the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Claire Keet Pollock and Sinal Govender, Co-Founders of pop.law
Deciding which entity to use to run your business is a lot like buying a car. There are quite a few options and it can be a bit overwhelming working out if you need the Range Rover or if a good old bakkie will do. There are many things to consider depending on if you run a business on your own or with partners, what your appetite is for personal liability, and what tax implications you may be in for.
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by Eldari Visser
I am sure if anybody writes another article about COVID-19 you will surely swipe on and away. Seriously we’ve had enough constant reminders of a thief amongst us. What if we were so deeply affected that we are still reeling and trying to grasp for air? What if we still don’t have an idea of how our business is going to survive or even where to start again? What if you have lost more than you could ever imagine? What if all you can see right now is the darkness and the stark reality of you can’t “see” where to turn to next?
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From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
So we’ve all heard of the 4 C’s of Diamond buying (cut, colour, clarity and carat) and now thanks to a fabulous Lioness Co-Lab we have the 5 C’s with an amazing collaboration between Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds and Vicki Bain, founder of Chocoloza, meaning we now have Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat and Chocolate! Who could ask for more?
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Impact Partner Content: Absa / by Hwalani Mabaso, Provincial General Manager: Distribution, Relationship Banking, Absa
The Covid-19 pandemic has left many businesses distressed, with some businesses scrambling for survival. It’s important for any business to think of business resilience during Covid-19 and post. If your business is currently in distress it’s crucial to first assess the situation and develop a practical insolvency plan and avoid any false movements which can ultimately impact the business performance.
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Cátia Mondlane, Founder, Isabella - Estética & Cosméticos (Mozambique)
Stay loyal to your vision…
Cátia Mondlane, Founder, Isabella - Estética & Cosméticos (Mozambique)
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Meg Faure, Co-Founder, Play Sense (South Africa)
Meg Faure, Co-Founder, Play Sense (South Africa)
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Linda Khumbanyiwa, Founder, Lynne Kayenne Studio (Malawi)
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice…
Linda Khumbanyiwa, Founder, Lynne Kayenne Studio (Malawi)
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Shaden Abushaera, founder of HeraCloset Online (Algeria)
Shaden Abushaera, Founder, HeraCloset Online (Algeria)
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Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, founder, The House of Agness (Mozambique)
Invest in your skills development...
Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, founder, The House of Agness (Mozambique)
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From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
“You're always one decision away from a totally different life”…
There is a book by Alan Sillitoe called: “The loneliness of a long distance runner” that was then made into a film. It’s about a boy who had made wrong decisions (who hasn’t somewhere in their lives!) and was then sent to a youth detention centre / school in the UK, one of many so called ‘Borstals’. While there he found a passion in long distance running and single-mindedly pursued this becoming very good indeed. The problem was that the people in charge wanted him to bend to their will and run just so that they could brag and boast about beating the local private school in a big race that was due. They wanted to control his power to further their agenda. They were determined to use this boy’s skills and bend his will for their own glory. This became not about him, but all about them.
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Thabisa Mjo, founder of Mash. T Design Studio (South Africa)
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Mash. T Design Studio, creating a contemporary craft-driven aesthetic for Africa
Thabisa Mjo is the founder and owner of Mash. T Design Studio in South Africa, a furniture and design studio with the main focus and philosophy to tell uniquely South African stories using the medium of design.
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Josie Van Aswegen, owner of Fabulous Flowers (Cape Town, South Africa)
Impact Partner Content: Absa / Startup Story
Every business has a heart – a core to its operations. The soul and drum beat to the golden thread that runs throughout the works. Fabulous Flowers would not be where it is today without the owner - Josie Van Aswegen. We had the privilege of catching up over the past week. And what a week! Her beautiful new studio in Toffie Lane, Claremont, South Africa, is a pleasure to visit and the creativity happening there is infectious.
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Neo Mkwebane Chatyoka, founder of Uhuru Botanicals (United Kingdom / South Africa)
Startup Story
More and more consumers are becoming conscious of the products they put onto their skins, and are demanding more natural and organic products that are kinder to both skin and the environment. Uhuru Botanicals, founded by entrepreneur Neo Chatyoka, is a brand that celebrates Africa’s natural raw ingredients and turns them into skincare products that are both ethical and sustainable.
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Claire Keet Pollock (L) and Sinal Govender (R) co-founders of pop.law (South Africa)
Lioness Launch
Accessing affordable legal advice and information in South Africa is a challenge for most people. But two women entrepreneurs are about to change that with the launch of their new online platform pop.law which will be a portal to a range of affordable legal products and services. Personal experiences and inside observations left co-founders Claire Keet Pollock and Sinal Govender disappointed with South Africa's legal system - enough to drive them both to do something about it independently. When they met, Claire was designing a web app to help people navigate the legal aspects of death; Sinal was running a consultancy focused on cost-effective legal advice. They realized that they were trying to solve the same problem - access to the law - and so they launched pop.law.
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Book Review
If you want to stop over thinking and start your business but are experiencing analysis paralysis because you are overwhelmed with information, then author and entrepreneur Naomi Alabi has the answers. Why? Because she has personally been there. In her new book, Anatomy Of Building A Business That Works For You, she says that our world was built by people who dared to dream bigger. People who took their ideas, were patient through a number of small tasks which ultimately grew into the big businesses that we all love to celebrate.
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by Seno Namwandi
Intellectual Property (IP) is widely spoken of but not always well understood. The IP ecosystem is complex, broad and has to balance varying interests from creators to financiers to consumers. It is relevant to the songwriter, medical technician, architect, software coder, business owner etc. IP is loosely defined as a legal right granted to a property that arises as a result of intellectual activity or creative input. It is inherently a legal right granted by a government body to exclude unauthorized third party use. Enforcement varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction which can be complicated. However, through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), there are a set of uniform legislations and regulations to govern IP.
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by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant, Shiluvah
One of the services that we offer at Shiluvah is recruiting the best talent for our clients, a majority of which are SMMEs. SMMEs that do not have the budget for offices in high rise buildings in well known locations; SMMEs that are still trying to make a name from themselves and grow into the well known organisations people have come to know and trust, and whose authenticity is unquestionable. And while such facts shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to sourcing talent – in Femicide South Africa, it is and here’s why.
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by Dr Ashika Pillay
There’s no doubt that many of our minds are on hyper-alert. The stress response of feeling vigilant, worrying , planning, working, and dealing with immediate day-to-day chores can be overwhelming. At this time of lockdown when we supposedly have “more time”, we can actually feel burnt out, because so much is changing, uncertainty pervades and the balance of the “known” is thrown off. Expectations of “being more productive”, having more family time, exercise etc can actually deplete us by making us feel like we are not “making the most” of the time that we have? A spectrum of emotions like guilt, shame, anger, anxiety, frustration are part of what we experience through the day.
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Lombuso Mthethwa, founder, Mom’s Club Eswatini (Eswatini)
Lombuso Mthethwa, founder, Mom’s Club Eswatini (Eswatini)
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Ijeoma Ndekwu, Founder, Redrick PR (Nigeria)
Be consistent…
Ijeoma Ndekwu, Founder, Redrick PR (Nigeria)
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