"It is great to know our business sustains so many lives, not just our employees but also their families.”
- Esmeralda De Souza-Obwaka, founder of Spez Limited in Kenya
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Kristi Kyle: Find a mentor in your industry
Kristi Kyle, founder of Love Long Length Clothing (South Africa)
Find a mentor in your industry…
“Find yourself a great business mentor in the same type of industry – this will save you from making unnecessary mistakes. Schedule a meeting, grab a notebook and take as many pointers as you possibly can in whatever time they can give you!”
- Kristi Kyle is the founder of Love Long Length Clothing, a clothing brand producing a range of clothing for tall women in South Africa. Kristi has established the first business in South Africa to exclusively cater to tall women, manufacturing locally and supporting local women machinists. The quality of her garments is comparable to any high end brand in the market.
Read moreJanine Starkey, a South African entrepreneur on a mission to make others look and feel good
Janine Starkey, founder of House of Janine (South Africa)
As many successful entrepreneurs will tell you, achieving that success is often down to confidence, and lots of it, but for many women entrepreneurs, confidence doesn’t always come naturally. But South African entrepreneur, Janine Starkey, founder of image consultancy House of Janine, is about to change all that.
Read moreHow To Make Networking One Of Your Top Skills This Year
by Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales and VA Connect
I have a love-hate relationship with networking. Sometimes it makes absolute sense to me and at other times I feel no benefit at all from networking. Reflecting on why I experienced these two extremes on an activity that really should be fun and beneficial, I was able to determine where I, and most people, go wrong with networking and how we can make it one of our top skills going forward.
Read moreThe day I had a PEP talk with myself
by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
It was 12 September 2015, and I had hit rock bottom. I remember the day clearly. I was a visitor at a ladies church conference in Sandton, and with every speaker that took the stage I seemed to feel more and more confronted by my flaws. It was like they were speaking directly to me. These ladies were well rounded, well dressed, confident, and experts in their respective fields. It was their whole demeanour, paired with God’s message that actually gave me a wake-up call!
Read moreHow nature can steer you towards success
by Eldari Visser, Managing Director, Picketfence.Life
Ask any child of Africa what a thunderstorm over the plains smells like. Crisp, clean and the promise of life. Nature itself rejoices when rain is near. It brings joy and deep gratitude to man and beast.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Mariana Agness Francisco Eria
Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, founder of House Of Agness (Mozambique)
"Our product is made with nothing but passion, love and dedication."
- Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, founder of House Of Agness (Mozambique)
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Claudia Castellanos Roques: Believe you can do it
Claudia Castellanos Roques, co-founder Black Mamba (Swaziland)
Believe you can do it…
“Be tenacious, resilient, and persevere. Prepare yourself, thoroughly. Study as much as you can - as a woman, I believe you must be twice as prepared and knowledgeable as a man. And preparation gives you confidence, and you must believe you can do it and you will do it. As an entrepreneur you will face so many people who will try to deter you and tell you that you won't make it, but believing in yourself and being knowledgeable about what you do will help you overcome the many obstacles in the way.”
- Claudia Castellanos Roques is the co-founder of Black Mamba, a fair trade brand of gourmet chilli products from the Kingdom of Swaziland made with organically grown ingredients and no artificial flavours or preservatives. The range includes chilli sauces, pestos, and chutneys. Black Mamba partners with a local NGO called Guba that trains small farmers in organic farming. Black Mamba then buys at negotiated prices all the organic produce grown by these farmers to manufacture their products. Products are currently exported to South Africa, the UK, Germany and Australia.
Read moreCreate your inner entrepreneur survival kit
by Tania Reid, Chief Experience Officer, Ithemba Office Solutions
We recently came up with an idea to create a ‘morning after’ survival kit, to help conference attendees recover from a team-building event the night before. So there were SUPER C sweets (to replenish the vitamins lost) and Orbit chewing gum (to help them stick with the programme) and it got me thinking that if there was an entrepreneur survival kit, what kind of things would I want in it?
Read moreBuild Your Dream Network by J Kelly Hoey
J. Kelly Hoey
In Build Your Dream Network, acclaimed business columnist and networking expert J. Kelly Hoey offers a fresh new approach to mastering the timeworn skill of networking in a world where everyone is posting, liking, and friending fast and furiously, but many are failing to leverage their connections successfully.
Read morePhindi Msomi, a South African entrepreneur with a passion for helping employees to become more effective at work
Phindi Msomi, founder of Olwazini Consulting Services (South Africa)
Creating a working environment where employees can thrive and excel is a challenge for many companies and organisations. For South African company, Olwazini Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, founded by Phindi Msomi, this represented a key business opportunity.
Read moreThe fabulous hat of a change agent
by Leigh Ann Gowland, founder of Employee Driven Change
Entrepreneurs wear a variety of interchangeable hats every day. Business owner, customer service, sales, marketing and finance are only a few. Imagine if while juggling all the hats of an entrepreneur a new hat is introduced; the change agent hat.
Read moreMobile First: What Consumers Want in 2018
by Lynette Hundermark, managing director of Useful & Beautiful
Never under-estimate just how fiercely personal your mobile device is. It may be hard to believe, but it’s 7 years since the explosion of the smartphone market, and with the increased availability of low cost smartphones there is now a phone in almost everyone’s hands. But…before we can start talking about any trend, as marketers we need to understand that mobile starts with an understanding of how fiercely personal this device is. It has become more of an appendage rather than a device.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Tracey Gilmore: Overcome your doubts
Overcome your doubts…
“When I feel self-doubt creeping in I consciously try to remain open and in the moment and if that doesn’t work I practice self-talk and reflect on positive past experiences that made me feel comforted and secure. It is these feelings that help brace my vulnerabilities.”
- Tracey Gilmore is the co-founder of The Clothing Bank, a high impact social enterprise on a mission to upskill and empower unemployed people in South Africa. Her work enables other women to not only learn the craft of entrepreneurship, but also to grow in self esteem and confidence. Tracey started her career in Deloitte, PWC and SAP before moving to Woolworths in the position of Head of Finance in South Africa. She is a chartered accountant and has been widely recognized as an outstanding business leader and social entrepreneur in South Africa.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Tumi Moitse
Tumi Moitse, founder of BlakSaffron Boutique (South Africa)
“Align yourself with female orientated incubation programmes to build your confidence.”
- Tumi Moitse, founder of BlakSaffron Boutique (South Africa)
Read moreKickstart your financial freedom in 2018!
by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
I am not a great believer in New Year’s resolutions, as they generally tend to be forgotten within a week or so! But what each new year does bring us, is a time of reflection, and from a financial point of view, a desire to perhaps improve ourselves over the next twelve months.
Read moreWezi Moyo, a Malawian serial entrepreneur growing multiple businesses and a reputation for success
Wezi Moyo, founder of Benequity Consultancy and Hillside Lodge (Malawi)
In Malawi, many women entrepreneurs have not just one business, but several, working on the philosophy that it is better to both spread business risk and increase the chances of success. Wezi Moyo, founder of Benequity Consultancy and Hillside Lodge, is one such woman, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to be a successful serial entrepreneur in the country.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Tracey Gilmore
“Learn to trust your instincts and quieten the fear.”
- Tracey Gilmore, co-founder of The Clothing Bank (South Africa)
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Emma Maame Efua Tandoh: Keep at it every day
Emma Maame Efua Tandoh, founder of Love Ankara (Ghana)
Keep at it every day…
“You will make some mistakes, but heck, start, go ahead and begin that dream and keep at it every day. Play up your strengths and use them to your advantage and whatever you feel you're not good at, hire someone who is great at it and keep going.”
- Emma Maame Efua Tandoh is the founder of Love Ankara in Ghana, a brand that is re-defining what authentic African fabric stands for. Emma is passionate about building a footwear and accessories brand that seeks to promote authentic African prints, empower women and preserve local textile industries. Love Ankara shoes and accessories are worn by powerful, outspoken, daring and empowered women the world over.
Read moreWe are always Becoming….
by Nokubonga Mbanga, founder of Self Insights
Every January magazines (online and hard copies) have an article about the new year it usually reads: “New year, New You/Me”. So, naturally I am thinking about what I think this year should achieve, aka: New Year’s resolutions….
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