the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Anna Cole Ojukwu, founder of Pernia Couture (Ghana)
As the world is increasingly more interested in African design, particularly in the accessory and clothing space, one entrepreneur in Ghana is captivating attention through her label Pernia Couture. Anna Cole Ojukwu is taking the best of African inspiration and turning it into must-have accessories and clothing.
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In today’s world where high powered economic drive and corporate profiteering are the order of the day, the stressful pressures of even the most ordinary job or workplace are probably the biggest source of one’s daily stress. Demanding bosses, impatient clients, and every increasing deadline pressures put most people under enormous pressure. Today’s work stress and pressures are on the increase.
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Being consistent in life both personally and professionally is an aspect that everyone needs to aspire to in order to be successful. Being consistent at work and at home creates room to rectify mistakes and work at your best.
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Noxolo Peter, founder of CheesySteaks (South Africa)
It takes time, sweat and tears....
- Noxolo Peter is the founder of CheesySteaks in South Africa, a gourmet food brand that makes Philly cheesesteaks. Noxolo has taken this classic American sandwich and given it her very own spin, infusing her sandwiches with distinctly African flavours. Noxolo has long been passionate about entrepreneurship and in 2014 she was selected to represent South Africa at the Business and Entrepreneurship Envision Global Forum held in the USA.
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Ethel Cofie, founder of Edel Technology Consulting (Ghana)
- Ethel Cofie, is a Ghanaian-born entrepreneur and founder of Edel Technologies. This techpreneur is passionate about technology, female leadership and empowering women entrepreneurs. She runs the women in tech group in Ghana and is a founder of the Women in Tech Africa Alliance. In 2014, Ethel was selected to be a President Obama Washington Fellow.
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Deola Sagoe, haute couture fashion designer from Nigeria, on 'Entrepreneurial Mindset'
You really need a can-do spirit and to believe in what you're doing....
- Deola Sagoe, leading lady of African fashion, is a haute couture fashion designer from Ondo State in Nigeria. Deola has been at the cutting edge of high fashion since 1989 and became the first black woman to present a collection at AltaRoma, Rome’s celebrated fashion week, back in 2004. Her "globally appealing" style has earned her an enviable clientèle that ranges from Africa's first ladies, to society girls like Lydia Hearst, top model Alek Wek, and famous personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.
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Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, founder of WeCyclers
- Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola is a Nigerian entrepreneur and innovator, and founder and CEO of WeCyclers. This Lagos-based company is focused on giving low-income communities in developing countries a chance to capture value from waste and clean up their neighborhoods through an incentive-based recycling program. Bilikiss holds an MBA from MIT and a Masters degree from Vanderbilt University. She is a 2013 Echoing Green Fellow and WeCyclers were a Sustainia100 Company Award winner in 2014.
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Anna Raimondo, founder of SMITH Jewellery
Make sure to continue investing in yourself....
- Anna Raimondo is a South African jewellery designer who has created a brand personality and a design style that are uniquely hers, and as a result, the SMITH Jewellery brand is truly memorable. After completing her degree in Jewellery Design & Manufacturing from Stellenbosch University, Anna won a scholarship to study luxury design at Richemont's Creative Academy in Milan. Today, she designs and crafts jewellery for women and men in her Cape Town studio.
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Kelechi Udoagwu, co-founder of Skrife (Nigeria)
Creating great content is a part of our everyday lives, whether in the print or broadcast media, or in the ever expanding social media space in Africa. One entrepreneur, Kelechi Udoagwu, co-founder of Skrife, is providing a much-needed platform to bring great writers and specialist content creators together with clients who are looking for engaging content for their businesses.
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Samantha Dube, founder of Seeds Consulting (South Africa)
Anyone faced with the tasks organizing events knows just how daunting it can seem, with multiple logistics to deal with and a seemingly unending set of decisions to be made. One South African company is on a mission to make this task so much easier. Seeds Consulting, the brainchild of entrepreneur Samantha Dube, is bringing an end-to-end solution for event coordination, making the job of eventing a pleasure instead of a chore.
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Noxolo Peter, founder of CheesySteaks (South Africa)
Finding new food experiences is always exciting, and for entrepreneur Noxolo Peter, her passion for one American food speciality led her to creating a new business and brand, one catering to African tastes. Now, her CheesySteaks brand is converting new fans of the traditional Philly CheeseSteak, but with an African twist.
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Over time, author and entrepreneur Saija Mahon has met countless people who want to have freedom in their lives. People who want to live their life the way they design and plan it, a life that is suited to their passions, characteristics and way of living. For one reason or another, though, they’re stuck in the so-called ‘rat race’. Saija’s mission is to show you the way out, and this book is the gateway. She will show you the path and get you on your way.
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All through the month of January, Lionesses of Africa is raising awareness of Africa's truly inspiring women social entrepreneurs. We celebrate their significant impact and life-changing contributions to the African continent and their efforts to make it a better place for everyone, both socially and economically.
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Stress affects everybody; no one is immune to the effects of stress. In all aspects of life duality exists, and stress is no exception having both positive and negative aspects. On a positive note, stress is necessary for our survival and evolution as human beings – we learn through pain, suffering and stress. Stress is often a catalyst for change, as well as an early warning signal. Stress can also be character building, and can stretch us to achieve what we never believed was possible. Do you view your current stress as positive or negative, beneficial or detrimental?
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As every entrepreneur knows, if you have a team of people working with you in your business, you must deal with their performance, personal issues and attitudes, as much as you must deal with your own! Why this image for a post about attitude? Well, depending on your attitude, you may choose to focus on the heartbreaking results of the 2015 Cape fires – in this case a burnt-out tree in the Silvermine Nature Reserve, or notice the amazing resilience of the fynbos next to it that needs fire to germinate.
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Juanita van der Merwe, co-founder of Little Green Number (South Africa)
Make sure to learn from your mistakes....
- Juanita van der Merwe is co-founder of Little Green Number in South Africa, an award winning social business focused on sustainable job creation, via community based micro manufacturing, franchise ownership, producing a quality handbag product that is both funky and unique, yet also saves the environment - one advertising billboard at a time! Juanita's products are 100% handmade, durable and weather resistant. She is proud to be a South African business with an upcycled, innovative product that creates sustainable jobs.
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Julia Pimsleur, entrepreneur and author
- Julia Pimsleur is the Founder of Little Pim, the leading early language teaching program for young children and author of the best-selling book Million Dollar Women: The Essential Guide for Female Entrepreneurs Who Want to Go Big". Julia has blogged about entrepreneurship for Forbes.com since 2012; has been featured on Today, NBC Weekend Today, and Fox News; and Little Pim was featured in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.
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Amy de Castro, founder of Bamboo Revolution
- Amy de Castro is founder of Bamboo Revolution a Cape Town-based company that crafts unique, bamboo and leather watches, and relies on a business model that is sustainable, and supportive of local industry. For these reasons, Amy was a finalist in the 2014 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, an awards programme that recognises innovative women business owners who’ve thought outside the box and have the one-of-a-kind start-up to prove it.
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Tsholofelo Tshetlo, founder of Afrophik (South Africa)
Believe in yourself....
- Tsholofelo Tshetlo is the founder of Afrophik in South Africa, a company that manufactures upcycled handbags from various types of leather and paper reclaimed from outdated retail shop catalogues. Tsholofelo's products are are not only eco-friendly, but also unique and most of the manufacturing is done by hand. She is currently working alone, but has a goal to expand her business and train more women.
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Kofo Akinkugbe, founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd (Nigeria)
- Kofo Akinkugbe is recognised globally for her entrepreneurial success story and strong business track record. She is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd a market leader in smart card technology and digital security in Africa. SecureID is a world-class manufacturing facility with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. In January 2015 the company commissioned a new state-of-the-art EMV-certified smartcard manufacturing plant – the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company serves 16 countries across Africa and is fully certified by VISA, Verve and MasterCard. In 2012, Kofo won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.
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