the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Elizabeth Otieno
It’s a difficult time for many business owners and employees. The handful of us who have managed to keep our jobs are grateful and ensure to work diligently to keep it that way. We either occasionally visit the office or permanently work from home, until this pandemic is over that is. Now that our safe haven, our home, has become our workplace as well, will our work efficiency rise or fall?
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From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
The AbsaLionessesXpo opened with a bang to a VIP guest list on Tuesday and to the whole world on Thursday 29th October (although there will be other special invite days ahead - so keep an eye out for that VIP Gilt-Edged Invite from Melanie!).
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by Lori Milner
“All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” — Tom Peters
A brand is a promise and ultimately a sorting device. If I offered you two bottles of Cola, one being a no name brand and the other a bottle of Coca-Cola – naturally, you will go for the Coca-Cola.
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by Sylvia Walker
To say that it’s a tough business environment right now is an understatement. While many of us are trying to put food on the table, others simply have no income. Adaptability is key and we have to rethink how we operate our personal as well as business finances. New circumstances are creating a new normal for us. Some tips and pointers as to how to adapt and switch our thinking.
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by Dr Ashika Pillay
I have written previously about stress and there’s a lot that is known about what causes it, how we sense it in our bodies and that chronic stress can lead to downstream chronic disease and poor health. However, how do we shift the paradigm rather from managing stress, to optimizing wellbeing - so we can be healthier, live longer more fulfilling lives, perform at our best, have wholesome family and social relationships that support us, make a difference in the world and in this way - become true leaders - of ourselves, our families, and our communities.
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Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder, Lifebank (Nigeria)
Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder, Lifebank (Nigeria)
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Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Keep reaching for your dreams!…
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder, Gorilla Conservation Coffee (Uganda)
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Absa Lionesses Xpo
Doing business with women entrepreneurs has never been more vital, as South Africa grapples with the ripple-effect of the extended lockdown and economic crisis. The challenge is to connect women business owners with potential corporate buyers. Against this backdrop, the Absa Lionesses Xpo has been developed to showcase a diverse array of products and services from 117 of South Africa’s exciting women-owned businesses on a sophisticated virtual platform that will be launched on 29 October. The initiative is a partnership between Lionesses of Africa and Absa.
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Tshego Ratshidi, founder of Bleu Rose Flowers (South Africa)
Startup Story
Who doesn’t love flowers, either as gifts or in the home and office? They make us feel good, they cheer up our living and work spaces, they can help with our healing processes, and they make us feel closer to nature. In South Africa, entrepreneur Tshego Ratshidi, founder of Bleu Rose Flowers, knows the power of flowers to brighten lives and is delighting customers daily with her beautiful floral arrangements and floral gift boxes.
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Shellye Archambeau
Book Review
Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms is the brand new book by Shellye Archambeau, one of Silicon Valley's first female African American CEOs. Full of empowering wisdom, this inspiring leadership book offers a blueprint for how to achieve your personal and professional goals.
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Nicoline Bole, founder of Bolnique Ltd (United Kingdom / Cameroon)
Startup Story
As any woman who has larger feet will tell you, it can be a real challenge trying to find shoes that not only look beautiful, but are also well crafted and comfortable to wear. Entrepreneur Nicoline Bole, founder of Bolnique Ltd based in London, has the solution. Her uniquely created designs are appealing to all those discerning women customers who want luxury shoes that actually fit larger feet.
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Christelle Kwizera, founder of Water Access Rwanda
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Water Access Rwanda, bringing affordable water solutions to the people of East Africa.
Christelle Kwizera is a Mechanical Engineer and the founder of Water Access Rwanda. She is an award-winning leader and social entrepreneur with extensive experience in water projects and environmental activism. She has been globally recognised for her work and leadership in addressing the urgent need for clean and affordable water access for East Africa’s citizens. Christelle was awarded the 3rd Africa Businesses Heroes award by Jack Ma, recognized as Foundation Chanel's 2019 Woman Entrepreneur of the year, and appears in Vital Voices 100 Women Using their Power to Empower Book alongside Hilary Clinton, Late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Christine Lagarde, and other leading global women figures.
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Botsang Mdluli, founder of Ataraxia Lifestyle Group (South Africa)
Lioness Launch
According to South African entrepreneur, Botsang Mdluli, founder of Ataraxia Lifestyle Group, everyone knows that time is of the essence, because it’s the one thing in this world you can’t get back. That’s why she is launching a new Luxury Concierge Service to help busy individuals, families, and corporations in Africa and around the world with everything from buying and couriering a last minute gift, obtaining coveted theatre tickets, running personal errands, and so much more.
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From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
The above is a quote in an FT article by the highly successful outgoing UBS CEO, Sergio Ermotti (he is off to Chair SwissRE) and was on our desks when we arrived this morning. Given the coffee-grain fingerprints, there was only one possible person who could have left this and indeed the HoF (Head of Finance) was deep into the FT (as well as a 3rd cup of coffee) as we walked over to discuss.
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Impact Partner Content: Absa / by Hwalani Mabaso, Provincial General Manager, WIMI Distribution, Absa RBB
Today we operate in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA), therefore personal and business agility is increasingly important. Business agility refers to a business owner’s ability to adapt and thrive in a changing environment that demands constant adaptation.
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by Kathy Mann
I am fascinated by stress. One of the favourite parts of my work is interviewing people about how they engage with stress. In writing my second book, Harnessing Stress, I found that many people have developed habits to prevent stress. Through experience and in knowing themselves well, they have created rules to ensure they keep their stress levels low.
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by Usha Maharaj
“Happiness comes from aligning what you do to who you are”
It is said that happiness is a choice, but what if you are struggling to find your happiness, or you are feeling out of balance and stressed? This could be a sign that your outer reality and inner world are not totally in alignment. Perhaps the way you spend your time and live your days is not entirely consistent with the way the real you would want to invest that time to bring you happiness in life.
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by Elizabeth Otieno
It's been a hectic month. Board meetings and client meetings seem to be happening daily. You still haven’t updated the monthly financial report. Your three articles are still pending and to top it all off, none of your new projects seem to be going as planned. But you still want—need to do more.
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by Tshego Dludla, founder of RoboSTEAM Train
3 points to consider as you go for your dreams as a Mompreneur.
There was a time when becoming a mother meant that one would have to quit work and just be a mom. Yes, that is the best job in the world but even as I type that I’m rolling my eyes a little because we can’t use that to make moms feel guilty for being ambitious. Not anymore. The truth of the matter is that many moms suffer in silence on so many matters and this one is no different. Before your name was changed to mom, you had hopes and dreams so why should they die now. It took me reading a blog by Busie Sholo to help me realize that I don’t have to feel bad about still wanting to build an empire even though I am a mom of three.
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Angela Franklin, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal)
Have passion for what you do!…
Angela Franklin, founder of Chez Alpha Books (Senegal)
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