One of the highlights again for 2017 will undoubtedly be the monthly Lioness Lean In Breakfast Event Series, run in partnership with Standard Bank. These hugely popular gatherings bring together women entrepreneurs in key African cities to listen to other successful women business brand builders share their stories, to inspire one another, and to network and connect for business success. On Thursday 23rd February, Johannesburg plays host to one of the first events of the year.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja
Tabitha Karanja, founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries
“I believe women entrepreneurs can do so much better than men, because women feel their products and want to provide quality as they pay attention to details, causing customers to keep coming,”
- Tabitha Karanja is founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries. She is one of Kenya's leading entrepreneurs, a remarkable trailblazer and an example of a woman made good against all the odds. Tabitha chose to venture where none before her had dared. She took on an 87-year-old business monopoly and entered an industry with a deeply entrenched male gender stereotype. Tabitha broke the mould to become Kenya’s first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer.
Read moreI Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam
Laura Vanderkam
Everyone has an opinion, anecdote, or horror story about women and work. Now the acclaimed author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, Laura Vanderkam, shows how real working women with families are actually making the most of their time.
Read moreWhy empowering your team is key to successful business building
We rely so much on the people we work with that losing a team member can be difficult to imagine. Studies show that the more you empower your staff, the less you worry about losing them. How do you do that on a tight entrepreneur’s budget?
Read moreQuote of the Day by Divine Ndhlukula
Divine Ndhlukula in conversation with Richard Branson
"With the shift towards political democratic changes in many countries now, this is also creating serious entrepreneurial societies in Africa. The positive thing in countries like Zimbabwe and others, entrepreneurial studies are now a must in the education systems so the new generation of entrepreneurs is developed."
- Divine Ndhlukula founded SECURICO Security Services from humble beginnings in Zimbabwe in 1998. Divine identified a need in the market for a quality oriented security company and she has driven SECURICO to become the market leader in Zimbabwe. She has tackled a previously male-dominated industry head on and her business success story is nothing short of remarkable - marking her as one of Africa's most tenacious and inspiring women entrepreneurs.
Read moreMeet the 5 women representing Africa as finalists in the 2017 Cartier Women's Initiative Award
Cartier has announced the 18 finalists for the 2017 Cartier Women's Initiative Award nominees, and once again it promises to be an inspirational group of game-changers who have made the list. For the past decade, the Cartier Awards has become synonymous with supporting creative excellence from around the world, with more than 160 entrepreneurs from 45 countries being showcased during that period.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Olukemi Omotayo Asalu: Chase the vision, not the money
Olukemi Omotayo Asalu, founder of Daolus Organic Products (South Africa)
Chase the vision, not the money....
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure so chase the vision, not the money: the money will end up following you. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."
- Olukemi Omotayo Asalu is the founder of Daolus Organic Products in South Africa, a company specializing in the wholesale and supply of high quality, unrefined, raw organic natural products for the production of natural skin and hair care products. Kemi is passionate about sharing the benefits of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, and Africa Black Soap with the world in a way that would benefit everyone, especially the women who harvest and produce the products. She is also deeply passionate about ethics and rights and all her products adhere to Fair Trade values and principles.
Read moreOlukemi Omotayo Asalu, a Nigerian entrepreneur now based in South Africa taking the continent’s natural organic ingredients to the world of skin and haircare
Olukemi Omotayo Asalu, founder of Daolus Organic Products (South Africa)
Increasingly today, consumers are becoming so much more conscious about the products they put onto their skin and on their hair, looking for natural, high quality alternatives to the chemical laden products on the shelves. For entrepreneur Olukemi Omotayo Asalu, this represented the perfect opportunity to do something she loved and create a business, Daolus Organic Products, to bring natural organic ingredients from Africa to the world.
Read moreGeraldine Eve Kasambara, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur harnessing the power of social media marketing to help clients to realize their goals
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 moreHow do you respond to stress as an entrepreneur?
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 moreQuote of the Day by Anne Amuzu
Anne Amuzu, co-founder of Nandimobile Ltd., Ghana
"Entrepreneurs in Africa could also take it upon themselves to serve as role models by taking time to talk to young people in school and in other programs so the students can understand what entrepreneurship is and begin to consider it as a career path."
- 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 moreEntrepreneur Advice from Febisola Okonkwo: Don't stop!
Febisola Okonkwo, founder of Help For Mankind Initiative (Nigeria)
Don't stop!...
"Keep moving, hold on to your dream and passion, don’t stop. Influence others positively. Be determined, committed, work hard and above all trust God."
- 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 moreFebisola Okonkwo, a Nigerian socialpreneur committed to uplifting the lives of orphans, vulnerable children and women in her community
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 moreEntrepreneur Advice from Katherine-Mary Pichulik: Just beginning is your first step towards success
Katherine-Mary Pichulik, founder of Pichulik, South Africa
Take the first step. Just begin....
"The minute you set something in motion, the moment you begin, you have this incredible situation where everyone and everything seems to come together to support it, simply because you are pointing a compass and heading towards fulfilling your dream. The process of just beginning on your entrepreneurial journey is already the first step towards achieving success."
- 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 moreQuote of the Day by Njeri Rionge
Njeri Rionge, co-founder of Wananchi Online, Kenya
"Success for me is defined by increased value – not simply financial rewards. I think it is important to focus on the growth of African businesses and leaving a legacy rather than just trading in the moment for short term financial gain."
- 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 moreENTREPRENEUR SMARTS: Protect Yourself with Icebergs
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 moreA Girls Guide to Surviving the Startup: With Your Mind, Body, and Soul Intact by Hilary P Johnson
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 moreNomalanga Sitole, a South African entrepreneur using her voice and experience to inspire and motivate through eventing
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 moreTepsii Tshikororo, a South African entrepreneur helping to develop other entrepreneurs in key aspects of their businesses
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 moreLynnette Murua, a South African entrepreneur harnessing a passion for the environment to create a natural skin product range
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.
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