Jolene Roelofse, a South African marketing and communications specialist on a mission to help other SMMEs and entrepreneurs with their brands

February 26, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Jolene Roelofse, founder of Bludoor Market (South Africa) — **Jolene Roelofse,** founder of Bludoor Market (South Africa)

One of the major challenges for any startup is understanding how to effectively to get their brands, products and services out into the marketplace and connecting customers. That’s where marketing and communications comes in, and for South African entrepreneur and marcomms specialist Jolene Roelofse, founder of Bludoor Market, it provided an opportunity to create a solution.

Understanding the Basics of Key Financial Ratios for Entrepreneurs - Part 1

February 25, 2017 Melanie Hawken

During the past 5 weeks I have been representing the Tariro Foundation at the first Lionesses of Africa Accelerator Program - and what a privilege it has been. Throughout these sessions one of the reiterating messages coming from the room has been around the many hats which we must wear as entrepreneurs, be it sales, marketing, HR matters, and not forgetting accounting.

Entrepreneur Advice from Lynda Smith: Failure is not fatal

February 24, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Lynda Smith, founder of Refirement Network (South Africa) — **Lynda Smith**, founder of Refirement Network (South Africa)

Failure is not fatal....

"I have been an entrepreneur for more than 38 years. Some lessons have been learnt the hard way through failure - but failure is not fatal. It helps build character and learning for the next round. I value people and relationships and this is my most important asset. We need to be realistic. Often we are so passionate about an idea and cannot see the pitfalls. It is important to have an advisor/coach/friend who can help you have helicopter vision rather than being stuck in the forest. Be resilient. Believe in yourself."

- Lynda Smith is a social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Refirement Network in South Africa, a business involved in helping organisations and Individuals 50+ to understand the opportunities and challenges that the future holds for this demographic group. She is an accredited retirement coach in South Africa through Retirement Options USA. Lynda has a real passion for children, women in leadership and understanding how South Africans can unlock skills development and grow the economy.

Quote of the Day by Honey Ogundeyi

February 24, 2017 Melanie Hawken

“The next growth opportunity in many sectors will come from Africa and that is a fantastic opportunity for us women, especially in non-traditional sectors such as entertainment, retail, agriculture and technology. These are huge opportunities of a lifetime and I foresee more women taking up the mantle and leading these new-generation enterprises.”

- Honey Ogundeyi is the founder of Fashpa.com, a Nigerian online fashion store retailing trendy clothes, footwear, and accessories. Oyindamola started Fashpa.com after she couldn’tfind any great fashion in the country and decided to leverage her e-commerce platform to serve others frustrated like her.

Quote of the Day by Zaza Motha

February 23, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Zaza Motha, founder of POUT, South Africa — **Zaza Motha**, founder of POUT, South Africa

"Social media is making us more connected both globally and locally. It is easier to find organisations or individuals who are spearheading the women-empowerment ‘revolution' if they are active on social media. It is also more affordable to launch a project online."

- Zaza Motha, a journalist and social entrepreneur, is the founder of POUT, a self-empowerment movement for young South African women. POUT stands for Powerful, Outstanding, Unique & Talented. It is an inspirational and aspirational media platform for young women helping them to realise their full potential by sharing inspiring stories, information and opportunities to reach their dreams.

Entrepreneur Advice from Grace Mlimo: Do not let anyone discourage you

February 20, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Grace Mlimo, founder of Luxuria Lifestyle Africa — **Grace Mlimo**, founder of Luxuria Lifestyle Africa

Do not let anyone discourage you....

"Starting a business can be challenging, and along the journey many challenges do indeed occur. However, we encourage fellow women to follow their dreams with passion. Do not let anyone discourage you from your journey, remain focused, be determined to reach your goal. We encourage women to surround themselves with people who add value to their journeys and who influence them positively. Stay away from friends and people who are negative and do not add value to avoid being discouraged from your journeys, and nurture relationships that add value. If you have kids, make them part of your journey and celebrate with them special milestones. Let them understand your journey and they will appreciate what you do as a mother and a woman - self respect and respect for others is key. Respect and reward your team as your business is only as strong as the team behind it. Identify women support groups and forums such as LoA which can help you grow."

- Grace Mlimo is the founder of Luxuria Lifestyle Africa, an online digital platform showcasing luxury African brands and service providers globally. Grace is a seasoned traveller in Africa and internationally and is passionate about providing her readers with independent unbiased articles, features and reviews of the best high-end products and services that money can buy. Her mission is to help other businesses to grow and forge meaningful partnerships both locally and at international levels.

Miss Jessie's: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch—Naturally by Miko Branch

February 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Miko Branch, author and co-founder of Miss Jessie’s — **Miko Branch,** author and co-founder of Miss Jessie’s

Miss Jessie's is a memoir and business guide rich with inspirational life lessons and unique business advice from Miko Branch, the Chief Executive Officer of the dynamic Miss Jessie’s, the company that revolutionized the hair care industry.

Cecilia Mnisi, a South African entrepreneur with a passion for the art of translation and interpretation in business

February 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Cecilia Mnisi, founder of MMJ Interpretation Services (South Africa) — **Cecilia Mnisi,** founder of MMJ Interpretation Services (South Africa)

In countries such as South Africa where there are so many official languages, and on the African continent in general where language can so often be the key to doing effective business across the continent, it can be challenging. But specialist language and translation expert, Cecilia Mnisi, founder of MMJ Interpretation Services Pty Ltd, has the solution, and her company is breaking down language barriers for business each and every day.

Leigh-Ann Gowland, a South African entrepreneur helping others to manage change for growth

February 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

**Leigh-Ann Gowland, founder of Employee Driven Change (South Africa)**

Change at a personal and business level can often be challenging and feel like an uphill struggle. But change specialist Leigh-Ann Gowland and her company Employee Driven Change (Pty) Ltd have a solution to make the journey easier to navigate.

Grace Mlimo, an entrepreneur providing a gateway to showcase Africa’s luxury brands on the continent

February 18, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Getting the world to sit up and take notice of Africa’s luxury products is a challenge, but for entrepreneur Grace Mlimo, founder of Luxuria Lifestyle Africa, she thinks she has the solution with her online platform.

So what’s wrong with calling your business, your baby?

February 17, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Have you ever wondered why so many entrepreneurs refer to their businesses as their baby? I sometimes find myself having to ask the question: “does the baby ever grow into an adult?”

Quote of the Day by Juliana Rotich

February 17, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Juliana Rotich, Venture Partner in Africa Technology Ventures (ATV) — **Juliana Rotich,** Venture Partner in Africa Technology Ventures (ATV)

“There is great opportunity in interconnecting the insides of Africa, continuing to connect Africans to Africans, South Africa to Kenya, South Africa to Egypt, South Africa to Addis”

- Juliana Rotich is is a technologist, strategic advisor, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. She 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. Her personal mission is to make things, fix problems and help others. Juliana serves as an advisor to the councils of BASF, Risk Cooperative, Africa Technology Ventures (ATV) and the Lemelson Foundation. She is also a trustee of Bankinter Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Spain and former trustee of the iHub in Kenya and is on the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Board.

8 Ways to attract more clients to your business without breaking the bank!

February 14, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Starting any new business can be daunting, as the time and money it takes to start your venture can be a challenge at the best of times. The hardest part though, is to entice and keep clients for the longevity of your business. For entrepreneurs, building and maintaining relationships with your clients is the most important aspect when it comes to offering the best service in your field.

The Lioness Lean In Breakfast Event Series for 2017 heads to Johannesburg

February 13, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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.

Quote of the Day by Tabitha Karanja

February 13, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Tabitha Karanja, founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries — 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.

I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam

February 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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.

Why empowering your team is key to successful business building

February 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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?

Quote of the Day by Divine Ndhlukula

February 10, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Divine Ndhlukula in conversation with Richard Branson — 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.

Meet the 5 women representing Africa as finalists in the 2017 Cartier Women's Initiative Award

February 9, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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.

Entrepreneur Advice from Olukemi Omotayo Asalu: Chase the vision, not the money

February 9, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Olukemi Omotayo Asalu, founder of Daolus Organic Products (South Africa) — **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.