Lessons learned after year one in business

July 9, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Phildile Ndlovu, founder of Bhekizenzo Foundation

I was about to complete my degree when I realized that I had no idea what to do with it. I was applying for jobs frantically and I was not getting called back for interviews. So, instead of entering a state of panic, I went back to my core and rekindled my passion for social justice which has been a common thread in everything I have been involved in. Social justice and bringing social change has always been a passion. Being in a leadership academy, I just knew I had to start something and not wait to be employed in order to change lives.

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Imposter Syndrome and How To Thrive In Spite of It - by Valerie Young

July 7, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Learn to take ownership of your success, overcome self-doubt, and banish the thought patterns that undermine your ability to feel—and act—as bright and capable as others already know you are with this award-winning book by Valerie Young.

Meet Africa’s game-changing women chocolatiers making a real impact on the continent’s cacao value chain

July 7, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Chocolate - who doesn’t love it? Today the world consumes more than 4.5 million tonnes of cacao beans each year, and global retail sales of chocolate topped 98 billion U.S. dollars in 2016. Did you know that 70% of the world’s cacao is grown in Africa, yet Africa produces less than 1% of the world's chocolate? The chocolate we know and love to eat is produced elsewhere in the world using Africa’s raw ingredients. This contradiction and lost economic opportunity has not gone unnoticed by a new generation of women chocolatiers across Africa who are launching great new chocolate brands and products. Their skill, passion and entrepreneurial spirit will hopefully in the near future give rise to exciting new African chocolate brands that will go global.

Chiinga Musonda and Lynn Musonda Phiri, two pioneering Zambian entrepreneurs putting the country on the global chocolate map

July 6, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Chiinga Musonda, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia) — **Chiinga Musonda**, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia)

Passion is one of the key ingredients to building any successful business and brand. And, in the world of artisan chocolate making, it is one of the Savanna Premium Chocolate brand’s strongest assets, thanks to founders Chiinga Musonda and Lynna Musonda Phiri.

Selassie Atadika, a Ghanaian artisan chocolatier creating a luxury truffle range celebrating Africa’s unique flavours and stories

July 5, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Selassie Atadika, founder of Midunu Chocolates (Ghana) — **Selassie Atadika**, founder of Midunu Chocolates (Ghana)

Who doesn’t like truffles? Those wonderful, lovingly handcrafted chocolates that melt on the tongue with evocatively scented centres that tease the tastebuds. One company taking the truffle to whole new levels is entrepreneur and chocolatier, Selassie Atadika, founder of Midunu Chocolates in Ghana.

A reluctant entrepreneur

July 5, 2018 Melanie Hawken

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by Zainab Ashadu, Founder and Creative Director of Zashadu (Nigeria)

I dislike fads, for their transience and the sheep-like behaviour it induces in people. Furthermore, my ego is involved in this dislike, for no matter how I love and have loved a thing, should it become a trend, I drop it with immediacy and harbour an almost hatred for the trend. It is for this reason that I failed to identify with the term Entrepreneur.

LIONESS CoLAB: AAKS X UNHCR

July 5, 2018 Melanie Hawken

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AAKS in Ghana and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees joined forces for a home décor project titled ‘Weaving for Change’. The collaboration to produce a range of beautifully handcrafted lamps and light fittings reflects the preservation of a time honoured Malian weaving technique of the Tuareg community from Northern Mali, who are living as refugees in Burkina Faso. Behind every handcrafted lamp you will find a cultural identity of the Tuareg.

Íris Munguambe, a Mozambican entrepreneur creating events to make her client’s wedding dreams come true

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Iris Munguambe, founder of Mariée Boutique Lda (Mozambique) — **Iris Munguambe**, founder of Mariée Boutique Lda (Mozambique)

Mariée Boutique Lda is a specialist event and wedding planning company, founded by passionate entrepreneur Iris Munguambe in Mozambique. It is rapidly building a reputation for creating beautiful events for its clients, all with that personal touch and a great attention to detail. This is a company inspired each day to make clients’ special days truly memorable.

Understand the power of the collective

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser, Managing Director, Picketfence.Life

Daily we get bombarded with information on almost everything the human mind can think of. One central and very real aspect of our existence is that we all need money in any way possible to exist. Without the power to buy any goods and food, let alone shelters, we have to resort to caveman tricks… and who wants to do that in this day and age of going forward faster than ever?

Busy is a decision

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

“Busy is a decision.” Is a well-known quote by renowned graphic designer and author, Debbie Millaman. Here’s why: Of the many, many excuses people use to rationalise why they can’t do something, the excuse “I am too busy” is not only the most inauthentic, it is also the laziest.

Dana Mroueh, an artisan chocolatier celebrating the quality of cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire through her wonderful raw chocolate brand

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Dana Mroueh, founder of MonChoco (Côte d’Ivoire) — **Dana Mroueh**, founder of MonChoco (Côte d’Ivoire)

Côte d’Ivoire is renowned for the quality of its cocoa beans, but up until now, the world has not had the opportunity to widely celebrate those beans in the finest of chocolate forms. But that is rapidly changing as Ivorian artisan chocolatier Dana Mroueh and her company, MonChoco, are producing a very special raw chocolate brand and range of products that is exciting taste buds in the country.

Oluwafemi Oyedipe, a Nigerian chocolatier bringing a proudly African bean-to-bar approach to chocolate making in her country

July 3, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Oluwafemi Oyedipe, founder of LoshesChocolate (Nigeria) — **Oluwafemi Oyedipe**, founder of LoshesChocolate (Nigeria)

Across Africa, more and more women entrepreneurs are becoming aware of the need to add value locally when it comes to making world class chocolate using Africa’s abundent cocoa resources. One entrepreneur in Nigeria who is part of this vanguard of African women chocolatiers, Oluwafemi Oyedipe, founder of LoshesChocolate, is doing just that with her bean-to-bar philosophy of chocolate making.

IN FOCUS: Celebrating Africa's women food and drink entrepreneurs

July 2, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Every month at Lionesses of Africa, we showcase a particular industry sector where Africa’s women entrepreneurs are making a real impact, through their businesses, their innovation, their products, services and craftsmanship, and their passion for what they do. This month (July), we are turning our attention to the women who are changing the face of the food and drink industry in Africa, and creating new products, building new brands, and launching exciting food/drinks retail concepts in the process.

FT Podcast with Dorcas Muthoni: “Starting a business young is a bonus” says Kenyan tech pioneer

July 1, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Dorcas Muthoni, founder of Open World Ltd (Kenya) — **Dorcas Muthoni**, founder of **Open World Ltd (Kenya)**

This week saw Kenyan tech pioneer, Dorcas Muthoni, founder of Open World and creator of Open Business, sharing her thoughts on doing business in Kenya and the general lack of women in the tech sector in Africa as a whole, during a fascinating podcast interview with the Financial Times. Dorcas talked about the exciting new business opportunities in Silicon Savannah and also about how to avoid corruption in a country which has its challenges in the way that business has traditionally been done.

Milena de Lurdes Valoi, a Mozambican entrepreneur with a passion for creating beautiful cakes that make customers smile

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Milena de Lurdes Valoi, founder of Anellim (Mozambique) — **Milena de Lurdes Valoi**, founder of Anellim (Mozambique)

Special occasions deserve special treats, especially personalised cakes and sweet treats, and that’s where one Mozambican woman entrepreneur comes to the rescue. Milena de Lurdes Valoi, founder of specialist catering company Anellim, creates beautiful, personalised cakes and confectionary for clients who want to celebrate.

Finding balance between work and life

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech

Take some advice from those clichés you know are true! --- We’ve all heard the sayings and tend to make fun of the instructions like, ‘put the oxygen mask on yourself before attempting to help other passengers’ or, my personal favourite, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. We can make fun of these and other clichés about rest, but they are true and we all need to pay a little more attention to finding that balance between work and life – especially as women entrepreneurs – in order to avoid burnout and to be better versions of ourselves.

Michelle Rumbelow, a South African entrepreneur building a unique ladieswear brand that women love to wear

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Michelle Rumbelow, founder of Liviya (South Africa) — **Michelle Rumbelow**, founder of Liviya (South Africa)

Following a successful career in clothing design and retail, Michelle Rumbelow is finally fulfilling a childhood ambition, to launch a ladies clothing brand of her own. Today, Liviya brings beautifully designed and manufactured leisurewear, lingerie and sleepwear, created for the busy woman who wants to feel and look good, 24/7.

Essential Read: Born to be an Entrepreneur by Kristyna Zapletal

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Born to be an entrepreneur by Kristyna Zapletal is a book for mindful entrepreneurs, and it’s very definitely not your typical business or startup book. It has been written for the aspiring entrepreneur who aims to address the needs of people in their community to create a positive social impact, while maintaining control over their own physical and mental wellbeing.

Anicha Abdul, a successful serial entrepreneur in Mozambique building a business portfolio that is a real inspiration

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Anicha Abdul, founder of EP Management & Consultancy Services (Mozambique) — **Anicha Abdul**, founder of EP Management & Consultancy Services (Mozambique)

Building one business can be tough, but building several businesses at the same time takes real guts and determination, and Mozambican-based entrepreneur, Anicha Abdul the founder of EP Management & Consultancy Services, has both of these qualities in great quantities. It’s why she has built a business to be reckoned with.