a woman. And it doesn’t stop there — from one modest lease, a woman can create dozens of jobs, touching the lives of dozens more."
- Victoria Kisyombe founded SELFINA in 2002 and pioneered micro-credit in Tanzania through micro-leasing with a focus on widows and young girls. Victoria helped women overcome many of the traditional stumbling blocks that made it difficult for them to own land and assets. SELFINA has gone on to economically empower more than 25,000 women with a total credit worth 25 billion Tanzanian Shillings (approximately $16 million US dollars). Over 200,000 lives have been impacted through the benefits accrued.
Read moreWhy having the right mind-set is key to running a successful business
Success at times can seem quite elusive. You’re running your own business, running a household, and you’re a wife, partner, parent to boot. So how do others do it? They make it look so easy. Does it have to do with them being better at time management? Or, is it that they have a different mind-set to you?
Read moreLynda Smith - The startup story of a social entrepreneur on a mission to encourage baby boomers to have second careers to positively impact society
Lynda Smith, founder of Refirement Network (South Africa)
As the world’s population ages, and the baby boomer generation (those 50+) are looking to make a difference in the next productive phase of their lives, Lynda Smith's Refirement Network in South Africa is there to help. Instead of retiring, the focus is on refiring - harnessing the energy, passion, skills and commitment of those people with vast amounts of experience and expertise, to make a difference in society.
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Essential Read: Impact with Wings: Stories to inspire and mobilize women angel investors and entrepreneurs
Karen Bairley Kruger, Jagruti Bhikha, CE Lim, Wingee Sin, Hana Yang and Suzanne Andrews
Look out for the launch shortly on Amazon of the wonderfully titled “Impact with Wings - Stories to inspire and mobilize women angel investors and entrepreneurs - it’s an anthology of personal stories and research written by six female impact investors. This book's purpose is to enlighten and inspire women to step into angel investing and/or entrepreneurship, as it is through investing in each other that we can begin to tip gender imbalances and bring more women forward.
Read moreNamibian entrepreneur Tammy Nott launches crowdfunding campaign to bring greater economic opportunity to the Himba women
Tamarind Nott, founder of Mbiri Natural Skincare and Kaveuruamo Mupurua, one of the community project harvesters. (Namibia)
Tamarind Nott is an inspirational young Namibian entrepreneur on a mission. She launched her company Mbiri Natural Skincare in April 2015, but this is no ordinary skincare company and brand - it has an incredible back-story, inspired by the Himba women of Kaokoland in her country. To write the next chapter of the company’s history, and to help to realise its ambitious goals, Tamarind is launching a global crowdfunding campaign to fund the expansion of the project and to make an even greater impact on the lives of these incredible women.
Read moreWhat a success! Lionesses Lean In to share their entrepreneurial journeys to success in Johannesburg
The first of this year’s inspirational monthly Lioness Lean In Breakfast events has just taken place in Johannesburg, South Africa, powered by Standard Bank and hosted at their inspirational SB Incubator in Rosebank. The event was a huge hit with a capacity audience of 65 women entrepreneurs who came from across the country to listen to successful women business brand builders share their stories, to inspire one another, and to network and connect for business success.
Read moreAdenike Akinsemolu - The startup story of a social entrepreneur in Nigeria building a new generation of environmentally conscious student leaders
Adenike Akinsemolu, founder of The Green Campus Initiative (Nigeria)
Like many parts of Africa, Nigeria has a number of environmental challenges that need to be addressed by innovative thinking and action. The Green Campus Initiative is entrepreneur Adenike Akinsemolu’s solution to getting young people in the country thinking green and becoming eco-conscious citizens.
Read moreQuote of the Day Anthea Ambursley
Anthea Ambursley, founder of Anansi (South Africa)
"From a very young age I have realised that the only freedom you will have one day is to work for yourself and you can make a huge impact."
- Anthea Ambursley is the founder of Anansi in South Africa. Anthea is a mother, wife and phenomenal award-winning business woman and motivational speaker. She is the proud winner of several business awards.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Irene Ochem
Irene Ochem, founder of ICO Conferences & Events Limited (Nigeria)
"These are exciting times for Africa, it is not mere rhetoric of Africa Rising; so much is really happening and so much is changing."
- Irene Ochem is the founder of African Women Innovation and Enterprise Forum (AWIEF) and the Managing Director of ICO Conferences & Events Limited, a full-service professional conference producing, event management and training company that operates across Africa and globally. Irene holds an MBA from the University of London.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Margaret Hirsch: You've got to learn to be tough
Margaret Hirsch, co-founder of Hirsch's Homestores (South Africa)
You need to learn to be tough....
"If you want to get ahead‚ you have to be tough. Sometimes toughness goes against what you have been taught as a little girl‚ but if you aren’t tough‚ people will walk all over you.”
- 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.
Read moreAngela Kamanzi - The startup story of a magazine publisher in Kenya passionate about women’s empowerment
Angela Kamanzi, founder of Arkad World Limited & publisher of Mkazi Magazine (Kenya)
One woman entrepreneur is bringing her wealth of expertise and experience in the field of publishing to create an online magazine that celebrates enterprising African women and provides a great resource of homegrown solutions to Africa’s unique challenges. Arkad World Limited, the holding company behind Mkazi Magazine, is the brainchild of Kenyan entrepreneur, Angela Kamanzi, and creates information to inspire, motivate and improve the lives of African women entrepreneurs.
Read moreVIDEO: Ethel Cofie, one of the top 5 women changing the face of Tech in Africa
Watch this fascinating interview with Ethel Cofie, one of the leading women in Africa's tech scene, in which she discusses her personal entrepreneurial journey and how she is also helping to propel more women in tech to be successful.
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: Position your product
Imagine the confusion that the platypus caused for scientists - a mammal that lays eggs, has the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver and otter feet. How to classify it? The same confusion cripples many startup products.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye
Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye, founder of IMentorAfrica (Nigeria)
"As a social entrepreneur, my greatest reward is in seeing people become happier, better and more successful because of my service."
- Ayoronke Tosin-Yeye is the founder of IMentorAfrica in Nigeria, a virtual platform for Africans to LinkUp and share the gift of “Mentorship”. This Nigerian-based Social entrepreneur and Human Resources and Business Strategist is on a mission to ensure that anyone who is willing and able to Mentor, or anyone who has a need to be Mentored, can find a platform to make it a reality.
Read moreSandra Idossou - The startup story of a Rwandan media company committed to promoting service excellence
Sandra Idossou, founder of The ServiceMag (Rwanda)
Good customer service is so critical to success in all aspects of entrepreneurial life, and therefore the concept and ethos behind Sandra Idossou’s company, The ServiceMag, couldn’t have come at a better time in Africa. She is passionately committed to helping companies and organisations to improve their customer centricity and, as a result, helping to make the continent more customer focused in its entrepreneurial approach.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Marcia Mofokeng
Marcia Mofokeng, founder of Alurcia Aluminium and Glass (South Africa)
"They did it, I'm doing it, you can do it, you will do it!"
- Marcia Mofokeng is the founder of Alurcia Aluminium and Glass in South Africa, a manufacturer and installer of customised aluminium windows and doors to both residential and commercial customers. After completing both the New Venture Creation and Metal Engineering learnership programmes offered by Wispeco, Marcia started out in business in 2011. Marcia went on to win grant funding from the SAB Kickstart competition and this provided the help she needed to get all the equipment and tools required to operate her business.
Read moreMeet 20 African women EcoWarriors building companies and community projects to save the planet
The world is facing more environmental challenges today than ever before, and Africa is feeling the harsh impact of many of these problems, from environmental degradation and deforestation, to shrinking water supplies, threats to biodiversity, lack of affordable green housing, and waste management issues. Innovative and effective solutions are needed and increasing attention is now being paid to the role that women entrepreneurs are playing on the continent in helping to provide possible solutions to many of these environmental problems, whilst at the same time creating jobs and opportunities for communities to thrive.
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