Quote of the Day by Rapelang Rabana

January 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Rapelang Rabana, founder of Rekindle Learning (South Africa) — **Rapelang Rabana**, founder of Rekindle Learning (South Africa)

"Time pushes everything forward. No stunning success and no sorrowful failure lasts forever. Absolutely everything comes to pass."

- Rapelang Rabana is a South African technology entrepreneur and founder of Rekindle Learning, a company looking to improve education in Africa by turning people’s compulsion to check their phones into an opportunity to learn. Rapelang is a Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, was chosen by Forbes as one of Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs, and listed on the ‘O Power List’ by The Oprah Magazine.

Entrepreneur Advice from Ntombenhle Khathwane: Find your unique space

January 9, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Ntombenhle Khathwane, founder of AfroBotanics (South Africa) — **Ntombenhle Khathwane**, founder of AfroBotanics (South Africa)

Find your unique space....

"there are business basics that should guide you in deciding to do a business, such as, start a business that is unique and not solving a problem the same way another business is, it will be difficult to break into a crowded market place even if you are very passionate about that business sector."

- Ntombenhle Khathwane is the founder of AfroBotanics in South Africa, a company passionately redefining the beauty narrative to say there isn’t, and can never be, one standard of beauty and each person must strive to embrace and show off that which makes them different. Five years ago Khathwane decided to start manufacturing hair-care products to specifically treat African hair – using natural botanical extracts from indigenous plants such as aloe vera. Today her range of 10 products can be found across the hundreds of retail stores of Game, Clicks and Pick n Pay.

Quote of the Day by Cathy O’Clery

January 9, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"In a few years people won’t be talking about ‘African design’, they will be talking about Senegalese design, Kenyan design or Malian design. There are so many interesting things coming out of Africa and I hope soon people won’t be referring to the whole continent – 54 countries – as one design style."

- Cathy O’Clery is the co-founder and creative director of Platform Creative Agency, overseeing the creative output of the agency including developing creative and marketing, conceptualising campaign and visual production. With a wealth of experience as editor, design director and stylist, Cathy is renowned for her visual acumen, creative and content direction. In her role as curator of 100% Design South Africa, she brings expertise and skill to the bear ensuring the show is fresh, future-forward and of an exceptional standard every single year.

Kofo Akinkugbe’s SecureID launches new SIM Card manufacturing line in Nigeria

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

SecureID Limited, founded by one of Africa’s leading women entrepreneurs, Kofo Akinkugbe, has commissioned a SIM Card manufacturing line to support the needs of Nigeria’s rapidly growing mobile telecoms sector. Launched in 2005, SecureID is an independent, privately owned company located in Lagos, Nigeria that manufactures banking and telecom cards with mag stripe and chip encoding. This new manufacturing line ensures SecureID will continue to lead the way in delivering ‘innovative and first to market’ card technology and solutions.

New Lioness Lean In Breakfast event schedule announced for 2017 in South Africa

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Following an amazing series of events held last year in South Africa, the new programme of inspirational monthly Lioness Lean In Breakfast events has just been announced, again powered by Standard Bank in the country. The programme will see events taking place in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Limpopo and Pretoria, and hosted at a variety of venues including the SB Incubator in Rosebank, the new SB Incubator in Pretoria, and Workshop 17 in Cape Town, amongst others.

Martie Cronje, a South African entrepreneur helping other SMEs to grow and thrive by providing virtual assistant support

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Martie Cronje, founder of Complete VA (South Africa) — **Martie Cronje**, founder of Complete VA (South Africa)

For many startups and SMEs, one of the key challenges is getting access to the right administrative support when needed, without having to bring full time staff on board in the early days when budgets are tight. Complete VA is a new South African company with a solution. Entrepreneur Martie Cronje is offering a specialist virtual assistant service to all those that need that little extra support.

Yolanda Sing, a South African entrepreneur harnessing a unique technique of using horses to teach leadership and emotional intelligence

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Yolanda Sing, founder of Chloe Consultants — **Yolanda Sing**, founder of Chloe Consultants

Chloe Consultants was founded by Yolanda Sing, a Senior Human Resource Executive and professional coach who inspires people to connect with the latent leadership qualities within themselves. Her unique technique uses horses as a catalyst to allow people to take charge of their lives, to find their purpose, and to draw upon their own gifts and talents, to become their authentic selves.

Ntombenhle Khathwane, a South African entrepreneur and advocate for natural hair and body products

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

For many successful entrepreneurs, their journey’s begin with trying to find solutions to key challenges. In the case of entrepreneur Ntombenhle Khathwane, founder of AfroBotanics, the inspiration to startup a business and natural hair and body care product brand came from the frustration of not being able to buy high quality products locally - the rest, as they say, is history!

Is all Stress Negative?

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Stress can be likened to a coin which we all know has two sides – heads or tails, positive or negative, beneficial or detrimental. With discernment, and a level-headed approach, it is possible to determine how best to handle stress, including daily stressors. Contrary to popular belief, not all stress is negative, or even detrimental. To expand, I would like to share the following aspects for introspection of the stress in your life.

What are the characteristics of a good brand?

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"What makes a great brand?” - As the co-owner of a vibrant creative studio specialising in design, branding and marketing called SummerTime, I probably get asked that question every single work day, at least… And while branding and marketing is both a science and an art, often entailing complex analysis and sophisticated insights, the answer to this question is pretty simple and straight forward.

Essential Read: Power in the Paddock - A journey of healing and transformation by Yolanda Sing

January 8, 2017 Melanie Hawken

When an illness as serious as a malignant brain tumor rudely interrupted the author’s life and successful corporate career, she realized that the illness had a message – not just for her but for the many others in our world also suffering with illness or caught up in careers that are demanding, stressful or no longer inspirational. In her quest to overcome the illness and live an abundant, successful, purposeful and healthy life, she made a choice to ‘hear and listen’ to the voices of hope. She also became an entrepreneur on a mission, through her company Chloe Consultants.

Entrepreneur Advice from Sebenzile Matsebula: Avoid negativity and self pity

January 6, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Sebenzile Matsebula, founder of Motswako Office Solutions, South Africa — **Sebenzile Matsebula**, founder of Motswako Office Solutions, South Africa

Stay positive and avoid self pity....

“In the entrepreneurial space there is no charity and there are no handouts; it’s all about the bottom line and profits. Avoid negativity and self pity - no one is interested in that!”

Sebenzile Matsebula is the founder and Executive Director of Motswako Office Solutions, one of South Africa’s leading office automation and document management solution providers. Sebenzile is also an internationally recognized disability rights activist. She previously worked as the Director of the Office on the Status of Disabled People (OSDP) in the Presidency of Thabo Mbeki for 8 years. In 2009, she was appointed to the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council, which is mandated to advise the government on Black Economic Empowerment in order to remedy the economic legacy of Apartheid.

Entrepreneur Advice from Daniela Wingate - Don’t underestimate yourself

January 4, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Daniela Wingate, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa) — **Daniela Wingate**, founder of Heirloom Treasury (South Africa)

Don’t underestimate yourself....

".... and don’t let other people who tell you that you can’t do something entrepreneurial get to you. I read a wonderful Chinese proverb that says “The person who thinks it can’t be done, can’t interrupt the person who is doing it”. I think this is a really important message because everyone operates from their own personal level of fear of the unknown, but remember that it is their fear not yours, so just be strong and know what you want, and keep focusing on that end goal."

- Daniela Wingate is the founder of The Heirloom Treasury in Johannesburg, South Africa. Daniela produces a range of lovingly hand-made, carefully selected and beautifully displayed stationery and gift items that reflect the art of fine craftsmanship in Africa. The Heirloom Treasury sets out to create gifts that people would like to keep for a lifetime and to then pass them on to others.

Quote of the Day from Joanne Mwangi

January 4, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Joanne Mwangi, founder and CEO, PMS Group — **Joanne Mwangi**, founder and CEO, PMS Group

"The future is in the young people. Everyone today who is 30 and under; those are the people who own Africa. It is their collective efforts that are going to change this world. These people succeeding, each one at a time, is what is going to change Africa. "

- Joanne Mwangi founded PMS Group in Kenya in 1996. Today her company has five subsidiaries and a presence across East Africa. Joanne has steered the PMS Group from a small agency to a leading full service marketing and communications group and in 2010 her company was voted number one in the Top 100 SME competition in Kenya. Joanne is also the chairperson of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations (FEWA), an organisation that seeks to create an enabling business environment for women.

Quote of the Day by Nkemdilim Begho

January 3, 2017 Melanie Hawken

"…. we need to reshape the way we teach technology to be engaging to a broader set of people. We need to dispel the idea that programming is too hard to learn. While there are clearly things that are necessary to understand, the perception is that only select individuals can succeed. We need a breadth of backgrounds entering the technology field to adequately address the breadth of solutions needed."

- Nkemdilim Begho is founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. As one of a few Nigerian women in the industry, her success is founded on a passion for driving innovative thinking, building a globally recognized technology brand and setting trends in the Nigerian Technology space.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tashmeen Authar: Keep your focus

January 3, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Tashmeen Authar, co-founder of Rollasole Africa — **Tashmeen Authar**, co-founder of Rollasole Africa

Keep your focus....

"No matter how many deterrents there are, keep your focus. You will fail your way to success, and your next breakthrough will always be right on the edge of what you deem a failure. Everyone will try to give you advice (generally the ones who do not have a business, will have the most to say), and heed this advice with a pinch of salt and again keep your focus!"

- Tashmeen Authar is the co-founder of Rollasole Africa, a company that manufactures and sells a range of ‘fashionable rollable shoes’ rolled in a compact form with a high heel carry bag, designed to fit into most handbags as an instant solution to high heel pain. Tashmeen and her husband started the business in 2013, a year after getting married, and they used their savings to develop their website and create the first 1000 pairs of shoes.

100 Lionesses: Transitions and new beginnings for AkiraChix co-founder Judith Owigar

January 1, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Following almost seven years’ of innovative and transformational work, December saw the inspirational co-founder of AkiraChix, Judith Owigar, announcing thecommencement of her transition out of AkiraChix. This means she will not be actively involved in the day-to-day activities in AkiraChix, instead using this time to explore opportunities at the intersection of women, youth, governance and technology.

2016 - What a year it was!

January 1, 2017 Melanie Hawken

It’s that time of year when we like to look back at all the highlights of the last 12 months, and reflect on what an amazing year it has been. So many inspirational women entrepreneurs met and startup stories told; so many unforgettable events held and new business relationships forged; so many business ideas and challenges shared; and importantly, so many lifelong friends made. We would like to take this moment to say a huge thank you to all those who have been part of the Lionesses of Africa journey so far - the women entrepreneurs across the African continent who inspire us every day, the impact partners who work with us to make great things possible, and the entrepreneurial eco-system that continues to connect us like-minded people, amazing partners and supporters from around the world.

ENTREPRENEUR SMARTS: Mastering Trifocal Execution

January 1, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Successful entrepreneurs are usually working on three horizons at once: 1. the now - their current products for the current market; 2. the next - products for emerging markets; and 3. the nascent - thinking and working towards the far future.

Fentse Mokale, a South African creative accessory design entrepreneur with an eye for combining a traditional African aesthetic with a contemporary twist

January 1, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Fentse Mokale, founder of Marabou Essentials (South africa) — **Fentse Mokale**, founder of Marabou Essentials (South africa)

Globally, there is a growing interest in contemporary African design, particularly in the fashion space, and Fentse Mokale, founder and lead creative at Marabou Essentials, is tapping into that interest. Her accessory brand is capturing the hearts and imagination of a whole new customer base as she creates a really unique range of products that capture a continent through its fabrics.