Alcinda Cumba Durão, an interior design entrepreneur transforming client spaces

July 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

IZHA Interior Design, Limitada, a specialist business turning interior spaces into live/work sanctuaries in Mozambique

Alcinda Cumba Durão, or Isa as she is known, is the founder and executive director of two companies, namely, IZHA Interior Design and JD&D Group in Mozambique, which is currently a 6 people team. Both of her companies represent her life motto: “Explore your full potential and be whoever you want to be”. She’s been a Lawyer by profession for 7 years, with over 10 years of experience working in the corporate sector and administrative services. She has a mentoring program for helping adolescents and young adults on their professional journey and also has a passion for interior design and decided to finally pursue her dreams.

As empreendedoras moçambicanas concentram-se na criação de impacto com as suas empresas

July 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

O desejo de causar impacto através dos negócios foi o tema de conversa no segundo evento da série Lioness Lean In Webinars em Moçambique, realizada a 6 de julho de 2022. Cerca de 100 mulheres empreendedoras de todo o país reuniram-se online no dia 27 de setembro de 2022 para participar no webinar organizado pela Lionesses of Africa em parceria com o Standard Bank Mozambique e a Embaixada do Reino dos Países Baixos. O objetivo era que as empresárias do país partilhassem as suas experiências de criação de impacto, inspirando-se mutuamente com as histórias das suas jornadas empresarias e criassem ligações para o sucesso e colaboração empresariais.

A minha Carreira ou a minha família?

July 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

A mulher empoderada dos dias de hoje, recebe essa questão quase todos dias de forma irônica como se nao pudesse escolher e tivesse que cegamente consentir que não existe a possibilidade de seguir com a carreira em detrimento da família, e apenas ao homem e dada essa possibilidade de poder aventurar na sua carreira acadêmica ou profissional e deixando o cuidado da família na responsabilidade da mulher. Mas será isso correcto?

Filomena Matimbe, a Mozambican entrepreneur creating business through banana flour innovation

May 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Filomena Matimbe, founder and ceo, Finana (Mozambique)

Filomena Matimbe is the founder and ceo of Finana, a Mozambican company specializing in Banana Flour processing and dry banana. She brings five years of experience in this business. Finana has won multiple awards including the world Gold Medal at the II World of Inventors and Innovators Forum, and also a SANBio award in Mozambique 2017. Banana flour is available in supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. It is also served as a snack in schools and in the largest hospital in the country.

Lioness Launch / The pioneering telemedicine platform, Dr Moz, launches in Mozambique

May 28, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Dr.Moz, the pioneering telemedicine platform launched by Sabina Ali and Dr. Natacha Amin in Mozambique, is a digital platform that aims to assist any user and facilitate on services in the areas of health and well-being. One of the objectives is to reduce the distance the population has to travel to find a medical service in the country, but also to decongest some hospital services.

Abira Mahumane, a Mozambican entrepreneur with a niche business focused on invitations and gifting

April 17, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Abira Isabel Mahumane, founder, Bibi Invites e Flores (Mozambique)

Abira Isabel Mahumane, graduated in Financial and Insurance Management and is an entrepreneur and founder of the brand Bibi Invites e Flores in Mozambique. She started her business in 2019, a company specializing in invitations and gifts for various occasions, which operates in e-commerce. She has always been passionate about art and decided to turn this art into work. She now has three employees who carry out various tasks with great passion for its growth.

Erica Paiva, a Mozambican woman entrepreneur building a strong personal media brand

April 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Erica Paiva is a creative woman entrepreneur from Mozambique who decided to use her own unique skills as a tv host, writer, actress, master of ceremony, and event planner to create a niche, personal brand in the marketplace. Erica’s brand has been in the market for 7 years, but she has been working for a total of 15 years.

Eliana Silva, a Mozambican communications specialist with a passion for storytelling

April 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Eliana Silva, founder, Marcas Por Escrever (Mozambique)

Eliana Silva is the founder of Marcas Por Escrever in Mozambique, an online publication focused on Lusophone communication, marketing, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. She is a communication specialist with a career spanning more than a decade working in journalism, public relations, and advertising. Her professional experience is currently focused on advertising, brand activation and strategic communication. Eliana began her career in the Portuguese media industry, at Revista Máxima in 2009, and then migrated to the world of public relations. Over the years, Silva has always been interested in storytelling and has developed her media tools by working with video, writing and photography. In Mozambique since 2014, Eliana completed a degree in Journalism in Lisbon, and after a postgraduate degree in the same city in Digital Marketing, she attended courses in London and São Paulo.

Heleen Henriques, a design focused furniture sales business builder

April 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

MOBI Lda, a home and office furniture solutions business for the Mozambican market

Heleen Henriques has the title of Financial Director at MOBI, and being one of the co-founders, she has a hand in most parts of the business operation. She has an architectural degree from the University of Cape Town where she met her husband, Sérgio, who is her partner in business and in life. In 2006 she left South Africa for Sérgio’s native Mozambique, learned Portuguese and slowly assimilated the new culture. With him she co-founded architectural firm Estúdio Quatro Arquitectos in 2007 and MOBI Lda. In 2011. Most recently Heleen led MOBI’s successful bid in Standard Bank’s competition “Acelere o seu Negócio” which has a cash investment and mentorship program as prize. MOBI is a job creator and employs 18 people in the business.

Aurora Matavel, an award-winning Mozambican entrepreneur building a successful eco-cleaning business

April 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Aurora Matavel, founder and CEO, SCS, Lda (Mozambique)

Aurora Matavel is Founder and CEO of SCS, Lda (Mozambique). She is an experienced and award-winning entrepreneur. The business of SCS, Lda is focused on providing ecological cleaning services and integrated pest control that preserve the environment. She founded the business 2 years ago and now employs 5 people, many of them women from the Local Community. She has 5 years of experience in business and as customer service with one of the main banks in the country.

Jessica Lairs, a Mozambican event planner creating memorable customer occasions

March 27, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Jessica Lairs, founder, D'Lairs Encantos E.I (Mozambique)

Jessica Lairs is the founder of D'Lairs Encantos E.I, an event planning and decoration company in Mozambique. She started her entrepreneurship journey in 2019 with a combination of passion and good leadership skills. Today she has six permanent employees and six employees for occasional events. Her team is composed of men and women aged from 21 to 57 years of age. She brings to her entrepreneurial journey 9 years of experience in the job market as a trader and manager and has always worked with women in different areas.

As mulheres empreendedoras de Moçambique aprendem a colocar as suas empresas na zona de crescimento

March 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

O primeiro evento da popular série Lioness Lean In Webinars de 2022 teve lugar a 23 de março de 2022, em Moçambique, atraindo uma audiência de cerca de 145 mulheres empreendedoras em todas as fases das suas jornadas de construção de negócios. O evento foi realizado pela Lionesses of Africa em parceria com o Standard Bank Mozambique e a Embaixada do Reino dos Países Baixos. O objetivo era que as empresárias do país estabelecessem uma ligação virtual entre si, inspirando-se mutuamente com as histórias das suas jornadas empresarias para alcançar o sucesso empresarial.

Lutea Magaia, a Mozambican entrepreneur contributing to environmental education and the green ecosystem

March 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lutea Magaia Alberto, an Environmental and Agribusiness professional, is the founder and manager of Mentes Sustentáveis (Sustainable Minds) in Mozambique. She has a degree in Agronomic Engineering, from Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique and more than 7 years of experience as an Environmentalist dedicating herself to areas such as Environmental Education, Waste Management and Ecosystem Recovery. She founded Mentes Sustentáveis in 2019 and has over the years been a pioneer in raising awareness of Mozambique’s environmental problems and bringing practical, ecological and sustainable solutions. Since then she has been dedicated to the development of eco-business models, development of eco-friendly products and carrying out environmental education activities, contributing to the green ecosystem in Mozambique.

Lioness Launch / Picnic lovers in Mozambique are in for a treat as Azura launches its specialist picnic hamper sales and rental service

February 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

For all those people who love nothing more than getting outdoors into the fresh air with family, friends, and colleagues, then a picnic is the way to go, and in Mozambique, entrepreneurs Yolanda Matine and Sheila Loonat, cofounders of Azura, have just what you need. Their business specializes in selling and renting picnic hampers with the objective of offering unforgettable experiences for all occasions.

Sofia Maquile, an entrepreneur and digital influencer in Mozambique building an AV production company

February 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sofia Maquile, founder & CEO, Smaqs (Mozambique)

Sofia Maquile is the founder and CEO of Smaqs in Mozambique. She is a young entrepreneur and Digital Influencer. Sofia's business is focused on making high quality digital pictures and videos for the international and pan-African market. She founded the business in 2017 and now employs and trains over 10 interns, 70% of them being from local communities. She has over 10 years of social media experience as a manager and influencer. Sofia strives for growth and motivates the young people to follow her path.

Fátima Suliman, a Mozambican entrepreneur turning a passion for cookie-making into a successful business

January 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Fátima Suliman, founder and CEO, Cookie World (Mozambique)

Fátima Suliman is the founder and CEO of the company Cookie World. The company is based in Maputo Mozambique. She is an aspiring pastry chef. Fátima's business is focused on decorated sugar cookies and macarons mostly for parties and events. She founded the company 3 years ago in 2018. Fátima believes in women empowerment and her employees are women. She is hoping to open a pastry shop soon.

Sabina Ali, a Mozambican entrepreneur advising organizations on their business strategies

January 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sabina Ali, founder and executive partner, SAB Consulting (Mozambique)

Sabina Ali is the founder and executive partner of SAB Consulting in Mozambique, a company recognized for its strategic leadership, tailored business strategies and support in the areas of organization, implementation, monitoring and coaching. She is also the co-founder of Dr. Moz, a pioneering digital platform for the health and wellness industry, recognized as the first Mozambican platform to provide telemedicine services.

Iolanda Almeida, a Mozambican coffeepreneur supporting local coffee farmers

December 26, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Iolanda Almeida is the founder and CEO of INMA LIMITADA based in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province. She is a coffeepreneur and award-winning enterprise leader in Mozambique for the NEPAD SAN Bio Phase II BioFISA FEM BioBiz Programme. Iolanda’s business is focused on processing coffee from Ibo Island in Mozambique´s World Biosphere Reserve for the internal market. She founded the business in 2015 to support almost 150 Ibo Coffee farmers, for social inclusion and local development.

Shaquila Antonio, a Mozambican entrepreneur passionate about baking creative cakes

November 21, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Shaquila Antonio, founder, Confeitando Com Amor (Mozambique)

For all those who have a sweet tooth and love to celebrate every occasion with a beautiful cake, Confeitando Com Amor in Mozambique, founded by creative confectioner Shaquila Antonio, has just what you need. Her cake brand has built up a great customer following in her city of Beira and is set to grow further over the coming years.

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