Rwanda-based eco-shoe brand, UZURI K & Y, wins 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Awards & Accolades

Rwanda-based eco-friendly shoe brand, UZURI K & Y, which uses recycled tires from sub-Saharan Africa and employs local young people, has been announced as the joint winner of the 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and CEO of UZURI K & Y together with Ysolde Shimwe, CFO & Co-Creative designer, were awarded the prize of € 100,000. Speaking about the recognition and award win, Kevine said: “We are honored to be the winner of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. This opportunity provided us with mentorship and strategic guidance, and a platform for sharing our dream of bringing sustainable shoe options from Africa to the global market. We are dedicated to creating a real impact and inspiring young people today to build a cleaner future.” The other join winner was Lalaland, a Dutch-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate customized and comprehensive synthetic models of different ethnic groups, which was also awarded € 100,000.

Khadija Elbedweihy, a tech pioneer championing equal opportunities in STEM

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

PraxiLabs, an award-winning business in Egypt providing STEM education through 3D interactive virtual science lab simulations.

Khadija Elbedweihy is the founder of PraxiLabs in Egypt, an award-winning tech business founded in 2016 and which now employs 30 people. She graduated top of her class four years in a row, and went on to receive her PhD from the University of Sheffield to be the youngest lecturer in her faculty, with a PhD focused on human-computer interaction and user experience. Together with her belief in adopting technology for improving education and enabling equal opportunities, Khadija founded and is currently managing PraxiLabs with an amazing team who have the same vision as she does. This is her true passion and daily quest. PraxiLabs aims to provide equal opportunity for an enhanced STEM education for students everywhere by providing 3D interactive virtual simulations of science labs that are accessible, usable, and affordable for educational institutions and students alike. PraxiLabs not only provides an immersive virtual lab experience, but adds enriched content that provides students with more understanding and knowledge according to their own pace and learning style.

Zara Kattiems, building a legacy fashion brand in Nigeria inspired by her grandmother

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Zara Kattiems, founder, Caroline 1942 (Nigeria)

Startup Story

The story of Caroline 1942, a Nigerian fashion brand created by Zara Kattiems, is one that encompasses uniqueness and also a relatable experience. Caroline 1942 is nicknamed after Zara’s grandmother, Caroline Miner, who unfortunately passed away, but her legacy took off in the spring of 2017 with the launch of a brand created ‘For The Timeless Woman.’ Today, Caroline 1942 tells the story behind the brand and still creates that sense of oneness with the women of the world with every design produced.

Show Up by Tolu Michaels

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Successful digital entrepreneur and author, Tolu Michaels, says that almost everyone believes that success starts with showing up, but many don’t know exactly how to do that in business. In her new book, Show Up, Tolu provides some great insights and advice on how to show up and stand out from the crowd.

A glance at the past and hope for 2022: Road to recovery

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / by Justin Schmidt, Head of New Sector Development at Absa Retail and Business Bank

The road to recovery has felt like a long and winding one, with a few bumps along the way, but the South African economy has recovered faster than initially forecasted, and expectations are that we may reach the average pre-COVID-19 levels of economic activity as early as next year. Recovery has varied across industries with sectors requiring lower levels of contact, such as manufacturing and mining, recovering at a faster pace than those sectors that require higher levels of contact, such as tourism and hospitality.

Harness the power of purpose to your advantage

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

By Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

“More than 19 million US workers — and counting — have quit their jobs since April 2021, a record pace disrupting businesses everywhere.” according to McKinsey (here). What is going on and what can we learn from this to ensure that the same does not happen within our businesses?

The Myth of Always Being on the Hustle

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

“We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” — Taoist Proverb

Maybe, like me, you were socialized to believe that working harder and hustling more were the keys to success? I can't quite trace back to where this settled into my psyche as the modus operandi, but I remember hearing from my parents that the devil would find work for my idle hands. I wasn’t a fan of the devil, so I kept busy. And then there was 80s and 90s tv with the 'I'll rest when I'm dead' battle cry.

How to Use Earned Media, Owned Media & Paid Media to Increase Revenue

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho

In order to design a robust multi-level digital marketing strategy and create a cohesive content plan, incorporating the 3 elements of earned, owned and paid media is crucial. Earned, owned and paid media efforts are important to your overall business objectives and should intersect in your content marketing strategy.

Are New Year’s Resolutions Still Relevant in My Life?

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

2021 is gone and here we are in the first days of 2022, with 52 weeks at our disposal. The first weeks of January, that crazy time when we are tempted to put together some new year’s resolutions that we may never look at again until 2023 comes, and we do the same exercise again.

Using Networking to Market Your Business

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Zodidi Gaseb

How important is networking to small businesses? Ask a small service business where they get most of their customers, and they are likely to indicate some form of word-of-mouth marketing.

Betelhem Abebe, an Ethiopian entrepreneur building a high street fashion brand

January 9, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Betelhem Abebe, founder, ZEWD Design (Ethiopia)

Startup Story

Betelhem Abebe is the founder and creative director of ZEWD Design based in Ethiopia, a growing high street fashion brand. She studied electrical engineering at Addis Ababa University and also fashion design at SITAM Fashion and Design School in Addis Ababa to sharpen her skills in fashion design after having partially developed the ZEWD concept in her final year at the university.

Siba Mtongana, a culinary entrepreneur tour de force

January 9, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

The Siba Co and SIBA - The Restaurant, multifaceted food and hospitality businesses in South Africa

Siba Mtongana is a food authority, restaurateur, The Siba Co-Founder, a television Celebrity Chef, Judge and Mom. From aspiring home cook in the semi-rural Eastern Cape to restaurateur in one of the most prestigious hotel venues on the African continent, there’s simply no stopping the food authority and culinary tour de force that is Siba Mtongana. And it’s not just her loyal fans and patrons who say so. From academics and peers to international industry authorities, judges and newsmakers, the accolades keep accumulating for this humble, acclaimed chef who has her roots firmly grounded in her mom’s kitchen, her proudly South African food heritage, and her family.

Scaling Up Simplified by Shannon Teague

January 9, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Scaling Up Simplified by Shannon Teague is a book for small business owners who are serious about growing their businesses to the next level. Building a successful business is a difficult job; people put in everything to come out victorious. However, a few businesses scale up effortlessly because they practice a series of steps that makes them more proficient, productive, and profitable. In this new book, Shannon shares the roadmap to being among those incredible organizations.

‘Arch’ of Joy

January 9, 2022 Melanie Hawken

By Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The South African Nobel laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (“Just call me ‘Arch’) who sadly died on December 26th 2021, was according to the Financial Times (here)“…a beacon of honesty, conviction, inclusiveness and human decency.” He was also one of those rare people in public life to be totally consistent. His battles were against injustices, any injustice and this drive of his, through his words and indeed actions remained constant and consistent throughout his life: “We cannot afford to be silent in the face of injustice, inequality and poverty, and we may not falter in the face of oppression.” (here)

You can never change with a Resolutions List. Here’s what actually works

January 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.” - Tony Robbins

2021 required a new set of tools for working and a new way of being. In order to thrive in 2022, you need to follow the same theme. Do not approach your new year’s goals with the same thinking as last year - you know it well, ‘This year I am going to get healthier, start running, write that book or do that course”. Inevitably after about two weeks, your motivation wanes and you drag up the same list the next New Year’s Eve. How about ditching the resolution list and replacing it with a ‘drop list’?

Invest For a Purpose

January 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Ronel Jooste

Investing certainly has multiple benefits: create wealth for yourself and your family, create financial security, prepare for unforeseen circumstances, and create passive income streams. Making investments even more attractive, is when not only you benefit but you can invest for a bigger purpose; when your investment can contribute to making South Africa a better country for everybody, when other people and the economy can benefit too. These types of investments are growing in popularity, and you can choose something that you can relate to.

What’s New?

January 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

It’s a new year (grin emoji), and I honestly cannot tell if I feel it or not. I just feel like last week was December and today it is January. What I know for sure is that I am exhausted and need a new way. Those are the two things I am sure of. I need to rest more, no matter what is happening; and secondly because the world has changed and is changing every day, I too need to change. This is not a list of ‘what I wish for in 2022’, 2021 taught us to relax on the wishing and just hope we live to see the 31st of December.

New Year, new me?

January 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek

The start of a New Year exemplifies a new beginning. It is the first week of 2022 and most people are eager to set New Year’s Resolutions. Research indicates that people are more likely to pursue their goals during times that feel like new beginnings (such as a New Year, Mondays, and birthdays) in their lives. After a challenging 2021, people crave newfound hope and motivation and we could all use a little more positivity in our lives.

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