the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Kathryn Main
Everyone’s life is different, but many have still been impacted in similar ways because of the impact of COVID-19. 2020 was a mean teacher but the lessons were clear. In some way or another, you and your family have probably been impacted by a job loss or reduction in income. 2021 is promising a bit of the same and the potential for more job losses, pay cuts and reduction in income is prominent. I join you in shouting “this sucks!”
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Andiswa Silinga
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Gemini GIS and Environmental Services, a leader in Geospatial data management solutions
Often the impetus to start a business stems from identifying opportunities where you can fully utilise your specialist expertise and knowledge, and where gaps in the marketplace allow you to make your mark. For Andiswa Silinga, co-founder of Gemini GIS and Environmental Services, this came in the form of harnessing cutting edge technologies to hep companies with their geospatial data management.
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Chipo Aaron, founder of Cutikles (Botswana)
Startup Story
Frustrated by the uninspiring, chemical-intensive, highly synthetic formulas which have pervaded the skincare market for too long, entrepreneur Chipo Aaron, founder of Cutikles, decided to do something to change the situation. Today, her cosmetic manufacturing brand is creating high quality spa products that harness the healing power of Africa’s indigenous oils.
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Ashley das Rosas Massingue, founder of Shez Snacks Comércio & Serviços, E.I (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Consumers’ love for snacks, in particular for healthy nuts, means a growing market and one that entrepreneur Ashley das Rosas Massingue, founder of Shez Snacks Comércio & Serviços, E.I in Mozambique, is keen to capitalize on. Her new business is packing appetizing flavours into a range of snack cashew nuts which are winning over fans of these tasty treats.
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Phumzile Mthembu, founder of PureB Baby Care (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Inspired by her son who was diagnosed with eczema as a baby, South African entrepreneur Phumzile Mthembu created a natural baby skincare brand, PureB Baby Care, providing a solution to her own family and many others too. Today, her company Ingcweti (Pty) Ltd, trading as PureB Baby Care, is a wholly black-owned manufacturing company that specializes in producing coconut oil based baby ointments that are 100% natural and without harmful chemicals.
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Leidemara Ramos, co-founder, Resermar Reservas Online (Cape Verde)
Leidemara Ramos, co-founder, Resermar Reservas Online (Cape Verde)
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Chita Mumba Zulu, founder, Eternal Jewellery Zambia (Zambia)
Look for a gap in the market!…
Chita Mumba Zulu, founder, Eternal Jewellery Zambia (Zambia)
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Andrea Siracuse
Book Review
Can everyone build a brand through digital platforms? Andrea Siracuse, author of Voguepreneurs: Women Entrepreneurs Who Have Built Million Dollar Brands Through Digital Platforms, sets out to find out why some women rise to the top and others flop at building brands through digital platforms.
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Adeola Ade-Ojo
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Deola Sagoe Limited, the premier authentic African based luxury products provider
Adeola Ade-Ojo is a Nigerian born fashion designer who is popularly known by her design name, Deola Sagoe. Whilst studying Business Administration at the University of Miami, Florida in the mid 1980’s, Deola fell in love with fashion. On graduating in 1987, she returned to Nigeria ostensibly to begin a Masters degree in Finance. Deola’s Mother had been running tailoring operations called Odua Creations which was known for producing meticulously embroidered traditional menswear. In 1989, Deola joined her Mother with a view of expanding the label’s repertoire to encompass more contemporary designs for the ever developing, cosmopolitan Nigerian society. The following year, Deola began designing under her then married name Deola Sagoe, and the rest, as they say, is history.
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Susan Nel, founder of Susan Nel Photography (Namibia)
Startup Story
There is a well known saying that a picture says a thousand words, and in Namibia, entrepreneur Susan Nel, founder of Susan Nel Photography is helping her clients to tell their own unique stories through powerful images.
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by the Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
We have discussed the issues with male dominated finance previously (here) and how imbalances built into applications affect women (as Ai is sadly beginning to show us). Although it is great news that more women are being invited onto bank’s boards, until the Credit and Risk committees and their ‘tick boxes’ are redesigned to remove this strange but deep held belief that women’s businesses are more risky, we shall continue to hear the complaints from many who have raised funding ‘to invest in women’s businesses’ that they have searched high and low, yet been unable to find enough women in which to invest. As the AfDB’s Dr Jennifer Blanke said at the The Global Gender Summit 2019, Kigali: “We know that women are a good bet. We know they pay back. We know they run excellent businesses – and yet they are not getting financed” (here).
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Rebecca Tshuma, founder of Becks Foods (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Lelanie Basson, founder of Twafiika Consultant (Namibia)
Startup Story
For boutique consulting business, Twafiika Consultants, the phrase ‘it’s all in a name’ is particularly apt. Lelanie Basson’s business name was chosen as it is derived from Oshiwambo, and Twafiika means “to arrive”. This is one business in Namibia that has definitely arrived, building a solid reputation for developing highly creative and insightful strategies for businesses who are looking for that competitive edge.
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Mishingo Aaron, founder of Naga Earth (Botswana)
Lioness Launch
The luxury handcrafted African luxury bodycare brand from Botswana, Naga Earth, founded by entrepreneur Mishingo Aaron, is on a mission to show the Africa it knows, by celebrating the continent’s rich diversity in natural resources through skin care. The company is launching a new service with the department name, NAGA NATURALS, which will see it importing fine quality natural cosmetics ingredients that can be used in the manufacturing of cosmetic products.
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by Lufuno Khorommbi
In the second of my series of articles on the Fundamentals of WhatsApp Updated Privacy Policy (read Part 1), we look at possible alternatives that WhatsApp users can migrate to, and what that migration might entail.
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by Eldari Visser founder of Picketfence Life
This is a story with a different angle. I am sure many of you get into the kitchen late at night or frankly any time of day and then “bam” the kitchen top has got a beautiful crazy ant party going on! Most of us freak out and grab the best pesticides. But, it is not a party - they are carrying food to their home.
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by Dr Ashika Pillay
The title of this article, a Japanese proverb, encapsulates this year for me. I have heard and read so much about resilience and stress management this year, and all with good reason and need. It really got me thinking though, about what true resilience and strength is and where it comes from.
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by Lori Milner
“To do two things at once is to do neither” - Publilius Syrus
The spontaneous conversation in the passage has disappeared. Because you can’t just pop your head into someone’s office, you now need to set up a dedicated time in the day to chat to them. Multiply this across your team and numerous stakeholders and your day is a jam-packed calendar of virtual meetings.
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Felicity Cowie
Book Review
The biggest threat to business growth is failure to communicate, but help is at hand from Felicity Cowie, author of 50 Mighty Words to Grow Your Business. If you are a start-up or scale-up, with ambitions to be a world-class business by 2030, you can take heart from Felicity because she believes you have an enormous advantage over today’s major players. You can do something they can never do. You can eradicate the root cause of communication failure, from the early creation of your business and its culture. The root cause is guesswork. You start with just 50 mighty words.
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Zeenat Ghoor, founder of Aspire Consulting Engineers (South Africa)
Startup Story
The construction sector is a notoriously tough one for women entrepreneurs to break into in Africa. But Zeenat Ghoor, founder of Aspire Consulting Engineers in South Africa, is one woman who is changing that by her example. She is building a successful civil and structural engineering business that is people centric, transforming spaces that are accessible and safe for everyone to use.
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