the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
Most of us will all need to apply for credit at some time in our lives, and as an entrepreneur, this is almost a certainty. By taking ownership and being pro-active in managing your credit, you can avoid any unpleasant surprises and make sure that financial support will be there when you need it most.
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We love mobile and have been fortunate enough to work on the initial versions of many of South Africa’s leading apps over the last 7 years. In some cases, we have continued working with these brands throughout the course of their app journeys and these are some of the fundamental (as well as subtler) learnings anyone looking to make a dent in the space can take from this experience.
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It happens often: we appear to be listening but in fact we are so distracted by other thoughts, other people, and other things we have to do, that we’re not really actively listening. Or we’re thinking about what we’re going to say next and how we can say it so that we sound fabulously articulate and intelligent. We don’t entirely hear what the person in front of us is saying. We’re not getting the whole message. In our careers, it’s critical that we are heard. But it’s just as critical that we hear, that we truly hear. Our ability to really listen to others is as vital to our overall presence.
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Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is founder and Managing Director of soleRebels
- Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, founder and Managing Director of soleRebels (Ethiopia)
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You need to learn to turn stress on its head....
- Margaret Hirsch is one half of a dynamic husband and wife duo that founded Hirsch's Homestores. Back in 1979, as a secretary, together with her husband Allan, then an appliance repair man, they unwittingly became entrepreneurs who went on to build an appliance, electronics and furnishing retail empire. Today, Hirsch's Homestores is the largest independently owned appliance and electronics business in Southern Africa, with 18 Hirsch stores and four Samsung concept stores.
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Have you ever asked an entrepreneur how much they make? And they respond with a ‘million from last month’ but no smile coming with it? Or any triumphant fist in the air? Yep. It is because it is deeper than that. Revenue is the easiest part of operations; if you have built a good brand and something people want/need; you will have sales easily. The trick is ‘where are those sales going’?
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Farai Simoyi, founder of Farai Inc.
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 has 18 stores around the world, including in Silicon Valley (USA), Japan, Singapore, Austria, Greece, Spain and Switzerland, along with an aggressive e-commerce marketing strategy. in 2015, Bethlehem launched a new venture, Republic of Leather, offering bespoke, hand crafted Leather wear and accessories; and in 2016 she launched an equally ambitious new coffee venture called Garden of Coffee with the objective of taking Ethiopia's ancient coffee culture to the world.
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Roomila Roothoorodoo, founder of Focus Events (Mauritius)
Whether you are staging a major conference or special event such a wedding, or you need to produce a video that tells your corporate story, it’s essential to bring in the specialists. In Mauritius, one passionate photographer, Roomila Roothoorodoo, founder of Focus Events, is bringing her creative talents to the table.
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Nondumiso Pikashe, founder of Ses’fikile Wines (South Africa)
Exciting things are happening in South Africa’s winelands with a new generation of entrepreneurs making great wines for the local and global market place and building new brands to watch. Ses’fikile Wines, founded by Nondumiso Pikashe, is one such brand with high aspirations.
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The African Entrepreneurship Award, a $1million prize sponsored by BMCE Bank of Africa for African entrepreneurs with for-profit business ideas that create jobs and improve lives, has just announced the finalists for the 2017 awards. At the start of 2017, 5,349 entrepreneurs from all 54 countries in Africa, and 45 in the diaspora, applied for the Award. Now, one month before the winners are announced, a panel of mentors has selected 41 finalists from 19 African countries, and 39% are women entrepreneurs (15 in total).
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Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva
In the tradition of Kabul Beauty School and Start Something That Matters comes an inspiring story of social entrepreneurship from Jessica Jackley, the co-founder of Kiva, the first online microlending platform for the working poor. Featuring lessons learned from successful businesses in the world’s poorest countries, Jessica Jackley’s book, Clay Water Brick, will motivate readers to more deeply appreciate the incredible entrepreneurial potential that exists in every human being on this planet, especially themselves.
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L-R: Kgotso Masekwameng, Simone Musgrave, Melanie Hawken, Jesslyn Schlamm, Vicki Bain
On a beautiful sunshine filled day on 10th November, in the shadow of Table Mountain, 80 women entrepreneurs from across the Western Cape gathered together for the last Lioness Lean In Breakfast event of the year in the city. The venue was once again Workshop 17 in Cape Town’s bustling V&A Waterfront area. In prospect was a morning filled with inspirational startup story sharing from successful women business owners, and great business networking.
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Johanna Mukoki, co-founder and group CEO of Travel With Flair Travel (South Africa)
- Johanna Mukoki, co-founder & CEO of Travel With Flair (South Africa)
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What are the biggest mistakes an entrepreneur needs to avoid making....
- 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.
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Thato Kgatlhanye, co-founder of Rethaka
Advice on friends as business partners....
- Thato Kgatlhanye is a co-founder of Rethaka, a woman-owned South African business that is focused on improving the world around it. Through the company's green innovations such as the Repurpose Schoolbags, it is redefining societal problems and turning them into solutions. Thato is making it her business to uncover sustainable opportunities that create a far-reaching impact for low-income communities, with a particular focus on children and women.
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Eva Muraya, founder and CEO of Brand Strategy and Design, Kenya
- Eva Muraya, founder & CEO of BSD Group (Kenya)
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By Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect & co-founder of SnappSales
Didn’t think it was possible to outsource your accounting? Not only is it completely feasible, but if accounting is not your forte you’ll be eternally grateful you did.
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Paula Quinsee, Author, Relationship Expert & Life Coach
Be realistic with your expectations....
- Paula Quinsee is a Relationship Expert & Life Coach in South Africa, working with individuals and organisations on EQ skills, conflict management and more. Paula is author of the book 'Embracing Conflict - a self-help guide filled with practical tools to help you navigate conflict and challenges in your life'. As a competitive athlete and adventure seeker, Paula knows from experience what it takes to set goals, overcome obstacles and achieve success, and she has a passion for mentoring the individuals and groups she works with.
Read moreMellisa Mazinga, founder of zedlabel (Zimbabwe)
- Mellisa Mazingi, founder of zedlabel (Zimbabwe)
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