the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa Creative (South Africa)
Lioness Launch
Lilly Loompa Creative is a South African brand known to many eco-conscious homeware consumers for its inventive hipcycling approach to transforming discarded waste into design conscious items for people to love. Founder, Lizl Naude, has just launched the latest must-have product which is already getting people talking - the My Africa Lap Desk. This portable piece of furniture is just the thing for home workers who want to create a comfortable yet stylish desk solution.
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Karen Mangia
Book Review
Savvy business leaders know that the "customer is king”, that’s according to Karen Mangia, author of the new book Listen Up!: How to Tune In to Customers and Turn Down the Noise. The voice of the customer is what matters most in critical business decisions. How are you responding to customer concerns? Your answer is crucial to the growth of your business and your revenues. But are businesses really listening to their customers?
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by Eldari Visser
In South Africa, the northern side of the country is going into its rainy season and that is always known for big thunderstorms, heavy winds and heavy rain, whereas in the southern parts you get the “non-stop for days” rain mostly during winter. Each of these natural occurrences has a mesmerizing effect. Just watch a thunderstorm with all the lightning and you will understand.
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From the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
It was the morning after the night before and the Head of Finance (HoF) was in a pensive mood, finally calling us one by one into the Boardroom.
What was this all about?
Why all the secrecy from the HoF?
Had we possibly made a terrible error and put decaffeinated beans in the Coffee machine?
These questions and many other horrific thoughts rushed through our minds.
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by Anja van Beek, Talent Strategist, Leadership Expert and Executive Coach
Missing that ‘happy feeling’? This article focuses on why your mental wellbeing matters. How would you rate your current mental wellbeing? We all have been challenged over the past few months and have experienced how our mental health (our emotional, psychological, and social well-being) can impact and affect our thoughts, feelings and actions.
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Kerryne Krause, founder and CEO, I-Slices Innovations (South Africa)
Kerryne Krause, founder and CEO, I-Slices Innovations (South Africa)
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Krystal Bella Shabani, founder of Krysbel Designs (Burundi)
Learn to conquer fear!…
Krystal Bella Shabani, founder of Krysbel Designs (Burundi)
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Eugenia Langa, founder, Nweba (Mozambique)
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Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda (Rwanda)
Accept that mistakes are part of the journey!…
Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda (Rwanda)
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by Lori Milner
Writing is my passion, but it wasn’t appearing in my calendar as regularly as I would have liked and I wanted to start dedicating a daily space for it. I looked to other professional authors on how they wrote their books and what tips of the trade I could implement. What do they know what I didn’t get the memo on?
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by Phindile Ndlovu–Tapula
When we switch on our phones and open our social media applications we are bombarded with many people who seem to just always get it right. We often feel the pressure to act as though we have cracked the code, our businesses are booming, and we are eating healthily.
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Margaret Hirsch, co-founder and Executive Director, Hirsch’s (South Africa)
Margaret Hirsch, co-founder and Executive Director, Hirsch’s (South Africa)
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Nicoline Bole, founder of Bolnique Ltd (United Kingdom / Cameroon)
Just start your entrepreneurial journey!…
Nicoline Bole, founder of Bolnique Ltd (United Kingdom/Cameroon)
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Essma Ben Hamida
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Enda inter-arabe and Enda tamweel, transforming lives through micro-finance
Getting access to finance and access to markets and opportunities continue to be significant challenges for women on the African continent, and in Tunisia, this was particularly a challenge for low-income women. For Essma Ben Hamida, this was the motivation and inspiration for her to embark on a journey of impact driven social entrepreneurship. Her aim, to change the narrative and change lives through the provision of micro-financing for women and young micro-entrepreneurs, empowering them to improve their lives through business.
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Absa Lionesses Xpo
A wealth of opportunity is open for corporate buyers, CEOs and other decision-makers to connect and engage with 117 leading women entrepreneurs from a range of industry sectors in South Africa at the web-based Absa Lionesses Xpo, a sophisticated virtual exhibition platform, which went live on 29 October.
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Nonhlanhla Ditshego, co-founder of Vuttomi Liquids (South Africa)
Startup Story
The craft gin market has exploded globally over the past few years with some interesting independent brands emerging, particularly in South Africa. One of those brands is Vuttomi Liquids, co-founded by Nonhlanhla Ditshego and her family, and they have big hopes and ambitions for the future.
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Boikano Sikwane, co-founder of Chuck Chilli Foods (South Africa)
Startup Story
South Africans love their condiments, especially those that have a chilli kick to them. So for all those consumers who are constantly in search of a new chilli taste sensation, look no further than Chuck Chilli, an exciting brand of chilli condiments from Chuck Chilli Foods, co-founded by Boikano Sikwane.
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Tania Moonsammy, founder of The Business Concierge (South Africa)
Startup Story
In South Africa, with more and more people choosing to work from home, sourcing essential products and services and, importantly, getting them delivered, has become a must-have. Tania Moonsammy, founder of The Business Concierge has the solution and the team to offer a bespoke product sourcing and delivery service for her clients.
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Lebitso Ramphore, founder of Ostibel Africa
Lioness Launch
Ostibel Africa is a Holistic Beauty and Wellness brand founded by Lebitso Ramphore. Proudly made in Africa from indigenous, wildly-crafted, natural, and organic ingredients, the Ostibel Africa range of products are for dry, sensitive, combination, and allergy-prone skin types. If you’re sensitive to perfumed products or love natural skincare, you’ve come to the right beauty and wellness home.
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Heather Thorkelson
Book Review
In her brand new book, ‘No Plan B: A Handbook for Incurable Entrepreneurs and Other Rebellious Souls’, Heather Thorkelson is appealing to self-motivated humans willing to trade the "safety" of the 9 - 5 for the freedom to create their own livelihoods. As she documents in this fascinating handbook, Heather makes no bones about the fact that uncertain income, intermittent failure and self-doubt are guaranteed on the entrepreneurial startup journey. So are a deep sense of satisfaction and a well-lived life in event of success.
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