Lionesses in Profile / Meet the 10 women entrepreneurs showcased at Start-Up Night Africa in The Hague

October 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Startup Night Africa, The Hague / Lionesses in Profile

As a key driver of Lionesses of Africa’s ‘Access to Markets and Investment Programme,’ Start-Up Night Africa in The Hague aimed to connect Africa’s high-growth women entrepreneurs to international markets and investment opportunities. We showcased 10 inspirational women entrepreneurs in growth-mode at the event on 11 July 2023, all looking for new investment, markets, and collaboration opportunities. If you didn’t get to meet each of them on the evening, then take a look at their start-up stories below, which have all been published on the Lionesses of Africa website, and make those all important connections now.

A new long-term strategic research partnership launched to address the gender data gap on Africa's high-growth women entrepreneurs

October 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Partnership agreement signing between Melanie Hawken, founder & CEO of Lionesses of Africa and Farshida Zafar, Director of Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship

Impact Partnership Launch

On a mission to address the data gap that exists on better understanding high-growth women's entrepreneurship in Africa, particularly on access to funding, Lionesses of Africa BV (a 1.7 million strong network of women entrepreneurs in Africa) and Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship BV (ECE) have launched a new long-term strategic partnership. At an official signing ceremony on 28 September 2023 at the Rotterdam headquarters of ECE, the two partners announced the new partnership. It will kick off with a collaborative research project in the form of a quantitative and qualitative dashboard and report, highlighting the characteristics and drivers of Africa's high-growth women entrepreneurs and providing actionable insights to help bridge the gender gap, especially in the financial landscape.

Podcast / How women entrepreneurs in Africa are building businesses in growth mode and getting investment ready

October 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Radio

Podcast — In this episode of the Lioness Radio Show, our theme is on how women entrepreneurs in Africa are building businesses in growth mode and getting investment ready. Our host, Nomalanga Sitole, speaks to three of the inspirational women entrepreneurs we showcased at Startup Night Africa in The Hague, learning more about their business building journeys and their future growth plans. These include: Carmen Stevens, founder of Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd, a multi-award winning, black-and-woman owned winery creating impact in South Africa; Chilufya Mutale, co-founder and ceo of PremierCredit in Zambia, a multi-award winning and fast growing Pan African Challenger bank for SMEs; and Yvette Dickson-Tetteh, founder of Pure and Just Food, a dynamic, youth-powered, and women-led Ghanaian company catalysing African potential through climate-smart agribusiness.

Nonopa Tenza, a South African agripreneur passionate about rural economic development and farming

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Nonopa Tenza, founder of Kevinot Farming (South Africa)

Startup Story

Nonopa Tenza is the founder of Kevinot Farming in South Africa - she is an accountant by training, and a seasoned finance and banking professional. She has fulfilled various roles in financial management, credit risk management, sales, and relationship management roles in SA’s blue-chip companies and has worked in SA and Scotland. In 2017, Nonopa founded Kevinot Farming as a side hustle whilst still in corporate. In 2021 she left a successful career in Corporate and Investment Banking to run the business on a full-time basis. Kevinot Farming is a business that farms in the deep rural Eastern Cape province of South Africa, and is a mixed farming business growing maize and beans and also farming sheep and cattle.

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, a trailblazing entrepreneur dedicated to revolutionizing the energy landscape in Sierra Leone

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, Founder and CEO of Women in Energy Sierra Leone Limited

Startup Story

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray is a trailblazing entrepreneur and visionary leader dedicated to revolutionizing the energy landscape in Sierra Leone and beyond. As the Founder and CEO of Women in Energy Sierra Leone Limited, Margaret's journey has been defined by her unwavering commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and innovative solutions. Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Margaret witnessed firsthand the energy challenges faced by her community. This ignited a passion within her to effect meaningful change. Armed with a background in energy engineering, she embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between traditional energy practices and modern, environmentally conscious solutions. Margaret's brainchild, the Smart Green Stove, stands as a testament to her ingenuity. This groundbreaking innovation not only reduces emissions and fuel consumption but also empowers marginalized communities, particularly women, by providing them with a sustainable and efficient cooking solution.

Be Worth Funding by Ty Boone

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In her new book, “Get Visible. Get Moving. Get Funded.” author and entrepreneur, Ty Boone, has harnessed her expertise to write successful grants and effectively manage millions of dollars in grants for nonprofits of all sizes. Her keen understanding of the intricacies involved in securing funding has been instrumental in propelling numerous organizations from their early stages of startup and struggle to sustainable success.

Dr. Omolola Salako, a dedicated health leader in cancer care

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital, a chain of specialist cancer treatment centers in Lagos, Nigeria

Dr. Omolola Salako is an "Oncopreneur" who founded Sebeccly Cancer Care, Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital, the Oncopadi App, and PROSECare AI, a digital patient monitoring platform in Nigeria. She is a global health leader and award-winning cancer researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. With over two decades of specializing in oncology, she is among the 90 skilled clinical oncologists in Nigeria focusing on cancer treatment. She's won several awards for her excellent work, including the 2021 Brightest Minds in Cancer Research from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the 2023 Global Bridges Oncology and Pfizer Global Medical Grants. She launched her business in 2018 and today it employs 40 people.

No matter how much you love your new product, it’s often better to live to fight another day

October 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

“Market matters most; neither a stellar team nor fantastic product will redeem a bad market. Markets that don’t exist don’t care how smart you are.” - Marc Andreesen, founder of ‘a16z’ fund.

It is incredible just how many entrepreneurs forget this basic lesson. Invent a product that is the greatest, the most beautiful, most perfect, it solves every issue, so much so that it seems to have been touched by the gods, has been dipped into the river of eternal life, shines and sparkles like nothing seen before (think you get the idea)…yet has no market - it will simply remain a product with no market. That’s it. Dull as ditch water. The thing that will move? Your bank balance, and believe us when we say, not in the right direction!

Coming Into Our Courage

September 30, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

Maya Angelou says that courage is the most important of all the virtues, because “without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” Of all the virtues required in our nation at this time, courage is probably the one we need the most, and not just courage but consistent courage. Here are my thoughts on how we might begin to find our courage:

Smashing the Myth of How Life Works

September 30, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Sharon Castle - Lifestyle and Wellness Coach

There’s a common belief that happiness is something you have to look for. I used to believe that too. Eventually after exhausting myself with my affirmations, meditations, journal writing, juicing, fasting, exercising and so on and so on…….. believing that I had to tick all the boxes that the experts told me I had to achieve or else I would be unhappy.

There is no denying the benefits of having a healthy organisational culture

September 30, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

When data was studied on why so many employees were resigning, it was found that employee discontent is rooted in the intrinsic need for status and autonomy, two essential drivers of human motivation. When employees feel their sense of status and autonomy are under threat—creating a physiological fight-or-flight response—they’re more motivated to quit. (Source)

Success as an Entrepreneur Lies Within Mastering Yourself

September 30, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Ntsoaki Sibiya

In my journey as a mentor and entrepreneur, I have learned the power of personal mastery and self-actualized leadership as the key weapon in achieving success as an entrepreneur. You cannot reinvent a business without reinventing the person who is leading that business. Therefore, in understanding your purpose, strengths, and talents as a leader you become more inspired and confident in the knowledge of what your skills and talents can achieve, and you are able to inspire your team to follow suit.

Elmarie Pereira, a social impact innovator combatting gender violence

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Memeza, a South African social innovation organization using ICT to protect vulnerable women and girls

Elmarie Pereira, co-founder of Memeza, has dedicated her life for the past 9 years to the impact Social Innovation can make in South Africa, specifically using innovative ICT to combat Gender Based Violence and protect the most vulnerable people. Elmarie joined her co-founder, Thuli Mthethwa, in 2015 after the loss of her sister due to gender based violence and her wish to help make a change. Through various pilots done with Memeza's crime fighting technology, Elmarie & Thuli, together with their team, have proven to reduce sexual offences by 67% and murder rate by 9%. Under Elmarie’ s leadership, the Memeza team was also able to develop the Social Partner Mobile Survey tool which to date has created over 2700 youth jobs through auditing over 15 000 liquor outlets Nationally for COVID compliance. Memeza has won over 10 industry awards for the impact made in fighting crime through this woman lead organization and has created 27 jobs.

Gemiene Mueni, a Kenyan PR specialist helping brands tell their stories

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Gemiene Mueni, founder, Click'd Age Consultancy (Kenya)

Startup Stories

Gemiene Mueni, a Kenyan PR communication consultant and the founder of Click'd Age Consultancy (CAC_PR), is passionate about helping remarkable brands tell their stories. As a consultant, she helps brands create great content that people choose to talk about. Her dedication to her work is evident in the outstanding results she has consistently achieved for her clients. CAC_PR is very dear to her heart for it's not only helping remarkable brands tell their stories, but it's the connection she has with her clients. They Click!

Linda Young, a South African entrepreneur with a passion for managing people talent

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Linda Young, co-founder, Pocket People Solutions (South Africa)

Startup Story

Linda Young is the co-founder of Pocket People Solutions, a South African specialist HR business built on a foundation of strong values and a holistic approach to managing people talent for its clients. The business focuses on helping other businesses to build highly skilled and motivated workforces that can fulfill their potential and contribute to overall company success.

Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win by April Dunford

September 24, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

If you want to learn how to nail that sale and get that cashflow coming into your business, then April Dunford’s new book, Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win, is just what you need. As a world-renowned product positioning and marketing expert, April knows that standing out in a crowded market is the key to getting sales.

What is your employee turnover costing you, your team, and your organisation?

September 22, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

Do you know what your staff turnover is costing you? Stats based on Remchannel's survey of almost 40,000 employee resignations and the recruitment and HR process costs associated with filling those vacant positions total almost R24 billion. The main reasons cited for resignations in the PwC Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey is because employees don't find their current job fulfilling, feel they can't be their true self at work, don't feel their team cares about them, and feel like their managers don't listen to them.

An A for Audacity!

September 22, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

It is a beautiful thing when a personal brand lives out its own manifesto. It fills me with awe and wonder to watch someone else unleash the full force of their fabulosity on the world. In case you’re wondering, yes fabulosity is a real word, made famous by fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons.

What is Needed for Lasting Change in Your Organisation

September 22, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Rochelle Roos

If organisations want to compete and thrive in today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape - change is not only inevitable but essential. Change strategies are crucial in various scenarios, including when an organisation suffers from market disruptions, significant growth, or restructuring. Other common examples are businesses that want to foster new culture, enhance employee engagement, promote diversity and inclusion, or address performance issues like declining profitability, or decreased customer satisfaction.

How to Embrace Being Seen, Show up as Your Authentic Self, and Know You Are Enough

September 22, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

We tend to associate habits with self-care activities, such as drinking water, exercising, and sleeping well. What about the habits that play a role in your professional life? What if you mastered the habits of speaking up in a meeting, sharing your ideas or being seen? Why do we do things that are not in our own best interest and, over time, can sabotage our progress even though it's not our intent?

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