What we're loving this week

June 29, 2025 Melanie Hawken

What we’re loving this week

In this week’s spotlight on all things Woman Made In Africa, we are showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating sustainable, quality products that discerning and impact-driven customers want to buy. Catching our attention this week are: Hadija Jabiri, founder and MD of GBRI Business Solutions in Tanzania, an entrepreneur committed to making agricultural production a sustainable and profitable business through empowering smallholder farmers through her business and Eat Fresh brand; Taíla Carrilho, founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho in Mozambique, an entrepreneur creating the most exquisite fashion accessories; Doron Shaltiel, founder of Quazi Design in Eswatini, a company changing the perception of dealing with waste paper through world-class handcrafts; Selassie Atadika, founder of Midunu Chocolates in Ghana, a chocolatier creating beautiful, handcrafted chocolates; and Samantha Skyring, founder of Oryx Desert Salt in South Africa, a growing brand of naturally organic, crystal-white salt harvested from the vast Kalahari Desert.

Let’s rewrite the ‘good’ businesswoman narrative

June 29, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jeni-Anne Campbell

“It is time to remove the unconscious biases associated with being a “good businesswoman”.

I consider myself a good businesswoman, but defining what that means to other people isn't always easy. Out of curiosity, I turned to Google and was surprised to see the glaring and unsettling differences between its definition of a good businessman and a good businesswoman.

Elizabeth Karamangi, Linda Chawe, and Sophia Mrimi, three women founders building a specialist HR consulting business in Tanzania

June 28, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Elizabeth Karamangi, Sophia Mrimi and Linda Chawe

Startup Story

Tabono Consult Ltd was established in 2020 in Tanzania to assist companies manage the disruptions from the COVID-19 Pandemic where staff had to be repurposed and other adjustments made in order for those businesses to stay afloat. It is a company driven by women founders Elizabeth Karamangi, Linda Chawe, and Sophia Mrimi, supported by a workforce of 18 people, and today is thriving.

Babette Kourelos, a passionate artisanal bread-baking business builder

June 28, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Babette's Bread Ltd, an artisanal bread baking specialist business founded in South Africa and now based in Canada

Babette Kourelos is the founder of Babette’s Bread Ltd. Today she lives in Saint-Lazare, Quebec with her husband, Vasili, their baby boy, John, and their two Smooth Fox Terriers, Tango and Cash. She was born in South Africa and is of Afrikaans, Greek, and Italian descent. She holds a BA and LLB degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. After graduating, Babette traveled to Vermont (USA), to apprentice under the late French Master Baker Gerard Rubaud. At the end of 2013, Babette founded and ran what became a well-loved artisan bread bakery and baking studio in Johannesburg (South Africa) for several years before relocating to Canada in 2020. Today, she offers online and in-person bread workshops. Babette has introduced hundreds of beginner bakers to the art of bread baking and has been featured in numerous media publications. She has been a guest speaker at several Women in Business events and was a judge at the World Bread Awards USA in Las Vegas in September 2022.

Feminine Intelligence: How visionary leaders can reshape business for good by Elina Teboul

June 26, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In her groundbreaking book, Feminine Intelligence, author Elina Teboul reveals how feminine intelligence is the key to running some of the world's most successful companies — with greater joy, authenticity, purpose and profit. Drawing on exclusive interviews with philanthropists, business founders, and happiness pioneers, Feminine Intelligence uncovers the most powerful, often-overlooked traits that are driving the future of business. Through vivid storytelling and insightful research, Elina shows that the future of leadership lies in embracing feminine strengths.

The Future Is Fast, But People Still Matter Most.

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

Over the past four and a half decades, I’ve watched retail evolve in ways we never imagined possible, from handwritten invoices and Sunday newspaper ads (as well as being on the back page of the local newspapers) to e-commerce, apps, social media, and AI. Its always been my belief that if something can make your life better, why not embrace it? I remember getting the first ever cellphone in Durban which was the size of a brick and being so proud to show people that I could talk to the office from their homes! We have always tried to be ahead of the pack, way back from the time we introduced the microwave oven to peoples homes by starting the first independent microwave cookery school in South Africa. Even now we run workshops in our Samsung stores for clients who want to get the most out of their new cellphones, nothing is too simple – I showed a 90 year old how to use Whatsapp to speak to his great-grandchildren in Australia on Facetime and he got such a kick out of it!!

Performance Management: The Role of Process Audits in Sustained Performance

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort." – John Ruskin

Aiming to maintain high performance and continuous improvement? Then let me suggest that process audits are not a luxury—they’re a necessity. A process audit systematically examines workflows, identifies inefficiencies, and ensures alignment with business goals. It helps organisations spot risks early, uncover hidden waste, and maintain a culture of accountability and excellence.

How compliance and paperwork can assist you with funding readiness

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

A recent finfind report, in partnership with African Bank , titled “finfind South African MSME Access to finance report 2025”, the report states that accessing necessary capital has always been a tremendous obstacle for a small business looking to establish itself. I am sure this statement is true not only in the South African context, but across the world, and I am equally sure that most of you can relate with personal experiences, as you have been navigating your journey.

What we're loving this week

June 15, 2025 Melanie Hawken

What we’re loving this week

In this week’s spotlight on all things Woman Made In Africa, we are showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating sustainable, quality products that discerning and impact-driven customers want to buy. Catching our attention this week are: The Joinery, the sustainable and ethical product design brand based in South Africa founded by Natalie and Kim Ellis, and their exciting Future Tex™ fabric; Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi, famous for its iconic handbag shapes and eclectic pops of colour; Black Mamba Foods in Eswatini, co-founded by Claudia Castellanos Roques, a growing fair trade brand that manufactures and distributes gourmet chilli products in Southern Africa and overseas; Food Lounge Mz in Mozambique, founded by Kátia Agy, a business that makes beautiful edible bouquets using fresh fruits and chocolates; House of Cinnamon in South Africa founded by Frances Edwards, a proudly Afro-European accessory brand that offers a highly curated range of luxury handcrafted shoes and one-of-a-kind leather bags.

Thandekile Moloko, an entrepreneur empowering her clients’ financial futures

June 14, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

SimWealth, a business on a mission to simplify the financial planning process and empower its clients in South Africa

Thandekile Moloko is a Financial Planner and the founder of Simwealth in South Africa, a business launched in 2019 and committed to helping individuals and businesses transform their financial future through clear, personalized, and practical financial planning. With a mission to make financial planning simple, accessible, and effective, Thandekile delivers tailored strategies that support long-term financial growth, security, and freedom. Whether you’re working towards personal financial milestones or navigating the financial complexities of running a business, her approach is grounded in creating actionable, sustainable plans that truly work. From managing day-to-day finances and preparing for life’s uncertainties to building generational wealth and achieving business scalability, Thandekile empowers her clients to make confident financial decisions. Her comprehensive planning process focuses on increasing net worth, protecting what matters most, and aligning financial strategies with your lifestyle and long-term goals.

Kelly Jean Valigy, a dynamic marketing and communications professional building a creative powerhouse in Mozambique

June 13, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Kelly Jean Ouchim Valigy, Founder & General Director, Jean Consulting & Services (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Kelly Jean Ouchim Valigy is a dynamic marketing and creative professional with a strong background in strategic planning and communications. As the Founder & General Director of Jean Consulting & Services in Mozambique, she leads a forward-thinking team that delivers creative marketing solutions tailored to help brands stand out in competitive markets. With extensive experience in marketing and copy editing, Kelly has successfully navigated roles in account management, community engagement, and content creation. Her expertise spans various industries, where she has spearheaded branding initiatives, digital marketing strategies, and impactful campaigns.

Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan

June 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Celebrated executive, business leader, and author, Sheena Yap Chan’s book, Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World, is a startlingly insightful and inspiring discussion of female leadership. Sheena delivers a transformative and fresh take on the challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities women face when they reach for the reins of leadership in business. She walks you through how to navigate those challenges and realize those opportunities with powerful observations drawn from a lifetime in business.

Mbali Ndandani and Portia Nondo, two passionate ecosystem builders driving support for Africa’s crafters and fashion brands

June 11, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Portia Nondo and Mbali Ndandani, founders, Portia Nondo and Mbali Ndandani (South Africa)

Startup Story

Zettuu, a marketplace providing business support services for Africa’s crafters and fashion brands that have unique products but do not have the operational capacity to grow their brands. Zettuu was co-founded in 2020 by Portia Nondo and Mbali Ndandani, two South African entrepreneurs whose vision is to create a thriving ecosystem of support for African unique crafts, bringing them from the continent to the world’s customers. Portia is a seasoned entrepreneur and franchisee at McDonald's, and Mbali has worked in marketing, digital, technology and artificial intelligence at Unilever and Lelapa AI.

Misinformation and disinformation: a growing threat and its implications for employee screening

June 2, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Risks Report has ranked misinformation and disinformation as one of the top global threats, highlighting a challenge beyond social media and politics. This alarming ranking underscores how false or misleading information—whether accidental or deliberate—can destabilise societies, erode trust, and threaten organisational resilience.

On being a professional citizen: The strategic phase of SME CSR development

June 2, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA

As business owners, leaders, and professionals, we often think of the work we do as simply part of the job. However, as I reflect on my experiences and studies on the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly through the lens of the third phase of strategic CSR development, I believe that CSR is as much about citizenship as it is about business. A process of building business citizenship.

Performance Management: Linking data to processes for better decision-making

June 2, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“Without data, you're just another person with an opinion.” – W. Edwards Deming

The ability to make informed decisions is a competitive advantage. Yet too often, data lives in one silo and processes in another. When businesses link data to their processes, decision-making becomes faster, smarter, and more aligned with strategic goals.

You can’t microwave success: why the slow burn wins

June 2, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

In today’s fast-paced world of viral hacks, overnight influencers, and instant gratification, it’s easy to believe that success should come quickly. That if you're not "crushing it" within a few months, you're failing. But here’s the truth I’ve lived and learned: you can’t microwave success.

Authentic Selling: Be Real to Seal the Deal by Kendrick Shope

June 1, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

For many women entrepreneurs, selling can feel like a necessary evil, but it doesn't have to be. In Authentic Selling, internationally recognized sales expert Kendrick Shope reveals the secrets to selling with integrity, compassion, and undeniable success. This isn’t just another sales book. It's a blueprint for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to make that all-important sales revenue without sacrificing who they are.

South African natural baby food producer, Pojupoju, launches innovative new range

June 1, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

South African serial entrepreneur, Dorothy Dolly Fatima Mofomme, founder of natural baby food producer, Pojupoju, has launched a brand new range of delicious and nutritious purees - with a twist. Each puree is packaged in a pouch, capped with minicap/anti-choke lids that can also be repurposed as children’s creative building blocks.

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