Just good business and great communities

October 8, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

It was without doubt one of our finest moments, persuading Melanie to give us the time off, and on behalf of the greater Lioness community we headed off into southern Italy for a road trip. Stopping off in many restaurants (all in the name of research, of course) we drove around the beautiful countryside allowing us a deep look into a part of Italy often missed by the tourist books. Covered as it is in breathtaking views, steeped in culture and of course, amazing produce from the land, it is an area of the world well worth a visit. What we also noticed sadly was the slow death of hilltop towns as the youth vote with their feet, and head to the big cities in the North to search for the roads ‘paved with gold’ and of course meaningful jobs.

No Jacket Required!

October 8, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

In the world of entrepreneurship, there is no place to hide. Where the corporate world might have allowed you the cover of a jacket and tie, a shiny pair of shoes, and an impressive title, entrepreneurship strips you naked, and leaves you with nothing but yourself and your wits — or whatever it is that you bring to the table.

The Work/Life Balance While Working Remotely

October 7, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

As traditional offices evolve into virtual workspaces, the impact of working from home on individuals is undeniable. We were forced into this during Covid and suddenly Zoom became a household word and we were able to continue working from home which felt really strange initially - but it was so super to be able to go to the loo without walking across a busy shop and to make a cup of tea when you felt like it and not wait for the “tea lady” to bring it to you at 10am and 3 pm!

How to Create Progress When You Feel Stuck

October 7, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

If you ask someone if they like surprises, they'll say of course. That's because they are picturing the surprises they would like to receive. You only like the surprises you want, but we know life also gives us the surprises you don't want. These come wrapped in challenges, setbacks or even loss. When these surprises arrive unannounced, they can knock us off our feet, leaving us feeling helpless to participate in the solution.

Wild Spaces in Africa

October 7, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Sharon Castle

As I write this, I’m sitting overlooking a river in a wild space in Africa. Each year my husband and go on an adventure to a new place and explore an area we haven’t experienced before. Deciding to take a full 23 days off mid-year has become a regular thing for us for the past few years and it’s enriched my life in too many ways to explain.

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.

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