the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Judith Msonthi, founder of Judie Emcee (Malawi)
- Judith Msonthi, founder of Judie Emcee (Malawi)
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Gayathrie Schatz, founder of The Little Bo Baby Company
Giving up is simply not an option....
- Gayathrie Schatz is founder of The Little Bo Baby Company, a South African children’s handmade toy manufacturer with a unique twist. Gayathrie's company literally brings the imagination of children to life. They take children's drawings and convert them into a 3D plush toy, creating a unique and personal toy for each child. All their toys are lovingly handmade by previously disadvantaged women in Hout Bay, South Africa. Read Gaya's startup story.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
People tell me they see I have made it. And I used to respond and say no, not really - I’m still working on it. They don’t believe it. They have their own measurements of success for me of course, and based on them, I have made it. Well, thank God, because if they used my measurements I would be nowhere near success. I have learned to say thank you and receive the compliments; and see them as a small reminder from God that I am doing okay and on the right track.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
In the world of work, we learn to equate silence with doing nothing, and doing nothing is rarely valued as an effective application of professional skill. Since silence is not widely valued, it’s not widely developed. Worse, it’s sometimes knocked out of those to whom it comes naturally. Throughout my career though, I’ve seen that what the very best trainers and coaches have in common is the ability to sit back, observe carefully, and listen intently. Whether applied to yourself or to others, the rare skill of creating and holding silence is worth developing.
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by Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales and VA Connect
In the old days, if we were looking for a shoe repairman or a new fridge, the first place we would turn to would be the classifieds or the yellow pages. Remember those times? Nowadays you bring the world to you by means of your mobile phone. Isn’t great how we can search for a curry restaurant, a new stove, a boating holiday, and a friend’s contact details all in one place, on one device?
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Lee Chisale, founder of Belle Afrique (Malawi)
- Lee Chisale, founder of Belle Afrique (Malawi)
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Nercia Celeste Mazive, executive director of Premier Human Capital Corporation (Mozambique)
Think carefully about how you evaluate your progress....
- Nercia Celeste Mazive is the founder and executive director of Premier Human Capital Corporation in Mozambique, a company focused on Talent Acquisition, Talent development and a range of Human Resource services. Nercia is passionate about helping companies and organizations thrive by providing access to a pool of talented and qualified people able to make positive contributions to growth and development. Read Nercia's startup story.
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Hanneli Rupert, founder of Okapi and Merchants on Long (South Africa)
Believe in yourself....
- Hanneli Rupert is the founder and owner of 'Merchants on Long' and Okapi. This young South African entrepreneur opened her chic, African concept store, Merchants on Long, stocking ethically-produced, luxury hand-crafted, African sourced design, art and fashion products. She is one of the industry's most compelling advocates for ethical production and sourcing and has her own ethically produced, African luxury handbag line, Okapi. In 2012 Hanneli launched her first pop-up store in London-based concept store, The Shop at Bluebird.
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Miyoba Buumba, founder of Mwabonwa Designs (Zambia)
- Miyoba Buumba, founder of Mwabonwa Designs (Zambia)
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Africa's beauty and wellness sector continues to grow, with new and exciting products coming onto the market every day, most of them celebrating the unique, natural ingredients that are produced on the African continent. This month at Lionesses of Africa, we celebrate 30 women entrepreneurs whose remarkable startup stories we have featured over the past year and who are building great brands and developing world class products from all corners of the African continent.
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Mel Robbins
Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself? In her new book, The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins, show you how.
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by Eldari Visser, Managing Director of Picketfence.Life
If you ask me to join a gym I get a very uneasy feeling. The mere idea of putting myself through pain does not sit well with me. I prefer to go for the sexier options such as dancing or Zumba; or the calmer options like yoga or Pilates. I program my brain that these type of exercises will not hurt as much as going to the gym. Who exactly am I kidding? My body is going to complain, that is a fact. Don’t even mention all the good reasons that I can come up with for not getting started or not going each week.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
They used to say that your co-workers assessed your competence, likability and trustworthiness in about seven seconds, but the latest research conducted by Harvard Medical School suggests that all that happens now in just 250 milliseconds! And that’s all based simply on your appearance – so you really have to ensure you have it all worked out! Here are some tips on how to maximise your physical presence when it comes to meetings and interviews.
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by Mignionette Fair, founder of Edita Services
Authenticity is a word that gets thrown around a lot in leadership, business and life. As with most things in life, we all define authenticity and authentic leadership differently.
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Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations (Nigeria)
Personal experiences and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others are often the two key drivers of social entrepreneurs when it comes to starting up their businesses. For Nigerian social entrepreneur, Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations, her inspiration came from the need to help women and girls to manage their menstrual hygiene and fulfill their potential.
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by Tatenda Rungisa, Human Resources Practitioner and co-founder of Twin Connect Solutions
Before I gained experience in my profession from the various sectors I had worked in, I frequently wondered why they were only a few successful women leaders and entrepreneurs. After working in different sectors I realized a few but huge hurdles have led to the demise of women leadership skills in the workplace. Women face challenges daily in their lives and for career women, the main one is that of penetrating into a male dominated sector or taking up roles that are societally termed “for men”.
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Over the last few years we’ve seen the theme of Social Entrepreneurship grow exponentially. From the 23 to 26 January, two awesome female social entrepreneurs from Cape Town returned from the World Economic Forum. They joined many other social entrepreneurs from around the world, ready to open the eyes of traditional business to new ways of using business principles to tackle major issues in our world, such as poverty, marginalization and climate change.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
There are many things I do that seem selfish to many people; probably because they look like that; and also because behind them, these things are mine only. I have learned all these things are essential for me to stay alive, sane and motivated to complete all the great dreams our clients have. Running a custom-made business is seriously a mind boggler. You have over 300 clients; and have to remember each and every name; each design; each finish; each personality; each account, etc. It can drive you insane, especially at peak business time.
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Stephina Zwane and Salamina Mosese, founders of Sorele Media (South Africa)
- Stephina Zwane and Salamina Mosese, founders of Sorele Media (South Africa)
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Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments (Uganda)
For many startups, taking their businesses to the next level can be challenging. In Uganda, one woman entrepreneur is helping small business owners to increase their production capacity and access finance. Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments, is bringing her expertise and investment community to help startups to fulfill their potential.
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