the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Marilize Jacobs
Do you constantly feel exhausted? Do you struggle with sleep? Do you feel that you are not coping at work? Do you generally feel unwell; perhaps even battling high blood pressure, frequent headaches and stomach issues such as cramps and diarrhoea? You might just suffer from burnout, a condition now officially recognised by The World Health Organisation (WHO).
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by Thembe Khumalo
As coaches and consultants, our ability to identify and address obstacles effectively is a crucial part of the work we do. Whether it's helping clients overcome their challenges or managing our own coaching and consulting practice, understanding the difference between challenges and excuses is vital. Here are some indicators of whether you are dealing with a challenge or an excuse…
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Natasha Pearce, founder & ceo of Vivacious Eco Vixon (South Africa)
Startup Story
Natasha Pearce is the founder and ceo of Vivacious Eco Vixon located in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an award winning entrepreneur and her business is focused on the the Circular Economy. Vivacious Eco Vixon was founded in 2018 and creates reusable home and lifestyle products that are the eco conscious alternative to single use items we use in our everyday lives. All products are locally produced in Cape Town from textile and clothing industry discarded waste. Natasha supports different sewing projects around South Africa that empower woman with new life skills by upskilling them through learning how to sew.
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Elicha Fernandes Valdez, founder, MacramêbyElicha (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Elicha Fernandes Valdez is originally from Cape Verde and has lived in Maputo, Mozambique for 3 years with her family. Graduated in Medicine, she found in Macramé a way to redefine herself, express her creativity and occupy her time, adding quality and beauty to her days. About 2 years ago she created the brand MacramêbyElicha and today shares her art with the world through his Instagram and Facebook pages.
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Gita Langa
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Floural, a growing specialist floral design and gifting business in Mozambique
Gita Langa is the owner and founder of Floural, a specialist business in Mozambique offering beautiful flower arrangements and floral gifts to customers in the country. She has an education in Auditing, Compliance and Business Management and a full-time job as Global Compliance Manager in an International non-profit organization. Gita has two big passions, compliance and flowers, and believes that God is her light and strength in all she is and does. She developed a passion for flowers in her childhood, influenced by her mother's love for Chrysanthemums. When young, she used to buy flowers for the home. She never imagined at that age that she would eventually open a florist business, as her dream was to be a fashion designer. At the time, she loved to design clothes and used to do it for herself and her friends - just one of her hidden talents.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
One of the many joys of working at Lionesses of Africa is that we have membership in so many different industries, from Fashion and Beauty, to Security, to Health, to Agro-processing, to Construction, to Road Building, to PR and Marketing, to Tech in its many forms, to…, no day is the same. There are also a number of Lionesses who have built and are building marketplaces. Not so simple as we might think. There are so many issues to think about - and assumptions that will be hopeless and overnight just wipeout their dream. Here’s a hint - ‘If I build it, they will come’, never works. Welcome to the world of the Chicken and the Egg.
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by Phillipa Geard
Leaders are burdened with an immense amount of pressure and accountability. While it is the norm for employers to prioritize employee wellness, it is also critical that they recognize the potential hidden costs of stress on their health and productivity.
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by Izane Cloete-Hamilton
Ahoy, mateys! Pack up ye olde sales sheets and dusty proposal drafts and set sail towards stronger salesmanship and writing. With this map, reach your ultimate goal – the Sales and Proposal Content Library.
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by Thembe Khumalo
The holiday season is almost upon us, and as you’re heading out to your next Christmas cocktail party, think about how this is the perfect time to infuse some festive flair into your client relationships. To be honest, you may even be a little late in using this golden opportunity to strengthen your professional bonds and make a lasting impression. So, grab your Santa hat, pour yourself something sparkling, and let's explore how to network with a festive twist!
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by Lori Milner
Consider your relationship to willpower. It isn't a trusted friend who's always there for you; willpower is the scapegoat you blame when you hit snooze for the 7th time. When you blame, you lose control and a sense of power over the situation. So, if you can't count on willpower to make the changes you want, what can you count on? You need a reason to want to keep your promises to yourself, not only on the good days but on the days you don't feel like it. Especially the days you don't feel like it!
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Dayna Mason
Book Review
Entrepreneur, Dayna Mason, author of the new book, mag.nan.i.mous: be the one everyone wants to do business with, says there are plenty of resources available that tell you how to convince people to do business with you. But, she believes if you want to inspire people rather than manipulate them and feel fulfilled in the process, then look no further than her new book. Dayna will show you how to establish relationships with others that will result in attracting all the business you could ever want.
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Siny Samba
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Le Lionceau, a social enterprise producing nutritious baby food to build an inclusive, high impact food value chain in Senegal
Siny Samba, a food processing engineering graduate from Montpellier SupAgro, France, seamlessly blends her passions for cooking and supporting children in Senegal. Motivated by a commitment to contribute to her country's development, she returned to Senegal and founded "Le Lionceau" in 2018, a social enterprise producing nutritious, locally sourced baby food. Today the business employs 35 people. Through collaborations with smallholder farmers and women's groups, the company aims to build a sustainable and inclusive food value chain. Siny actively advocates for the importance of the first 1,000 days in a child's life, conducting awareness campaigns on maternal and infant nutrition. Her journey reflects a dedication to making a positive impact on children's well-being and fostering community development.
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Yeelen Khan, founder, MJAY Criações (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Yeelen Khan is a Mozambican entrepreneur and the founder of MJAY Criações which launched in January 2022. MJAY is a company that creates and sells educational resources for children, with the aim of making learning moments joyful and light. MJAY has 2 workers and has partnerships for distribution in Maputo, Nacala and Beira. MJAY has an online store that can be accessed at www.mjaycriacoes.co.mz.
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Iara Muchanga, founder, FERMU (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Iara Muchanga is the founder of FERMU, a sustainable Mozambican jewellery and accessory brand founded in 2022 that is faithful to its identity and its passion for reducing the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry. Iara’s work is focused on sustainability, creating accessories from recycled solid waste such as fish carcasses, shells, cardboard plastic bottles, etc.
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by Blessed Agyemang
Are you hoping to start a business that relies substantially or even minimally on the flow of your products from make to use? As a startup, every aspect of your business requires careful planning and execution, and your supply chain is no exception. While often overshadowed by product development and marketing, a well-designed and efficient supply chain is essential for your startup's success. It can help you streamline operations, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. It is important to optimize your supply chain as a startup and build efficiency from the ground up.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
We often work with Lionesses who have come up against the usual funding brick walls (no need to repeat, regular readers will know what we are talking about. New readers? Do we have a treat for you - see here one of our many articles highlighting the iniquities of finance!), and who need a helping hand.
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Carole Mahoney
Book Review
In Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling, author Carole Mahoney, who once struggled to pay bills and is now a top sales coach and influencer, says the reason so many of us are bad at selling is, well, we think selling is bad. She believes that winning new customers is the number one challenge 80 percent of entrepreneurs face, and a big reason half of small businesses fail within five years. Carole says it’s time to forget everything you think you know about selling.
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Erica Paiva
Since childhood, we're expected to have our studies wrapped up, chase our dream job upon reaching adulthood, and that's all cool. But what about life's challenges? The hurdles that pop up, who acknowledges those? Who explains that family dependency can mess with our procrastination habits?
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by Lori Milner
You get two kinds of people: someone who says they have twenty years of experience or someone who has repeated the same year twenty times. Do you know someone who constantly attracts the same situations yet responds identically and can't understand why they don't have a better result? This is truly the definition of insanity.
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by Tsitsi Mutendi
Africa, a continent rich in cultural diversity and abundant resources, has often been marked by political instability and military coups. These abrupt changes in leadership can have far-reaching consequences for societies, economies, and various sectors, including women in business. In this article, we will explore how coups in Africa influence women in business on the continent and offer strategies for navigating such turbulent times.
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