the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Thandekile Moloko
If you own a business, or are part of a business, the compliance process of documenting the finances of the business may be a bit tedious, especially if your main intent is to make money and create an empire in the process. However, there are jewels of wisdom in financial statements that can help you best run your business and help you make better business decisions. Thus, it is important to understand the basic techniques of interpreting financial statements.
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by Paula Quinsee
There is a lot of talk going on about the 4th Industrial Revolution and Robots taking over the World...ok not really the world but our jobs and leaving us redundant. Whilst there may be some truth in this, it is not entirely true. Yes, the Robots are here, and work streams are being automated, so we need to constantly up-skill ourselves to remain relevant in the job landscape of the future. This doesn't only apply to individuals but also to organizations.
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by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
No one likes to think about dying, let’s face it, but it is one of those life certainties, like taxes, that’s impossible to avoid! And while you can’t dodge the tax man, many people neglect to draw up a will, either because they have more pressing priorities, or because they want to avoid thoughts around death. As a woman once said to me, “If I draw up a will, I will die!”
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by Thozama Ponti
It’s very funny how others can describe and say a lot about us, better than we can. Because people are very good at calling other people names, labelling, defining and describing. Unfortunately most often because we don’t know ourselves, we often fall within their descriptions and labels (we accept the things they call us as the best description of ourselves, the clothes they recommend for us, the hairstyles they suggest, and even the careers we must follow, etc.. ) Not knowing yourself can be very harmful for you and your career.
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Gaborone’s leading women entrepreneurs turned out in force on Friday 19 July to be part of the first Lioness Lean In event in Botswana this year. It was great to be back and the event marked the first of a series of Lioness Lean In collaborations between Lionesses of Africa, Stanbic Bank and Liberty Life Botswana in the country. Over 100 women entrepreneurs in the audience got to experience a great morning of inspirational startup story sharing, connecting for business success, and networking with like-minded women entrepreneurs to share experiences and gain support.
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Cátia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estética & Cosméticos (Mozambique)
Increasingly today, people suffer from skin irritations caused by the environment, food allergies, lifestyle challenges, and medical conditions. It can be hard to find skincare solutions for those consumers who find the big, globally produced, mainstream beauty brands just to harsh. Well now, help is at hand from Mozambican organic skincare company, Isabella - Estética & Cosméticos, founded by Cátia Mondlane. She is on a mission to bring natural, locally produced skincare solutions to her customers who want to be kind to their skins and to the planet.
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Lilly Alfonso
Successful Malawian fashion designer and entrepreneur, Lilly Alfonso, best known for her globally recognised and award-winning couture collections that regularly grace the world’s top fashion runways, is launching an exciting and very different collection this month. Her LA Sport brand is an uber trendy designer sportswear brand, featuring a range of gym attire, hoodies and sports jerseys, and can be worn both to the gym and also as stylish leisurewear.
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Raegen Moya-Jones
The founder of global baby brand aden + anais, Raegen Moya-Jones tells the story of how she built a $100 million business that started at her kitchen table. She never thought of herself as an entrepreneur. She was a wife, a mother, and a full-time corporate cog in her thirties. But she was sick and tired of her micromanaging boss, so she quietly started a company in the wee hours of the morning while her daughters were asleep. She finally quit her 9-5 when her side hustle, boutique baby swaddle brand aden + anais, hit the $1 million revenue mark. It now generates over $100 million a year in revenue.
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Lindalva Mulembwe, founder of LM Flowers On The Go (Mozambique)
Leveraging her many years of experience in the events business led Mozambican entrepreneur Lindalva Mulembwe, founder of LM Flowers On The Go, to identify a niche in the market - the creation of simple yet elegant flower arrangements. Today, she is building a successful business that brings flower celebrations to any special occasion.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Back in 2012, I knew I wanted to write a book that included interviews of amazing women to share their stories and insights. I didn’t know where to begin so I called Mandy Wiener, a well-known journalist. I had worked with her earlier that year on an event and reached out to her for advice. She was extremely helpful and at the end of coffee, I asked her which voice recorder she uses for her interviews.
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by Kabira Dewan
As a new franchisee, I discovered that women are particularly under-represented in the fast food franchise world. So, if, as a women, you have ever wondered if a fast food franchise is for you, the following are my tips to help you with your entrepreneurial journey. These are not in any order of preference but more aligned to my personal exposure in the Franchise World.
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by Alice da Silva
Not to be confused with the prison term reference, by ‘serving my time’ I mean that I visualize my time as a sort of pie. There is only a certain amount, which I can divide into slices and serve accordingly. And I try to choose carefully, because it’s easy to get distracted.
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by Phindile Ndlovu, Founder and Director of Bhekizenzo Foundation
I realized something the other day. I was so miserable, wondering if my job fulfilled me and if entrepreneurship is worth it. I was tired of feeling anxious, tight deadlines and constant cultivating relationships. Have you ever just wanted to stumble across a few million Rands and then switch off your phone? Spend your money and not worry about anything? Well, that was me, unmotivated and frustrated.
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Melanie Finch Keshwar and Ann Finch, co-founders of The Chocolatiers (South Africa)
Start small…
Melanie Finch Keshwar & Ann Finch, co-founders of The Chocolatiers (South Africa)
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Dirce Abdala, founder of D-Fruit (Mozambique)
Being inspired by Mozambique’s wonderful array of fresh fruit led to the creation of an added-value enterprise, D-Fruit, founded by Dirce Abdala. Today she is extending the value of the fruit by producing healthy snacks that celebrate the raw ingredients but in a convenient, eat at any time, form.
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Mirriam Murenga, co-founder of Trudy Mara (Zimbabwe)
Everyone loves a great handbag, and particularly one that stands out due to the craftsmanship shown in its creation. So for all those searching for a unique handbag that is the epitome of exquisite handicraft, Trudy Mara is the brand to look out for. Founders Mirriam Murenga and her sister Getrude are on a mission to introduce the beauty of macramé to discerning, stylish women customers.
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Thandekile Moloko, founder of Simwealth (South Africa)
Managing personal and corporate finances for growth and creating generational wealth can be a challenge for any entrepreneur or business. But specialist advisory help is now at hand from South African finance expert and business coach, Thandekile Moloko, founder of Simwealth. This month sees the launch of a new series of financial literacy and coaching programmes for both individuals and corporates alike.
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On a hot summer’s day in New York on 16 July, Lionesses of Africa Founder and CEO, Melanie Hawken, was at the United Nations to participate in a number of high level discussions as part of the Companies to Inspire Africa New York Day. One of the highlights of the day was the Senior Ministerial Roundtable event, co-hosted by UK and Kenya UN missions on supporting investment into Africa, where Melanie had the opportunity to speak about mobilizing investment for women entrepreneurs across the African continent.
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Lindsay Teague Moreno
If you need to put your business on the map and get the ideas you’ve previously only dreamed about into the marketplace, then Boss Up! by Lindsay Teague Moreno is the book for you. It will help you overcome your fears of starting out in business, and the guilt of embarking on this crazy entrepreneurial journey, to find a fulfillment that changes you and your families lives for the better. And it will help you break free of the hard and boring in business and allow you to have fun along the way.
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by Marta Mulungo
If you are reading this blog post, chances are that you are an adult and as such, there is at least one thing that you desire in life. Human beings are goal orientated and this means that regardless of the level of achievement they are in, there is something else that they desire, it is how we are wired and we cannot get away from it, and it’s a good thing – it took us from the stone age, to the current digital era, it took us from carriages and horses to airplanes and space travel…
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