the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Kathryn Main
When I started my first business, I considered the financial side of things as “boring accounting stuff” – something I was not keen on initially. My feelings on the matter soon changed. Financial structures in your business are much more than mere accounting practices. As important as it is to manage your income and expenses, there is a lot more to setting up your financial structures than you may expect.
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Neema Gerald, founder and ceo, Penuel's Investment Ltd (Tanzania)
Startup Story
Neema Gerald is the founder and ceo of Penuel's Investment Ltd in Tanzania, a seven-year-old investment firm that provides a variety of services such as event and project management, as well as office equipment supplies. She is the co-founder of LN Extreme Beauty Ltd which has deep experience in the beauty and personal care industry, partnering with companies across the entire value chain to help their clients achieve their strategic goals. Her passion is to empower young ladies to know their identity and to unlock their potential, so as to be proud of themselves and have an impact in their society.
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Fátima Lorgat, founder, Ohana (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Fátima Lorgat is an entrepreneur and the founder of Ohana in Mozambique. She is also a wife, and a mom of 4 children. She always had a passion for sewing and fabrics, and in 2018 she started to make beach tote bags for family members. By the end of that year, she was approached to sell her beautiful tote bags commercially, and so came up with the idea of creating a Brand. In 2019 she founded Ohana as a business and in April of 2020, expanded her range to start producing protective masks to help prevent Covid19. Thanks to the love and effort that she put into her work, the masks were a success and the brand name started to be well-known for its quality. In early 2022, Ohana reinvented itself and today produces a range of useful and versatile products which use 100% cotton fabric and only good quality Capulana fabric. The main product range includes the Ohana Eco-bags, tote bags, personal and home organizers, and accessories for cooking and kitchen. All Ohana products are made with care to make our clients life a little bit better.
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Abiola Olusola
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Abiola Olusola, a Nigerian contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke fashion brand interweaving minimalism with artisan craftsmanship
Born and raised in Nigeria, designer and fashion brand builder, Abiola Olusola, graduated with a BFA in fashion design from Istituto Marangoni Paris in 2015. She immediately gravitated towards a minimalist aesthetic, femininity, functionality, ease and undercurrents of innate sensuality. Abiola Olusola launched her eponymous brand in 2017, a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke line with a distinct juxtaposition of minimalist cuts, sleek architecture and African sub-cultures and craftsmanship.
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Nicola Luther
Lioness Launch
South African eco-fashion and lifestyle brand LUNAR, led by owner Nicola Luther and her talented creative team, has launched its latest collection at SA Fashion Week. LUNAR has firmly established itself as one of the country's leading design labels over the past 25 years, and has built a reputation for creating understated, sophisticated clothing using only the finest, most sustainable natural fabrics.
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Melissa Houston
Book Review
Melissa Houston, author of Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating a Profitable Business, believes it’s time for you to own your financial power and learn to make smarter, and more profitable, business decisions. Let’s start with a question… Do you know why 82 percent of new businesses fail? Poor money management. To focus on profit and wealth building, entrepreneurs need to become confident about understanding their business finances as well as their ability to manage them. Everything in business affects your bottom line, as do all your decisions. You need to take ultimate responsibility for the financial future of your business—you need to become cash confident!
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
“We’ve placed over time so much emphasis on notions of assertiveness and strength that we have assumed it means you can’t have those other qualities of kindness and empathy.” – Jacinda Ardern.
Having run New Zealand as Prime Minister for many years, Jacinda Ardern knows a thing or two about assertiveness and strength. She also led from the front in kindness and empathy during some very tough times. Indeed many believe that her ability to marry these two seemingly diverse (for some) groups, made her the global leader that she absolutely was and is still to this day.
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by Lori Milner
What do you do when someone doesn't do what they committed to? They were due to deliver something, but when you follow up, there's always an excuse or someone else to blame - 'they never replied to my mail, finance is too slow or fill in the blank’. Most people don't say anything, and then the passive-aggressive behaviour begins. When there is no consequence for non-delivery, it becomes culture because, ultimately, silence is permission.
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by Brigette Mashile
My biggest strength in running a business in South Africa is that I am multilingual. I can comprehend Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana, isiSwati, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, isiXhosa, isiZulu, English and Afrikaans. I am struggling with isiNdebele, and lately Shona; the reason for Shona is merely the fact that we have over 700 000 Zimbabweans living in SA, and a portion of them are definitely Shona. If they are Ndebele, I can comprehend it too as it sounds (to me) close to isiZulu.
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by Naike Moshi
Being good at what you do is undoubtedly an essential component of success, but it is not enough to guarantee that you will get all the opportunities you want. There are many other factors that come into play when it comes to getting ahead in your career or achieving your goals.
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Brenda Wilkinson
Lioness Launch
If you are a fan of great olive oil and you want an unforgettable experience, then the place to be on 14 May (Mother’s Day) is the special Tree to Table event at the Rio Largo Olive Estate in South Africa’s Scherpenheuwel Valley, Breede River, Western Cape. Co-owners Brenda and Nick Wilkinson are celebrating their olive harvest and the growth of their multi-award winning brand of olive oil. This will be an event to remember, providing the chance for guests to experience the picking and processing of olives from the Rio Largo Olive Estate, and then a tasting of FRESH olive oil, together with a celebratory meal incorporating the finest Rio Largo Olive Oil. As Brenda says, you never forget the day you taste FRESH olive oil...ever!
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by Helena Naitsuwe Amadhila
The world today is characterized by businesses operating in various sectors of the economy. Every sector is unique thus calling for business uniqueness in identity, operation, services, products, structure, and culture. Business uniqueness is imperative for the business to be different and unique in the sector of operation. The business would be identified easily because of the unique features embedded within the services being offered and products being sold. It is also important that the uniqueness of the business is engraved in the structure for it to be recognized easily by potential customers.
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Matubatsi Motsoeneng, CEO & founder, The Feme Platform and Femme Foodie Lover (South Africa)
Startup Story
Matubatsi Motsoeneng is the CEO and founder of The Feme Platform and Femme Foodie Lover in South Africa. She's a passionate entrepreneur, facilitator, and coach, dedicated to making modern mothers’ lives easier. Matubatsi aims to expand The Feme Platform internationally, internally, and work with female brands worldwide to grow employment.
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Vivian Savia, founder and CEO, Nature's Bar (Nigeria)
Startup Story
Vivian Savia is the founder and CEO of a natural skincare brand, Nature's Bar in Nigeria, which has been in operation since 2017. It currently creates job opportunities within her environment while partnering with local suppliers of raw materials and supplies. She is a chartered accountant with an MA in International Business Management from Middlesex University, London, and B.Sc. in Accounting from Imo State University. As a chartered accountant by profession, her basic skills and experience were in accounting, grants management, retail marketing, financial management, donor reporting, procurement, and communication within the banking and non-profit sector.
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Katherine-Mary Pichulik
PICHULIK, a brand celebrating sacred feminine wisdom through its unique and intentional jewelry designs.
Katherine-Mary Pichulik founded PICHULIK in 2013 and is Joint CEO and Creative Director. Prior to establishing the jewelry and accessories brand, Katherine completed a BA Honours in Fine Arts at Cape Town University. PICHULIK is sold in up to sixteen countries around the world and has collaborated with Copenhagen luxury brand By Malene Birger, and LVMH winner Lukhanyo Mdingi. Katherine has received multiple design accolades including, Accessory Designer of the Year by African Fashion International, TWYG Sustainable Fashion Accessory Award, and Vogue Italia’s top 10 jewelry brands. PICHULIK is regularly featured in global publications, including VOGUE US, VOGUE UK, Conde Nast Traveller, and L” Official Mexico. Katherine is a South African Gazelle top 40 SMME, and United States International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni.
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Laurie R Barkman
Book Review
In her new book, The Business Transition Handbook: How to Avoid Succession Pitfalls and Create Valuable Exit Options, author and entrepreneur, Laurie R Barkman, asks you to consider a key fact - 100% of owners will leave their business one day, but few are prepared. The question she asks is, are you prepared? When you’re ready to sell, the company may not be sell-ready–leaving you out of time and unrewarded. Most entrepreneurs are too busy to begin thinking about the end. But you may be leaving money—and your happiness—on the table. It’s crucial to start planning for your transition, whether it comes next year or in a decade.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
Groucho Marx once said that one should learn from the mistakes of others, adding: “You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.” As usual, there is so much truth in humour.
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by Kathryn Main
When you are ready to start your new business venture, you need to think about all the ways this product or service can make you money. How many sources of income can you get from this one business? Can you build multiple income streams and make those income streams passive income streams?
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by Lizl Naude
Friendship between women can be the most beautiful thing. It can be a safe place and is very important to your overall well-being. But...it can also be challenging. And as we navigate through seasons and life, it can sometimes also be very heart-breaking.
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by Margaret Hirsch
My mother came from a reasonably middle to upper class family where she had been brought up with everything she needed. She had married the boy next door, and they had moved to the old Rhodesia where they went to seek their fortune. They had two children, myself - and my brother five years later - and everything was perfect. My mother was living her dream, playing tennis at the country club and socialising over weekends and being the proverbial housewife. My father’s sudden death was devastating to her! She was quickly swindled out of the pension money she had been left and found herself having to cope with two children, no job and no money and she was only in her mid 30’s.
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