the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Geraldine Eve Kasambara, founder of 143 Communications (Zimbabwe)
Staying on top of the latest online trends is key in the world of marketing, and for Zimbabwean company 143 Communications, headed by entrepreneur Geraldine Eve Kasambara, those trends bring exciting business opportunities.
Read more
In my previous article, I touched on stress being a motivation for some people, while others simply fall apart under the same stressful circumstances. Therefore, self awareness and self understanding are key components of successfully dealing with and managing your stress. It is important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are out of control. Being able to discern, and know when you feel the effects of stress creeping up on you well before it takes hold, is fundamental. This level of awareness is vital.
Read more
Anne Amuzu, co-founder of Nandimobile Ltd., Ghana
- Anne Amuzu is co-founder and lead product developer of Nandimobile Ltd., a young and vibrant technology startup based in Ghana and founded in 2010. Nandimobile’s objective is to leverage the high mobile penetration rates in Africa to create customer service technology that enables businesses to easily connect with their customers on the mobile platform. Amuzu is a graduate of Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, which was established to train and mentor young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Read more
Febisola Okonkwo, founder of Help For Mankind Initiative (Nigeria)
Don't stop!...
- Febisola Okonkwo is the founder of Help For Mankind Initiative in Nigeria, an initiative that provides support through Education, Medical, Nutrition, Rehabilitation and Empowerment to disabled youth by identifying young people who are living with disabilities and who are highly vulnerable because of poverty, parental death or neglect due to their disabilities. Febisola is passionate about ensuring that young adults develop in an environment that will ensure that they can become fully self-supporting members of the society in future.
Read more
Febisola Okonkwo, founder of Help For Mankind Initiative (Nigeria)
There are many challenges in our society, and those challenges require dedicated people with the passion and expertise to make positive change happen. Help For Mankind Initiative, also known as Help Initiative, in Nigeria, is one organization making its own contribution to addressing these challenges, thanks to its founder Febisola Okonkwo.
Read more
Katherine-Mary Pichulik, founder of Pichulik, South Africa
Take the first step. Just begin....
- Katherine-Mary Pichulik is the founder and Cape Town-based designer behind the Pichulik line of accessories. Katherine's wonderfully creative designs are inspired by her travels, artist friends, and the people she loves and admires. Pichulik's bold pieces are hand-made from rope and collected materials – anything from shell to semi-precious stones. Founded in mid-2012, Pichulik has grown in leaps and bounds and has been featured on CNN and in international publications such Vogue magazine. Exporting to 14 countries across the globe, in 2015, Pichulik was also named among Vogue's top ten African fashion brands to watch.
Read more
Njeri Rionge, co-founder of Wananchi Online, Kenya
- Njeri Rionge is one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and one of the very few women pioneers in the ICT sector on the African continent. She co-founded internet service provider Wananchi Online that has since been transformed into Wananchi Group Holdings – one of east Africa’s leading providers of pay-tv, broadband internet and VoIP services. Last year the company raised US$57.5 million in growth capital from a group of international investors.
Read more
You have a great idea and have developed a product. Now you want to protect it. When I ask entrepreneurs how they will do this, they usually talk about patents and continually improving their technology. They're focusing on the wrong thing - the tip of the iceberg only.
Read more
Hilary Johnson, author and founder of Hatch Tribe
So, you’ve decided to become an entrepreneur? Congrats and welcome to the tribe. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a few years into the startup, author and entrepreneur Hilary Johnson has just the book for you.
Read more
Nomalanga Sitole, founder of The Voice Within (South Africa)
Often people speak about finding their inner voice as a means of directing their personal journeys and getting their vision or key messages across. This is certainly the case for Nomalanga Sitole, the South African entrepreneur behind The Voice Within, an event management company creating memorable eventing experiences for clients and attendees alike.
Read more
Tepsii Tshikororo, founder of Tepsii (South Africa)
Often the key to business success lies in harnessing and leveraging inherent skills and turning those same skills into an asset. For South African entrepreneur Tepsii Tshikororo, she found the key to her entrepreneurial journey in writing, coaching and training. Her company, Tepsii, is now empowering others to following their own business dreams.
Read more
Deidrè Akaloo and Lynnette Murua, founders of Earth Elements (South Africa)
Often in business, the inspiration comes from a passion for something and the desire to turn that passion into a sustainable product or service that can benefit others. For Lynette Murua and her sister, Deidrè Akaloo, the starting point was a need to find natural and environmentally friendly skin care solutions for her family. What resulted on this journey was the emergence of a new company, Earth Elements, a new organic and natural body care brand with a conscience.
Read more
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder and Managing Director of soleRebels (Ethiopia)
- Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is founder and Managing Director of soleRebels, the world's fastest-growing African footwear brand and the only Fair Trade-certified footwear company in the world. Growing up in a poor suburb of Addis Ababa, Bethlehem decided that there was only one way to defeat poverty – use local craftsmanship to make products that can compete in the global marketplace. She decided on footwear and today 70,000 pairs of shoes leave her factory every year. soleRebels has been expanding rapidly and today exports to no fewer than 45 countries and is targeting 50 stand alone soleRebels retail stores across the United States by 2018 and 500 worldwide by 2022.
Read more
When I get a creative idea, it feels like the inside of my brain is having a fireworks display. Little pockets of colour and excitement explode non-stop and the only way to calm this euphoric sensation is by executing my idea. Sometimes it is easy to bring the idea to life, sometimes the execution becomes an experiment. Either way, I love this process. It allows me to explore unchartered territory, or even unusual ways of doing things.
Read more
As a service provider you are a specialist with a particular skill or resource. As an entrepreneur, you spot an opportunity to use your skill to solve a problem. There are countless articles on how to be a successful entrepreneur – often listing things like reading, waking up early, and exercising. While these activities may help you be more alert, they are by no means the key. You could do all these thing to prepare for a marathon. You could do all these activities and still not excel. Simply because none of these create structure to support your business model.
Read more
Juliana Rotich, co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi
- Juliana Rotich is a technologist, strategic advisor, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. She is Executive Director of BRCK.org, a not for profit affiliate of BRCK Inc. for deploying reliable technology for the edges of society, and advocating for internet access and literacy. Juliana co-founded Ushahidi Inc., a non-profit tech company, which specializes in developing free and open source software for changing how information flows in the world. She is passionate about driving partnerships for tackling social problems through connectivity and appropriate technology.
Read more
Karen Wessels, co-founder and COO of VA Connect
- Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support; and is also the co-founder of SnappSales, a company that generates quality sales leads for its clients. Prior to establishing both her companies, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. This experience has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run her two successful business ventures.
Read more
Kelechi Udoagwu, co-founder of Skrife
Think it and you will become it....
- Kelechi Udoagwu, is the co-founder of Skrife, an online platform that helps entrepreneurs, brands, digital agencies and startups communicate and create quality written content by leveraging an exclusive community of freelance writers and editors. Kelechi, a passionate wordsmith, has experience working with hubs like MEST, CcHUB and The S Factory (Startup Chile) and organisations like ALU, Elance (now Upwork), True Africa and Bella Naija, to mention a few. She is passionate about creating relatable content that raises real emotions in people.
Read more
This year we will be launching our new series of special feature articles which focus on leading women entrepreneurs building great businesses and brands in each country across the African continent. The month of February sees us highlighting Ghana, a country which is seeing some real women entrepreneur game-changers who are making their mark with their business ventures, not just at home, but across the African continent and the world.
Read more
Carrie Leaver, founder of Social Agents Impact Consulting (South Africa)
To make positive change happen in society, it requires highly committed, passionate and skilled people to find the necessary solutions to key problems and challenges. One South African social entrepreneur, Carrie Leaver, and the founder of Social Agents Impact Consulting, is now on a mission to help other social entrepreneurs to realize their goals in society.
Read more