the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Ntsoaki Mabejane, founder of Botanical Wares (Lesotho)
For all those who experience the challenges of sensitive skin, hope is at hand from Botanical Wares (Pty) Ltd, a Lesotho woman-owned company inspired by its founders who needed to find a skincare and cosmetics solution for themselves and their families.
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Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994 with a vision to “empower rural communities to become entrepreneurs and earn better incomes to live with dignity among their communities.” Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques.
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In ‘Own your Space; The Toolkit for the Working Woman’, my co-author Nadia Bilchik and I found it imperative to include a chapter on owning your finances. We reached out to author and speaker, Sylvia Walker, to share her insights and guidance. This is a snippet of what she had to say about how to own your finances.
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Lorna Rutto, founder of EcoPost, Kenya
- Lorna Rutto, founder of EcoPost (Kenya)
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Anila Mussá, founder of IZYSHOP (Mozambique)
Plan, focus and persist....
- Anila Mussá is the founder of IZYSHOP in Mozambique, a multi-award winning online supermarket, connecting local small and medium size producers to consumer markets, giving producers access to a broader market and income increase, and consumers a more convenient shopping experience. Born in the small city of Inhambane in Mozambique, Anila learned from a young age the art of getting things done and the value of hard work. Her first business at the age of 12 years old was selling cookies at school so she could buy her school lunch.
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Devotha Ntuke Minzi, founder of K-finance Limited (Tanzania)
- Devotha Ntuke Minzi, founder & CEO of K-finance Limited (Tanzania)
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Helen Njoroge, founder of Tenders Kenya
Start innovating....
- Helen Njoroge, is the founder of Tenders Kenya, Kenya’s Number 1 Tender Site, where she is in charge of overseeing the strategic growth, profitability and development of the business. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Moi University and a Masters degree in Population Studies from the University of Nairobi. She has extensive experience in the NGO sector and in particular, women economic empowerment, policy advocacy and lobbying.
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Nelia Annandale, founder of Keedo Kids
Be flexible....
- Nelia Annandale is founder of Keedo Kids a company she launched in 1993 to manufacture designer children’s clothing in a socially responsible and ethical manner. Nelia blends imagination, comfort and style with vibrant colour and exceptional quality, and the brand has grown to be one of the leading children’s clothing manufacturers in South Africa and now exports to 16 countries across the globe. It took a life-threatening skiing accident for South African born Nelia Annandale to overcome her fear of starting a business. Although she had a happy life and was set in a good routine with her husband and two year old twins, the near fatal accident forced her to take stock of her life - Keedo Kids emerged from that new focus.
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Mo Abudu, founder and Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife TV
- Mo Abudu, founder& Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife TV (Nigeria)
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Tara Fela-Durotoye founder of House of Tara (Nigeria)
- Tara Fela-Durotoye founder of House of Tara (Nigeria)
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Chinwe Ohajuruka, founder and CEO of Comprehensive Design Services
Doing what is right....
- Chinwe Ohajuruka is the founder and CEO of Comprehensive Design Services in Nigeria. Chinwe is a US-based architect who splits her time between the US & Nigeria working on sustainable housing development projects. She is a passionate champion of green building solutions for Africa and she engineers and builds affordable green houses that are both energy and resource-efficient. Chinwe was selected as the Sub-Saharan laureate of the 2015 Cartier Women's Awards.
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- Njideka Harry, founder and chief executive of Youth for Technology Foundation (Nigeria)
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Mary Holroyd, founder and chairman of Weigh-Less (South Africa)
As a founder, you're always the one who is responsible...
- Mary Holroyd is founder and chairman of Weigh-Less the company that has been synonymous with weight management in South Africa since 1975. Mary has helped transform hundreds and thousands of lives over the past three decades and continues to raise the bar in terms of inspiring people to not only lose weight, but change the way they live. Mary, who has her MBA from Henley in London, has been the recipient of numerous prestigious business awards. She also leads by example and has been at her Goal Weight for 41 years!
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L-R: Patricia Vasco, Tania Tome, Melanie Hawken, Marta Roff, Sasha Vieira
Mozambique’s women entrepreneur business and brand builders are on the move, winning fans not just at home and across the African continent, but around the world. On 28th November, as part of an ongoing series of Lioness Lean In Breakfast events aimed at bringing women entrepreneurs of Maputo together to share their stories, inspire one another, and connect for greater business success, Lionesses of Africa and Standard Bank hosted the 5th such successful event.
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Cristina Margarida Rocha, founder of Daisy Social (Mozambique)
Many people in life see social challenges around them but do not act. However, for social entrepreneur Cristina Margarida Rocha, this was not an option, and she took her love of handmade soap and used it to build a high impact social business to empower other women. Today, Daisy Social is making a real difference, and making great soap with a strong backstory.
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Dené Carlile, founder of BluMallow Social & Design (South Africa)
Many companies struggle to get their brand messages to connect with customers, or to grow their brand appeal with certain customer segments. That’s where South African niche company, BluMallow Social & Design, comes in. Founder Dené Carlile is on a mission to make the whole process of making powerful brand connections a whole lot easier for her clients.
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Swaady Martin, founder of Yswara
Swaady Martin is founder of YSWARA, a rapidly growing African luxury brand. YSWARA creates elegant, high-end products using the continent’s natural resources, all produced by African artisans. The product range centres around exquisite teas sourced from across Africa, Swaady aims to capture a true spirit of African luxury by reviving Africa’s endangered cultural heritage and unique ancestral craftsmanship. YSWARA is sold online and in 8 countries with different direct and indirect retail points.
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Kathryn Main
As parents, we make every effort and sacrifice possible to ensure that our children receive the best education available. Unfortunately, the school curriculum taught today is missing one crucial puzzle-piece that will make our children’s education complete - money management. In her new book, Raising Money Savvy Kids, author and entrepreneur, Kathryn Main, is on a mission to provide kids with the financial advantage and financial freedom through education that most of their parents never had.
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by Benji Coetzee, founder of EmptyTrips
I've witnessed animals outcasting one of their own, and today, I can appreciate being outright rejected too, a lone wolf. I am broke, skinny, pale, sleep deprived, fighting with loved ones, neglected and maybe delusional.
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By Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
Entrepreneurship rocks! Well it does most of the time! I am not going to tell you this is the easiest journey, but it is truly rewarding! In my case starting out, I was one of those “go with the flow” people. I never had a plan of what I was going to be. I didn’t have it all planned and I was definitely not goal driven! Now, years later and after many learning trials, I can honestly say today that by the grace of God and my entrepreneurial journey, I am a different person. Better I would say!
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