the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Melody Spann Cooper
Book Review
Melody Spann Cooper is one of the USA’s leading female broadcast executives who has mastered the art of Closing the Deal. In her debut book, The Girlfriend’s Guide to Closing the Deal, she shares her story of finding her voice in a male-dominated industry. In this semi-autobiographical work, Melody uses her special brand of warmth, candor and wit as she shares with readers how they can use their power to enhance opportunities as the highest level.
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Xoliswa Hlongwane, founder of XO Collection (South Africa)
Startup Story
South Africa needs jobs, and it also needs to rebuild a strong clothing manufacturing industry sector, and that’s where entrepreneur Xoliswa Hlongwane is making her contribution to the economy through her XO Collection (Pty) Ltd.
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Zola Shabangu, founder of iGoda Clothing Manufacturing Incubator (South Africa)
Startup Story
Driven by a desire to create opportunities for South African clothing manufacturers and designers to create and supply their clothing to local retailers, Zola Shabangu launched iGoda Clothing Manufacturing Incubator PTY Ltd. Today, the business is a development incubator for a new generation of fashion designers and seamstresses.
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Catherine Mahugu
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Chiswara, reinventing the coffee supply chain through technology to benefit Kenya’s coffee farmers
Catherine Mahugu is a globally acclaimed entrepreneur. She is a software engineer by profession and change-maker by passion. Catherine is a certified human-centred design expert, a skill she acquired at Stanford University. Currently, she is the founder of Chiswara, a tech-enabled specialty coffee company launched in 2018 that offers an equitable coffee experience for both local farmers and global consumers. Partners committed to the company's growth and impact include Alibaba, UNCTAD, and IFC.
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Bella Ikeme, founder of ASPIRE Luxury Magazine (Nigeria)
Lioness Launch
For all those lovers of luxury brands and products on the African continent, ASPIRE Luxury Magazine in Nigeria, founded by entrepreneur Bella Ikeme, is already a destination of choice for online readers. This month sees the launch of two new digital features which aim to share more positive narratives about African luxury brands and showcase some of the most exciting luxury brands to emerge from the continent.
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by the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept
Terrific Tuesday (or ‘TT’ as we like to call it) is, if you remember, when the Head of Finance (HoF) gives us the morning to think outside the box, to move for a moment away from the incredible projects with which we are busy and step back for a moment from the crazy energy that is Melanie who, in the last 2 months, not only brought us the amazing LOA/Harvard Conference, then the Lioness Xpo B2B platform with Absa, and not stopping for breath just this week, the brand new (and in time for Christmas no less), incredible LOA / Facebook - Virtual Masterclass Series.
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Impact Partner Content: Absa
Absa acknowledges the vital role that your employees play in the success of your business, particularly if you are a small and medium enterprise (SME). In the event of tragedy, businesses and employers often feel morally obliged, and rightly so, to support their employees’ and their families, which can put a financial and emotional strain on the business. By covering your employees for unforeseen events, you are not only insuring their financial futures if something happens but you are also covering your business too. As such, Absa developed the Employee Care Plan, an extremely affordable group life insurance offering for SME’s to address this need and is available only to Absa customers.
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by Martine Irakoze
Are lionesses born or made? This article will not take a stand on this point, but rather offers another perspective: “if made, who makes them?”. To answer that question, I interviewed an extraordinary woman who is passionate about creating a network of lionesses in Burundi. Belyse Inamahoro Bushombo is Burundian, a Wellesley College Alumni, and founder of Sisters in Success.
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by Kabwe Mulolo
It is interesting yet distressing to read about South African statistics on the number of start-up companies that fail. The failure rate is almost 80% within the first three years and 50% after five years. One lives to wonder, why start a business anyway, statistics isn’t on anyone ones favor, and despite the ratios even those who make it might someday close their doors.
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by Ronel Jooste
December is time for fun, relaxation and spending time with loved ones. It is school holidays and the children need to be entertained for an extended period. Many people go away to a holiday destination while other people stay at home and do day trips. December is associated with entertainment, activities and gifts.
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by Anja van Beek, Talent Strategist, Leadership and Executive Coach
Over the years, the role of a leader and manager of teams have evolved. It is no longer a command and control scenario, where you give instructions and your team will follow. The pandemic has fast-tracked an agile and empowerment approach. Leaders need to be adaptive problem-solvers. This is due to the uncertainty and pressure over the past couple of weeks and months – there were no clear and obvious answers to issues and challenges and leaders did not have the luxury of telling their teams what to do. They had to be adaptive and guide them to figure it out for themselves.
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Olubukola Asafa, founder, Oba Couture (Nigeria)
Olubukola Asafa, founder, Oba Couture (Nigeria)
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Emmanuella Aboa, founder of Transolution Services Africa Ltd (Kenya)
Be consistent!…
Emmanuella Aboa, founder of Transolution Services Africa Ltd (Kenya)
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Tanja Robinson, founder of Robinson & Sinclair (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content: Absa
For many of the smaller boutique wineries in South Africa, getting their wines distributed into global markets can be a challenge. Tanja Robinson, founder of Robinson & Sinclair, is taking her passion for South African wine and helping producers to manage their international sales, growing their global footprints.
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Adenike Ogunlesi
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Ruff ’n’ Tumble, a trailblazing premium children’s clothing brand on the African continent
Adenike Ogunlesi, who has been redefining and blazing the trail in the children’s fashion industry with over 35 years’ experience in the Fashion and Retail Business, is the founder and Creative Director of Africa’s leading Premium children’s clothing brand, Ruff ‘n’ Tumble. Ruff ‘n’ Tumble has shared happiness with over a million children and families across the globe, because she dared to dream and pursue her vision fearlessly.
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Rebecca Seal
Book Review
Solo: How to Work Alone (and not lose your mind) by author Rebecca Seal is the self-help guide that solopreneurs, freelancers and all those business owners who are now working from home, have been waiting for. It is a practical source of information and advice for all those who need to be happy and productive working from home, whilst at the same time addressing the emotional and mental challenges that working alone can bring.
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Vhongani Shumba, founder of mi butter (South Africa)
Lioness Launch
Every professional and home chef knows what a difference butter, herbs, spices and seasonings can make to the preparation of any delicious meal. But buying and preparing all those individual ingredients can be expensive and time consuming. In South Africa, entrepreneur and food lover, Vhongani Shumba, founder of mi butter, has the solution for all home cooks. She has launched her new range of flavoured, blended butters, ready to add new taste sensations to the preparation of any meal.
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Claudia Castellanos, co-founder of Black Mamba Foods (Eswatini)
Investment Feature
Enygma Ventures has just announced that Black Mamba Foods, the ethical producer of specialty foods (best known for its chilli sauces) based in Eswatini, and co-founded by entrepreneur Claudia Castellanos, has become the fund's latest pioneering investment.
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Karunas Reddy, ceo of Nonna’s Foods (South Africa)
Startup Story
For all those with a wheat or gluten intolerance in South Africa and looking for healthy, natural products such as plant based pastas and baking mixes, help is at hand from Nonna’s Foods. Entrepreneur Karunas Reddy is on a mission to offer her customers the widest range of delicious and healthy gluten and wheat free products that are tasty, healthy and importantly safe to eat.
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Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd (South Africa)
Startup Story
Agribusiness is big business in South Africa, and one passionate, enterprising woman entrepreneur, Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd, is putting bees at the heart of her business. Her production of beautifully natural honey has not only created local agri-processing jobs for women in her community, but also the creation of a natural skincare brand using the wax, propolis and royal jelly from her raw honey hives.
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