the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Paula Quinsee
So many people’s jobs have been impacted financially by the pandemic either by having to take salary cuts, being made redundant due to the financial impact on business, or sadly business having to close down because they just couldn’t find a way to keep their doors open anymore.
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by Phindile Ndlovu-Tapula
I lovingly challenge you to randomly ask people how they are doing. I bet you the majority will be complaining! I used to have a habit of replying “Eish, I am trying” until someone asked,” When are you ever good or well?” I was stunned, I was good and well most days, but I often felt the need to not say it and opted for this mediocre which served my mental wellbeing in no way. Because I was saying it , I ended up feeling it. I was going about my days barely making it, surviving, trying.
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Book Review
OH SH*T, I’m in Sales? An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Making Sales Your BFF by Susan Trumpler, solves a problem that is very easy to understand. Women entrepreneurs do not go into business because they have been dreaming of being a sales professional, right? They go into business because they are passionate about helping people and have amazing products or programs they want to put out into the world. But the problem is that if they don’t make friends with sales, they won’t have a business. End. Of. Story.
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Awards and Accolades
The New Generation Digital Awards took place in South Africa in September 2021, a ceremony to recognize and honour independent social and digital media campaigns and initiatives in the country. MC for this year’s awards was the renowned South African Actress, Singer and Songwriter; Relebogile Mabotja, who announced this year’s Silver award for Best Use of a Podcast/Vlog to Promote a Brand or Event going to the Blind History Podcast, produced by CliffCentral.com and Taylor Blinds and Shutters, with sign language interpretation by Thuli Zikalala and Yellow Owl.
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Safietou Seck, founder of SARAYAA (Senegal)
Startup Story
There is a growing interest by textile lovers around the world in discovering handwoven fabrics from the African continent, and this interest is something that Safietou Seck, founder of SARAYAA, is tapping into with her business. Her clothing line effortlessly blends contemporary design with the inspiration of beautiful handwoven fabrics from the African continent.
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Rokhaya Diop, co-founder , NoterKo (Senegal)
Startup Story
Every business knows that getting feedback about customer service and measuring customer satisfaction is key to success. In Senegal, Rokhaya Diop and her co-founder of NokerKo, have launched a platform where users can rate the quality of customer service for public and private companies.
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Mayleen Kyster Nduli
Africa Steel Holdings, a boutique investment holding company in the steel and metals value chain
Mayleen Kyster Nduli is the founder of Africa Steel Holdings in South Africa, a boutique investment holding company with interest across the steel and metals value-chain. Her business ASH was founded on the foundation of her passion for the steel industry as well as her sound education and personal experience of 15 years in steel. Mayleen sits on various boards in her industry as either Non or Executive Director. Mayleen is passionate about woman empowerment and inclusion in all industries. Mayleen is a wife to Zano and mother to Rocco and Nala.
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Margaux Rusita, founder of Margaux Wong (Burundi)
Lioness Launch
A highly personal and beautiful new collection of wearable art pieces has been launched by Burundi based designer, Margaux Rusita, founder of Margaux Wong. This new collection of wearable art pieces, Joy, celebrates strength & delight in two exciting capsules: Daisy & Veronica. Joy is named after and dedicated to designer Margaux Rusita’s mother, Joy Edlyn Frank Wong, who, this year, transitioned after an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Joy also battled mental health illness for many years. Being a beautifully gifted artist herself, Joy provided the love, inspiration and fighting spirit which Margaux today embodies.
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By the Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
We often hear of ‘first mover advantage’ whereby the first one into a new industry, country or product, the ‘Pathfinder’, has a significant advantage that is not easy to beat. But is that true?
To a certain extent, yes. There is after all a reason we all still talk about “Hoovering our homes” (yet Hoover Inc (formed in 1908) has not been the market leader for years), but to stay at the top (as Hoover did for many decades) is not easy and takes serious effort.
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by Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho
There are over 3.5 billion people online and the current marketing reality is that digital is impossible to rule out. No growing business can afford to walk around in the dark without a clear plan to follow and expect to generate successful results. A digital strategy provides the framework your company needs to make the best decisions for strategy development and implementation.
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by Lori Milner
“Memory with no emotional charge is wisdom”
— Rich Litvin
As we are rounding the corner of 2021, it is important to make time to press pause. Really stop, reflect and course correct to ensure you are not steam rolling into 2022 on autopilot. When you open up Waze or Google Maps, there are two basic requirements before you can begin the trip - a starting point and a desired end destination. Equally, you need to assess where you are at now in your life and where you want to go. Do not bring the emotional baggage of 2021 into the new year but rather learn from it and make sure you are charged and ready to tackle 2022 with a fresh perspective.
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by Angelique Adcock & Dr Alison Hofer
Did you ever ask yourself: “How did I get here?” or, “What am I doing with my life?” Some days it can feel like you work and love with all you have, and yet life can throw your efforts back in your face. And that can really hurt. And it can set you back. Sometimes, then, we have to dig deep to rediscover our purpose and our joy. Rediscovering what makes you joyful, and what enriches your life with purpose, can reinvigorate you. It can restart your engine and help you rev your way out of an emotional ditch.
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by Kathy Mann
I recently read an excellent book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s about what happens to our brains and bodies as a result of trauma and how to treat it. Even events that seem fairly tame or punishments that parents deem reasonable, can be experienced as a traumatic event by a child. We are changed by these events. Not only in the way we think and behave, but we experience physiological changes. Van der Kolk writes, “trauma produces actual physiological changes, including a recalibration of the brain’s alarm system, an increase in stress hormone activity, and alternations in the system that filters relevant information from irrelevant.”
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Impact Partner Content / Absa
Municipalities, along with many other public sector entities, are highly dependent on revenue generated from services rendered. As such, they are always looking at ways to improve processes, revenue collection and the overall customer experience. In response to this growing need by municipalities as well as to address concerns of the auditor general with respect to revenue collection by municipalities, Absa has embarked on a journey to provide digitally led solutions to municipalities.
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Elizabeth Ogabi
Book Review
Author and entrepreneur, Elizabeth Ogabi, believes it’s time to make your ideas a reality, and in her new book Side Hustle in Progress: A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business, she shows you how. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the information out there about starting a side hustle; or you have a great business idea but no clue where to start; or you are looking for advice to help you build the portfolio career you desire - then her new book is just what you need to read.
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Leila Kigha, founder and ceo, KARA Group of Companies (Cameroon)
Startup Story
Leila Kigha is the founder and ceo of the KARA Group of Companies in Cameroon. She is a seasoned journalist turned entrepreneur on a mission to help women embrace their authentic selves so that they can show up and impact the world confidently. The Kara Group of Companies is an expression of her love and passion for helping women build legacy brands, the African print and shoes. The brand was born five years ago and is steadily growing and looks forward to employing and empowering more women from the local communities. She has over 15 years’ experience as a broadcast journalist, PR person and event organizer.
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Fonyuy Videc Leinyuy, founder of GirlsTEK Global (Cameroon)
Startup Story
Fonyuy Videc Leinyuy is the founder of GirlsTEK Global in Cameroon. She is a techpreneur and an advocate for developing more girls in the field of technology. Her passion for educating and empowering young people, especially girls with digital skills, led to the creation of her organisation GirlsTEK Global in 2017.
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Leslie Okoye
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
L'Okoye Cosmetics, a skincare business for women and men of African descent in Nigeria
Leslie Okoye is the founder of L’Okoye Cosmetics in Nigeria. She is a skincare expert and educator and the founder of the CookieSkin brand - the melanin skincare line for women of colour to achieve healthy flawless skin the right way. The CookieSkin brand extends into a skincare Academy on Melanin Skincare Consulting. With this, the mother of two puts the power back in the hands of women and men of African descent to choose the right products, prevent skin damage, make money, get results, look great and feel great. With over fifteen years of hands-on experience with melanin skin issues, Leslie Okoye is the chosen skincare expert to many Nigerian and Ghanian celebrities. Her CookieSkin brand is sold on the website and all over Nigeria in top chain pharmacies and supermarkets.
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By Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
“…in theory there is no difference between theory and practice, while in practice there is…”, so wrote Benjamin Brewster in the June 1882 issue of The Yale Literary Magazine, and don’t we all just know it! That is why for all the articles we read from the global consultancy firms; for all the University papers written about our industries; for all the young consultants who approach us fresh from University clutching their newly printed MBAs; we know only too well that nothing beats the experience of working at the coal face and seeing the day to day problems, up close and personal.
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by Nicola Mullineux
The following clause (with minor variations) is often found in lease agreements:- "The Tenant shall have the right to renew this Agreement for a period of 1 (one) year on the same terms and conditions, save that the rental shall be agreed to in writing between the Parties.” A clause of this nature seems to provide the tenant with a right to renew the lease agreement, however, the latter part of the clause unequivocally indicates that the tenant has a right to renew on condition that the rental amount is agreed upon, in essence, an agreement to agree.
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