the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Paulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment (Namibia)
Most people look at old discarded oil drums and other scrap metals and just see junk. But for entrepreneur Paulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment, she sees endless possibilities. Her business finds its inspiration in turning trash into treasure, creating innovative and desirable furniture from recycled scrap oil drums.
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Mo Abudu, founder and CEO of EbonyLife Media in Nigeria, has been recognized for outstanding services to broadcasting and enterprise, by the University of Westminster in London. She was presented with an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts.
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What a year, and what a final gathering in Maputo, as around 100 women entrepreneurs got together for the last Lioness Lean In event in the country for 2018. On a blustery, rather chilly morning outside, the atmosphere was much warmer and more inspirational inside the Standard Bank Incubadora, once again the host venue for the event.
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by Phindile Ndlovu
I was massaging my mother’s feet when I was about 9 years old when she asked me, “Phindile, what do you want to be when you grow up?” I answered so enthusiastically, “I want to be a social worker.” She then gave me this disapproving frown and repeated “A social worker?” in a tone to check if I was sure about my answer. I gave it a thought and quickly changed my mind and with the same enthusiasm I said, “Okay, a doctor!”
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Jaclyn Johnson
First, we leaned in. Now we stand up. Jaclyn Johnson, the founder and CEO behind Create & Cultivate, the fastest growing online platform and conference for millennial women in business, has published her new book Work Party which offers a rallying cry for a new generation of women who are redefining the meaning of work on their own terms.
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Liina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations (Namibia)
The world is waking up to the need to be more environmentally conscious, but more needs to be done to tackle the problem of plastic and other waste. In Namibia, one entrepreneur, Liina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations, is playing her part by recycling plastic into desirable objects that consumers want and need.
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by Laura Camacho, PhD
If you notice more during your conversation you will listen more perceptively. When you listen better, you learn more. Learn more, succeed faster. Stop planning what you're going to say next, and focus on what the other person is actually saying right now.
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Benji Coetzee, founder of EmptyTrips (South Africa)
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Benji Coetzee, founder of EmptyTrips (South Africa)
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by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
There is a saying that goes, “Every time you buy a product from a small business, someone literally does a happy dance!” This is certainly very true. Throughout my life I have had an interesting relationship with money. Like some of you, I’ve never had a time when I’ve ever had enough. I grew up in a fairly modest home, and I remember my mother all too often used the term: “Money doesn’t grow on trees!”
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Keshni Morar, founder of Styld (South Africa)
How often do you hear busy women, at home and at work, complaining about the fact they have so little time to look after their wardrobe and their image? Well in South Africa, help is at hand from a new personalised, online styling services called Styld, created by entrepreneur Keshni Morar.
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Abai Schulze
Award-winning Ethiopian accessory brand, ZAAF, founded by Abai Schulze, has recently announced the exciting news of its planned opening of its new store in Washington DC in the US.
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Denise Duffield-Thomas
If you’ve ever felt frustrated, burned-out, or stressed out about your business and income, then Reclaim Your Money Power, the latest book by Denise Duffield-Thomas is for you. In it, Denise walks you through the three key money mistakes that SO many women in business make, that keep them stuck and broke — or that force them to quit their businesses altogether. And that sucks. Because it’s so avoidable.
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Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi, founder of Happy Soul Adventures (Botswana)
For many travellers, their experience of a country is limited to what the guidebook and their travel operator sets out for them. But for entrepreneur Cynthia Botshelo Mothelesi, founder of specialist travel adventure company Happy Soul Adventures, her wish is to create uniquely memorable and special experiences for visitors to her country.
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by Marjón Meyer
Reflecting on the past year, when I think about success, it takes on different forms in my mind. My own definition of success has changed significantly over time. People assign different meanings to success. It could be a certain qualification, a position on the organogram, good education for your children, visiting beautiful places in the world, owning a house at a specific address, a luxury vehicle….. Although these could make you feel rather proud, these alone don’t necessary bring a feeling of achievement or accomplishment.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
In the four and a half years I have been running Roka Roko I have been rejected just about a million times. Each time there was a reason why of course. A reason I couldn’t understand but reviewed deeply to better myself. At each of these times when I tried again and again after each rejection, I would feel like I am insane really. Why am I trying again? There is a saying that goes, doing the same thing expecting different results is stupidity; and some times I have felt stupid.
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by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech
Hanneli Rupert, founder of Merchants on Long
Namibia’s women entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses to the next level gathered in Windhoek on the morning of Tuesday 20th November for the first Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Nedbank Namibia - and it lived up to its promise of being a morning of inspiration and great business networking.
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Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, founder of AAKS, Ghana
by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
Every now and then I come across someone who has a burning desire to write a book. Whether it’s to see their name in print, or to achieve some kind of status that goes along with being a published author, it’s a serious bucket list item for many. This always takes me back to my own situation and how I fell into the world of writing books. I use the word “fell”, because it was never a burning desire of mine to write a book. Although I had written a fair amount of material in my professional career, I had never considered the idea that I might be an author at some point. I had not even studied languages at university.
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