Entrepreneur Advice from Phillipa Geard / Put aside self-doubt!

May 26, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Phillipa Geard, founder, RecruitMyMom, (South Africa)

Put aside self-doubt!…

“Every day you have to decide to put aside self-doubt and choose self-belief if you are going to make a success of your business.”

Phillipa Geard, founder, RecruitMyMom, (South Africa)

Quote of the Day from Lilly Alfonso

May 25, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Failures make you unique, so use them and turn them into positives.”

Lilly Alfonso, founder, Lilly Alfonso, Malawi

Entrepreneur Advice from Satu Vienings / Don’t rush things

May 25, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Satu Vienings, founder, Air A Pet (Mozambique)

Don’t rush things…

“Don't rush things - starting small and doing things well pays off in the end when your company grows.”

Satu Vienings, founder, Air A Pet (Mozambique)

Lioness Launch / New co-working space and digital platform launched for women in Luanda, Angola

May 24, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Diandra Vaal Neto, founder of Clube Das Empresárias (Angola)

Lioness Launch

The journey to becoming a successful woman entrepreneur can often be a lonely one. But in Luanda, Angola, Diandra Vaal Neto, founder of Clube Das Empresárias, a leading platform for women entrepreneurs in the country, has the solution. She has launched SPACE by Clube Das Empresárias, a new co-working space in the city exclusively for women, providing a much-needed professional and personal development community.

First Pitch: Winning Money, Mentors, and More for your Startup by Debi Kleiman

May 24, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

For entrepreneurs, pitching is do or die. But many women find it tough to pitch. But help is at hand in Debi Kleiman’s new book, First Pitch. She understands that to succeed with your startup, you must persuade investors, advisors, customers, and other potential partners to join you on your journey. It can be intimidating, but First Pitch is here to help.

Patrícia Vasco, a Mozambican serial entrepreneur creating a brand of handmade, decorative candles

May 24, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Patricia Vasco, founder of Luminara (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Everyone loves beautiful perfumed candles to light up their homes and create a certain kind of ambiance - they are romantic and atmospheric. In Mozambique, entrepreneur Patricia Vasco, is building a new brand of beautiful, handmade, decorative candles called Luminara. She is also demonstrating that it is possible to build a new brand from scratch with little investment but a lot of creativity.

Lisa Videira, a digital entrepreneur in Angola creating e-learning solutions

May 24, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lisa Videira, founder of LV Digital, Lda (Angola)

Startup Story

In today’s changing world, access to learning using the power of digital is becoming an everyday reality for many people, especially children. In Angola, entrepreneur Lisa Videira, founder of LV Digital, Lda, is providing innovative digital solutions to help make e-learning accessible to everyone.

Adele Dejak, a bold designer inspired by African heritage

May 24, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

In the highly competitive world of international jewellery design, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But this is certainly not the case for jewellery and accessory design entrepreneur, Adele Dejak, founder of the striking global luxury brand that carries her name.

The Buyer’s Journey

May 23, 2020 Melanie Hawken

From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept

In trying to prepare ourselves for the wasteland that might face us when we reopen our doors, we should be looking at how to fine-tune our offering to our clients in a world where sales will be everything. A single sale could mean the difference between keeping your workers on or going bust.

Who Are Your Competitors?

May 23, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane

As I was writing my business plan, I would easily answer most questions. But when I got to the market section, this was where I would find it very interesting because it was my chance to show how deep were my studies and research. I had to talk about the market in general where I identified the firm’s target market, a detailed segment and its tendencies for growth. But when I got to the competitors subsection I would always pause, think about it and question myself numerous times on how I should answer. Especially the questions that suggest a sneaky behavior where one actually has to find ways to gather other similar companies’ internal information, the type of information they wouldn’t just give to anyone.

Quote of the Day by Claire Holden

May 22, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Change happens the moment we ask a question or make a statement.”

Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach, Change in Mindset, (South Africa)

Entrepreneur Advice from Tapiwa Matsinde / Let your creativity flow

May 22, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Tapiwa Matsinde, founder, Atelier 55 (UK)

Let your creativity flow…

“In times of uncertainty, stress and anxiety levels increase. Make looking after your health and well-being a priority. I encourage you to let your creativity flow and do more of what brings you joy and what you can do safely to soothe your soul and take your mind off all the turmoil.”

Tapiwa Matsinde, founder, Atelier 55 (UK)

What is the expected future value of the Rand in 2020?

May 21, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content: Absa / by Michael Keenan, Peter Worthington & Wessel Lemmer

Farmers’ expertise lies in the production of agricultural commodities, but the exchange rate is critical to farmers’ profitability. South Africa has one of the most volatile exchange rates in the world, for a complicated variety of reasons, which adds to the risk faced by agricultural producers in South Africa’s risky environmental situation, with unpredictable rainfall. Absa’s expertise in financial markets can help agricultural producers to manage their foreign exchange risks to the benefit of their bottom line.

5 things I'm currently doing to keep my anxiety in check

May 21, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Abigail K, Confidence Crusader, Women’s Portrait Photographer, Founder of Confident Creative Academy

In this video I'm sharing 5 things I'm currently doing to keep my anxiety in check.

We can't control everything going on around us, but we can control how we show up every day. I'm sharing the 5 things I'm doing to help me keep my anxiety about the corona virus down and keep my confidence up.

Quote of the Day by Cátia Mondlane

May 21, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Our ability to adapt to the current situation has been showing faster and more positive results that we can clearly see from the virtual traffic that is opening many doors to online business.”

Catia Mondlane, founder, Estética & Cosméticos (Mozambique)

Entrepreneur Advice from Laura Camacho / Take a calculated risk

May 21, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Laura Camacho, founder, Mixonian Institute (USA)

Take a calculated risk…

“When you get things wrong, you learn. Be sure to congratulate yourself on trying something, on getting out of your comfort zone and taking the calculated risk. Not everyone does that and your failure is testament to your personal courage.”

Laura Camacho, founder, Mixonian Institute (USA)

My thoughts on the Future World of Work

May 20, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Nomazibulo Tshanga, Ziyana Business Consulting

As the world pandemic deepens and the human cost rises, we will see a lot of changes when it comes to the world of work post Covid19. We will see most organisations rethink their business strategies and relook at their approaches, particularly in terms of how it will change the careers of employees and how organisations will respond to that.

Strong Woman, Strong Coffee

May 20, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Diane Nsengiyumva, founder of Shamba Kahawa (Burundi)

by Martine Irakoze

The pandemic has proven that women leaders and health workers are managing these stressful situations better than the typical ‘strongmen’. At home, mothers are also holding families together while juggling online work, home-school, or businesses. Surely, behind these strong and successful women, there is a substantial amount of coffee. To inspire strength to fellow female entrepreneurs, this article will talk about an industry reputed to be strong and tough: coffee.