How to keep your motivation on track

September 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

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by Lori Milner

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.”

- Anatole France

The fuel tank of inspiration and motivation is often directly proportional to the month of the year. In January and February, it’s pretty full because we have a clean slate and a renewed sense of energy. Fast forward a few months and the levels tend to go up and down depending on the season and what is going on for you. Don’t leave your internal fuel tank up to the mercy of external factors. How can you keep a steady gauge despite what the year holds for you?

Staying Relevant in a Changing World

September 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Thuli Zikalala

Why interpreters should embrace change

It’s hard to think of relevance when things are going well in our lives and businesses; we have systems in place and often know what to expect. This is usually the time when people and organisations slow down and take a break because they’ve established predictable processes that satisfy clients and yield financial return – it works. However, this controlled and sometimes relaxed approach has dire consequences for people who don’t see the need to evolve; leaving organisations at risk of becoming professionally obsolete.

Quote of the Day by Kah Walla

August 30, 2021 Melanie Hawken

“It is how well you learn from your failure and how quickly you recover from it that will build your success.”

Kah Walla, founder, STRATEGIES! (Cameroon)

Entrepreneur Advice from Fauzia Malik / Don’t overthink things

August 30, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Fauzia Malik, founder, Pure Fitness Activewear (Tanzania)

Don’t overthink things!…

“Just start, don’t overthink it. If you have an idea and your research shows there’s a need for your business idea, don’t waste time overthinking the finer details.”

Fauzia Malik, founder, Pure Fitness Activewear (Tanzania)

Carmen Stevens, a South African award-winning winemaking pioneer

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Carmen Stevens, founder, Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd (South Africa)

Startup Story

Carmen Stevens, founder of Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd, is the first black person accepted to study winemaking in South Africa and qualified in 1995 as South Africa's first black winemaker. She was recognised with a Top 10 Pinotage award in 1998 for her very first red wine production. Carmen's industry awards include International Decanter Trophy winner, 2015 Winemaker of the Year California, 2018 - Winemaker of the Decade UK (Naked Wines.com). In 2019, Carmen registered the first 100 % black-and-woman owned winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa and was awarded South Africa’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 and 2019. The Carmen Stevens NPO was registered in 2015, the foundation to date, have provided 11 622 731 plates of food to 41 363 learners at school.

Fauzia Malik, a fitness enthusiast building a high quality activewear brand in Tanzania

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Startup Story

Fauzia Malik is the Managing Director of Cool Blue Pure Drinking Water, Tembo Tiles Limited, and the recently launched Pure Fitness Activewear. Despite having two companies to run, Fauzia has gone ahead and launched a new company selling active wear. She has successfully implemented policies, strategic plans and financial controls which allow her to work as a visionary leader for the businesses. Fauzia believes in learning and is constantly on the lookout for learning opportunities. In 2014, she joined Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) which has been a stepping stone to accessing a wealth of knowledge from the global community of entrepreneurs. Away from office, Fauzia is a mother of three children and a fitness enthusiast who strives to promote a workout culture among women for improved physical, and mental wellbeing.

Kah Walla, a Cameroonian solution-driven entrepreneur and political leader

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

STRATEGIES!, a consultancy firm specializing in leadership and management solutions

Kah Walla is a Political Leader, Activist and Entrepreneur from Cameroon. She is the founder and CEO of the 26-year old consulting firm, STRATEGIES! and the current president of the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP) she joined in 2010. In 2011, she became the first woman to ever run for President of the Republic of Cameroon. She has been recognized with several awards: The Vital Voices Global Leadership Award in public Life (2012), the DVF Award (2014), and the Vital Voices Vanguard Award (2015).

Lioness Launch / Addisson & Western (Pty) Ltd in Botswana launches new KYC (Know Your Customer) web and mobile app solution

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

One Oreeng, founder, Addison & Western (Botswana)

Lioness Launch

In Botswana, Addison & Western (Pty) Ltd, founded by One Oreeng, is a company known for providing marketing and project management services to its clients, It’s sister company, Certus, which provides technology-driven service as a software solution to ease the traditional KYC onboarding process, is now offering a KYC (Know Your Customer) solution that digitizes the AML compliance process. Certus is 100% citizen owned and woman led.

Market Your Genius: How to Generate New Leads, Get Dream Customers, and Create a Loyal Community by Nikki Nash

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

If you want an expert-preneur's guide to building your audience in business, then look o further than the new book from Nikki Nash - Market Your Genius: How to Generate New Leads, Get Dream Customers, and Create a Loyal Community. She shares how you can tap into your own personal experiences and expertise to make a profound difference in someone else's life. Nikki believes it’s possible to create a profitable business from your own personal stories, and build a simple plan for growing your audience.

In the meantime

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Linda Zuze (PhD)

Is it just me or does it feel as if we spend an awful lot of our time waiting for things to happen these days? Waiting for lockdowns to be lifted. Waiting for schools to re-open. Waiting for financing to keep our businesses going. Waiting to feel better. Waiting for ‘pandemic pivot’ to be yesterday’s buzzword. Waiting for things to get back to ‘normal’.

Let’s keep it simple…

August 29, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

When times are tough, when times are uncertain, indeed, when times are frightening, let us not make our lives anymore complex - let’s just keep it simple.

How to Get Money Savvy - Tip 4: Set Up an Emergency Saving Account

August 28, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Kathryn Main

South Africa is a buy-now, pay-later society. The effects on young people’s financial literacy are thus characterized by the same behaviour patterns as parents and society. These are high credit and high consumer behaviour with very little savings, and in turn high social risk behaviour. Money Savvy is working to change this disastrous pattern.

How to be a Baking Business Boss by Grace Stevens

August 28, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Grace Stevens

Women like Julia Child, Nigella Lawson, and Martha Stewart are proof that building an empire based on your home baking skills is not only achievable but incredibly fruitful and rewarding. However, there is a big difference between having a delicious side hustle and building a baking empire.

Sitting on Dry Land

August 28, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser

After a year or two of just waiting, many entrepreneurs are wandering around with a sense of despair and even guilt. Waiting for the world to get back to some normal. Let’s be honest here. During a world full of turmoil many sat staring at a screen hoping for a call to action. Any action and any type of income - whatever the contract entailed, were welcomed. Many also sold their hours for way less than their worth. Others sat in awe as fellow business ladies invented new strategies that made you cry and your mind struck panic buttons often. Red flags and sleepless nights formed part of daily rituals. Your inner voice was the biggest enemy. Where was the surplus budget? Why didn’t I invest more, save more, buy less, and how did the cashflow dry up? A voice of reason wasn’t part of your thought pattern, no, mostly you had a feeling of kicking yourself and being ridiculous by blaming yourself to a point of utter destruction.

Do You Know How To Wait?

August 28, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Elizandra dos Santos

Do you know how to wait? That is the question that I bring to the present moment. It’s worse for the quick fixers who want instant results, quick effects, quick responses, goals achieved in the shortest time and miraculous resolutions. I wish life were like this. Many people, because they don't know how to wait, end up frustrated immersed in anxiety, anger, depression, they become impatient. They are overwhelmed by their own emotions counting the days, hours, minutes, crazy seconds until the time comes to get out of this confinement, go back to traveling or have a supposedly normal life.

Special live webinar to announce the results of the South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Research Survey

August 22, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa

We all know that South Africa urgently needs jobs, but where are these jobs going to come from? The results of the South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Research Survey are out now - and it’s official, women entrepreneurs are vital job creators, both now and in the future! A special 1 hour live webinar event will be held on the morning of Tuesday 31 August 2021 to share the findings of this important research study.

Ruka Sanusi, a growth driven entrepreneur empowering women business leaders

August 22, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Alldens Lane, a business advisory company supporting women entrepreneurs in Africa’s small and growing business sector.

Ruka Sanusi is a highly accomplished business management consultant with 26 years of international consulting experience in Europe and across sub-Saharan Africa. Her career to date has been built around her abilities to both provide advice on matters of business/organisational strategy, operations and transformation, and organizing resources and facilities to implement recommendations – she has strategic and operational ability. An astute professional, through her work at Alldens Lane and her consulting work, Ruka supports enterprise leaders in the small and growing business sector. She particularly works with female business leaders to support them with their business transformation needs. Ruka previously served in senior management at PwC Ghana and PwC Nigeria. She has advised governments, public sector organisations and private corporations on international projects and assignments in 16 sub-Saharan African countries.

Hadija Jabiri, a Tanzanian agripreneur empowering smallholder farmers

August 22, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Hadija Jabiri, founder & MD of GBRI Business Solutions (Tanzania)

Startup Story

Hadija Jabiri is the founder and MD of GBRI Business Solutions in Tanzania. She is a farmer committed to making agricultural production a sustainable and profitable business through empowering smallholder farmers. Hadija is an IVLP alumnae and holder of multiple awards and nominations for her work and business which is making a real difference in people’s lives.

Chika Ruth Nwajoku, a woman entrepreneur changing lives in Nigeria through footwear making

August 22, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Chika Ruth Nwajoku, founder, NCR Design Limited (NCR Design Shoemaking School) (Nigeria)

Startup Story

Chika Ruth Nwajoku is a women and youth entrepreneurship advocate and the founder of NCR Design Limited (NCR Design Shoemaking School) in Nigeria. The business was created to foster socio-economic growth and reduce youth unemployment in Nigeria through footwear making. Chika is a graduate of soil science from the Federal University of Technology Minna and an experienced salesperson who has built her career in a variety of industries for nine (9) years. She is passionate about empowering women and girls in the communities who are denied access to education because of poverty, early marriages, and the patriarchal nature of the society, and unemployed youths with vocational training, and skill acquisition programs in footwear making. Her business model empowers them to be financially independent, and contribute to economic development.

Vantage Properties in Botswana launches platform to give users tool to value their properties

August 22, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Sethebe Manake, founder, Vantage Properties (Botswana)

Lioness Launch

Vantage Properties is a Botswana-based PropTech startup founded by Sethebe Manake, and focused on real estate data analytics and automated property valuations. The company simplifies access to real estate expertise and information to drive informed decision making. Through its online platform, it gives the ordinary person power to extract value from their property assets. Vantage has developed the platform gosmartvalue.com that is set to change the real estate landscape forever by giving users the choice to automatically value their property or instruct a qualified and registered valuer to carry out a detailed valuation. Over and above valuations, gosmartvalue.com provides various market research reports covering various locations around the country that help guide real estate decision-making.