10 Exciting women-led businesses from Africa set to be showcased in The Hague

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Start-Up Night Africa on 11 July 2023 in The Hague, The Netherlands aims to stimulate investment and international market access for Africa's women entrepreneurs

With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO), Lionesses of Africa has set up the Start-Up Night Africa event in The Hague, taking place on 11 July 2023. This initiative aims to showcase high-growth, women-owned businesses from Africa and connect them to investment and market opportunities in The Netherlands. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher, will deliver the opening remarks at the event, together with Lionesses of Africa founder and ceo, Melanie Hawken. The Start-Up Night Africa event will also celebrate the opening of the European office of Lionesses of Africa.

Vanize Da Natividade Teixeira, a Mozambican entrepreneur recycling Capulana fabrics to create dolls and clothing

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Vanize da Natividade Teixeira, founder, Muyana and Arts (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Vanize da Natividade Teixeira is the founder of Muyana and Arts in Mozambique. The company uses recycled materials, transforming them into dolls, bags and other products for the home, through sewing skills and empowering women who want to embrace this artform. Vanize has two interns who work with her, and who are currently being trained in specific skills. She is still running the company herself because it's small, but her dream is to be big and international one day. Vanize has a degree in accounting from high school, and was the commercial director of the company Mocinter lda that was in the field of service provision, and also of the business, Marumadi Planeta Mozambique, a guesthouse.

Sylvia Wambui, a Kenyan social impact entrepreneur helping businesses to grow

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Sylvia Wambui, Founder, Mursly Digital Group LLC (Kenya)

Startup Story

Sylvia Wambui is the Founder of Mursly Digital Group LLC in Kenya. She is a mentor, virtual assistant, and business consultant to entrepreneurs. She has spent over 6 years in marketing, across local and international clients where she has been a marketing lead, managing multiple brands and large tech brands. After COVID struck, it called for a restructuring of the business. That’s when Mursly Digital Group Limited was launched and has just recently been incorporated in March 2023. Mursly Digital Group offers business consulting services that cover strategy across business structures specifically marketing, social media, personal, and leadership development to ease the load of idea generation. It also does consulting and virtual assistance work, both in Africa and internationally, having worked with community and tech-driven brands like Black Women In Clinical Research, Blaze Group LLC, and Bauce Magazine. As a mentor, Sylvia has worked to support entrepreneurs and professionals by providing knowledge on capacity building and upskilling for scale / professional growth.

“…ESG…it’s been entirely weaponized…” (and what we can do about it!)

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, and so when its boss Larry Fink speaks, the world listens, and who are we to argue with his comment above (see here). He has a point and especially in the United States where the discussion, as sadly with so much in many countries these days, has become polarized along political lines.

You have to be in it to win it!

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

“You have to be in it to win it!” The saying came from a discussion with a person who always wondered why they didn’t win the lottery and every week they would complain that other people won something and they didn’t until eventually one day someone said to them, “well if you want to win the lottery, the first thing you must do is buy a ticket”.

Empowering the Future: The Crucial Role of Human Oversight in AI

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Sasha Knott

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), one thing remains clear: humans are essential. AI is advancing, and for it to keep being an aid, human oversight is needed to ensure that it remains ethical, that biases are detected and addressed, and that AI decision-making remains transparent. As the world latches onto the idea of AI making our lives easier, we need to be harnessing its potential through human intervention, thereby mitigating risks and safeguarding societal values.

Personal Growth Is Not About Adding but Editing

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

What if you approached personal growth like decluttering your wardrobe? If you want to add new items more suitable to your current style, you want to free up space first and let go of the items that no longer serve you or are not aligned with who you are. Instead of reading another personal growth book or attending another workshop, what can you edit out that is no longer aligned with who you are first?

How to keep your business resilient through change and uncertainty

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane

The key to keeping your business resilient through change and uncertainty is to have a flexible business plan. This means creating a plan that can adapt to changing circumstances, whether it's a sudden shift in the market, unexpected challenges, or new opportunities. Start by identifying the core values and goals of your business. These should remain consistent even as your strategies change.

The Start-Up Night Africa event in The Hague “connecting Africa’s high-growth women entrepreneurs to Europe”

July 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Start-up Night Africa - The Hague

The Start-Up Night Africa event in The Hague on 11 July 2023 will celebrate the opening of the European office of Lionesses of Africa. The focus of the event will be on the critical role of investment and the power of partnerships to address the gender finance gap for women entrepreneurs in growth mode in Africa.

Nomsa Mdhluli, a South African communications specialist with a talent for storytelling

July 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Nomsa Mdhluli, founder, Tishala Communications (South Africa)

Startup Story

Nomsa Mdhluli is the founder of Tishala Communications in South Africa, a boutique Digital Marketing and Public Relations agency. She is an award-winning broadcaster who has a knack for storytelling, and translated this skill into Public Relations through her business. In 2018, Nomsa established Tishala Communications to serve corporate clients who deserved to have their ground-breaking business ideas, innovations and successes brought to public and business attention.

Mantate Queeneth Mlotshwa, a Zimbabwean creative entrepreneur using fashion as a tool for storytelling

July 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Startup Story

Mantate Mlotshwa is a creative and social entrepreneur from Zimbabwe. She is the Founder and Creative Lead for U Motle, a creative story-telling brand exploring fashion as a tool to curate experiences of African women and stories of African culture. She is a program design and development expert within the democracy, rights and governance sector. She holds a BSc in Psychology and has co-authored an anthology of short stories called Turquoise Dreams. She wants to grow the U Motle brand to reflect her travel within the continent, and to provide employment opportunities for other youth.

Be a good seller and improve your conversion rate

July 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Josefa Masinga

Do you know how to be a good seller? There are those who believe that sales talent is something people are born with. It may be that some personalities really have an advantage when it comes to selling, but anyone with the right direction and a willingness to learn can figure out how to be a good salesperson. The art of selling is based on many techniques ranging from good communication to follow-up after the sale has been closed. At each stage of this process, you can learn more and develop to increase your results.

Seja um bom vendedor e melhorar a taxa de conversão

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

por Josefa Masinga

Você sabe como ser um bom vendedor? Há quem acredite que o talento para vendas nasça com as pessoas. Pode ser que algumas personalidades realmente tenham vantagem na hora de vender, mas qualquer pessoa com o direcionamento correto e vontade de aprender pode descobrir como ser um bom vendedor. A arte de vender é baseada em muitas técnicas que vão desde a comunicação e a vestuário, até o acompanhamento depois que a venda já foi fechada. Em cada etapa desse processo, é possível aprender mais e se desenvolver para aumentar os seus resultados.

Carmen Stevens, a South African winemaking pioneer

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd, a multi-award winning, black-and-woman owned winery creating impact in South Africa

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). Carmen Stevens Wines continue to win recognition and industry awards every year. 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, and today the foundation provides over 25000 learners from 125 schools in the Western Cape with a nutritious breakfast and lunch.

When Black Women Rise by LaTresse Snead

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

When Black Women Rise by author and entrepreneur LaTresse Snead is the very personal story of a visionary entrepreneur and nonprofit leader who overcame her fears and dared to dream big. And—despite all the odds and statistics—won. Today, LaTresse is the CEO and founder of Bonsai Leadership Group and is a premier executive coach for nonprofit leaders. She helps her clients navigate leadership and reach their boldest goals.

Why you shouldn't believe everything you think and what to do about it

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Thinking is choice architecture. Laying a foundation of negative and fearful thoughts builds your next levels of emotions, beliefs and actions. Author and Professor John Kabat-Zinn describes thoughts as soap bubbles of the mind. You can choose to attach yourself to the thoughts or see through them and pop them.

Marketing that works

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Kathryn Main

Marketing is the planning and action of promotional activities that result in the selling of products or services. Your marketing strategy is the road map you will use on a day-to-day basis to let potential customers know that your business exists. Marketing messages should be tailored to your customers and highlight the problem that you solve for them in a concise and effective manner. Marketing efforts are normally campaign-driven and should take your potential customers on a journey with your business.

How digital marketing can boost your sales right now

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane

Digital marketing is like being a master chef in the kitchen, except instead of cooking up delicious meals, you're cooking up sales. The ingredients? Search engines, social media, email, and mobile apps. The recipe? A well-executed digital marketing strategy that can help you reach a wider audience, generate leads, and convert them into paying customers. Just like a chef needs to know the basics of cooking, you need to understand the basics of digital marketing to boost your sales.

South Africa’s women and youth entrepreneurs celebrated at latest Lioness Business Agility webinar to commemorate Youth Month

June 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Event Report / Lioness Business Agility Series

June marks Youth Month in South Africa, and so as part of the country’s commemoration activities, Lionesses of Africa, in partnership with Absa, hosted a special edition of the Lioness Business Agility Webinars for 2023. The theme of the event focused on “Celebrating inspirational women and youth entrepreneurs,” aimed at inspiring the next generation of young women business builders who are going to play their part in driving economic growth through entrepreneurship in the country. The webinar attracted an audience of 135 women entrepreneurs keen to learn more about how to grow their businesses, fulfill their purpose through entrepreneurship, and make an impact in their sectors and communities.

Lioness Launch / South Africa’s Yellow Owl launches a first-of-its-kind in South Africa silent podcast for both deaf and hearing audiences

June 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Thuli Zikalala, founder, Yellow Owl (South Africa)

Lioness Launch

Regular attendees at Lionesses of Africa webinars will recognize the inspirational name and face of Yellow Owl founder, Thuli Zikalala, the pioneering entrepreneur creating inspiring digital content for both Deaf and Hearing audiences. Her latest innovation is the launch of a first-of-its-kind in South Africa silent 10 episode podcast series which captures the stories, experiences, culture and shared values within the Deaf community. Deaf presenters Lerato Maake ka Mncube & Daline 'Crazy D' Maasdorp engage with guests, both Deaf and hearing from different backgrounds, to shape a new narrative about the Deaf community. The name is a word play that invites audiences into the silent world seen through the eyes of Deaf people. Taking a spin on the audio nature of podcasts - ours is visual: the hands become a voice. Expect intimate, informative, inspirational and entertaining conversations shared by influential people within the Deaf community.

Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletters for Africa's women entrepreneurs.