the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Emma Holmes
Beyond Ordinary – who wants to be ordinary anyway? Author Emma Holmes’ new book, Beyond Ordinary, is for those people who have decided that they are happy to defy ordinary when it comes to building a business.
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Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ (Tanzania)
Trying to find the right company to create a gifting and party favour experience can be a real challenge, but in Tanzania, one woman manufacturer is providing a solution. Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ, is creating a range of gifting and party favour products that are made locally at a great price.
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Natasha Sideris, founder of Tashas (South Africa)
Phanice Shamalla, founder of Iris Management (Kenya)
If you don't love it don't do it!...
- Phanice Shamalla is the founder of Iris Management in Kenya, a company committed to promoting a healthier community by building partnerships with health care providers, businesses, and non-profit organizations in order to motivate consumers to take actions and make healthier living choices through the annual trade expo - The Health Festival - and the Iris Health & Wellness Information website. Phanice is tapping her passion for event management and education to help families and communities change their behavior patterns and choose more healthy lifestyles.
Read moreLeading woman entrepreneur Amina Hersi has inspired many young women in Uganda to work because she has made it clear that working hard puts you up there and helps you to achieve great things. Amina is one of the most influential women in Uganda who has inspired many to work tooth and nail to achieve success. Having started from a humble beginning, Amina is now enjoying fruits of her hard work.
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It's a fact, no entrepreneur likes the thought of failing in business. But here's another fact - research shows that while fear of failure is the biggest concern for all entrepreneurs, women fear it more than men. Women who are considering starting a business should not be afraid of failure, and instead see it as part of the journey and an opportunity to continue learning.
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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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