Refilwe Mongwaketse, an entrepreneur building a personal shopping and styling brand in South Africa

February 25, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Refilwe Mongwaketse, founder, Thuma Mina Personal Shopping (South Africa)

Startup Story

Born in the town of Kanye, Botswana, Refilwe Mongwaketse is the vibrant, energetic, and passionate founder of Thuma Mina Personal Shopping in South Africa. While her career background lies in Architecture and the Construction industry, Refilwe’s heart has always been drawn toward the captivating world of Personal Styling and Interior Design. Based in the bustling city of Johannesburg, South Africa, she has embarked on a journey fuelled by her unrelenting entrepreneurial spirit. For Refilwe, the transformative power of clothes has always been undeniable. She firmly believes that when we look good, we also feel good, allowing us to show up as our highest selves and perform at our peak level. Through Thuma Mina Personal Shopping, Refilwe has been able to ignite that fire within others and that has helped them to fulfil their dreams.

Olubunmi Otufowora, a Nigerian pioneer building a growing nutritious drinks brand

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Olubunmi Otufowora, founder, Boomsky Smoothies (Nigeria)

Startup Story

Olubunmi Otufowora is the founder of Boomsky Smoothies, a leading indigenous fruit processing and distribution company in Nigeria that produces 100% natural smoothies and juices. Operating for over a decade, Boomsky Smoothies was founded in 2010 and has bridged the gap between nutrition and busy executives who want a healthy drink on the go. With more than 14 years of experience in various senior leadership roles in one of Nigeria's top telecommunications firms, her strong professional insight has been instrumental in her success. Her passion for promoting healthy living through natural fruit drinks is evident in her company's exceptional growth and impact. Olubunmi is committed to positively impacting Nigeria's society by reducing post-harvest food loss. Her business is aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, and 12, and her efforts are reflected in the sustainable growth of Boomsky Smoothies over the years. Today the business employs 28 people.

Moleboheng (Lebo) Nhamahango, a Mozambican surface pattern designer bringing creative life to everyday items

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Moleboheng (Lebo) Nhamahango, founder and CEO, Nerah Decór (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Moleboheng (Lebo) Nhamahango is the founder and CEO of Nerah Decór in Mozambique, an online surface pattern design company. Lebo designs the patterns in Mozambique and then uploads them to the Red Bubble portal which allows her to coordinate her design prints on different surfaces according to a client's order. Through the Red Bubble portal, it allows Lebo to print and ship her product designs from USA to any country in the world. Lebo makes it easy for clients to access her designs, and by simply putting the Nerah Decór website in a client's URL, that client links to the online store where they can order according to their desire and collect their order on their doorstep!

Hleziphi Siyothula–Mtshizana, a South African renewable energy pioneer

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

In Pursuit Renewable Energy, a sustainability-focused South African project development, energy efficiency and alternative power solutions business

Hleziphi Siyothula–Mtshizana is an Electrical Engineer and seasoned Energy Professional with almost 16 years’ experience in delivering small to utility scale infrastructure projects with a focus on Renewable Energy. Her business, In Pursuit Renewable Energy in South Africa was formed in 2017 and today has 8 employees. Hleziphi is a former Senior Project Manager within Arup’s Renewables team overseeing a Lender’s Technical Advisory (LTA) team taking Renewables (Solar/Wind) projects from bid submission, Financial Close and Commercial Operation, Construction Monitoring and Operations Monitoring. She was also a former Technical Manager in the IPP sector developing greenfield projects and leading projects in the C&I space. She has developed and delivered over 3000MW of Renewables projects (Solar, Hydro, Wind Battery Energy Storage) in South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana and UK. Hleziphi also held leadership roles such as COO of Bonang Power & Energy, Principal for Matt&Co Advisory, Arup Education Trust Trustee, the COO for the SunElex Group and Project Development Team Lead for TASEZ Gas to Energy Project. She is also a mother of 3 Daughters, Skills Development Facilitator, Conference Speaker and Moderator.

New Green Business Growth the focus of the 1st Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Business Agility Report

Lionesses of Africa’s new event year started with a bang as the first Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024, took place on 14 February, with 120 women entrepreneurs predominantly from South Africa joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “New Year, New Green Business Growth”. It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognise and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building green, sustainable businesses and driving economic growth. They are creating much-needed jobs with their businesses, whilst also creating sustainable impact too.

The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute by Laura M Camacho PhD

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Great communication skills are essential for women entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses, and in her new book, The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute, author and business coach Laura M Camacho PhD, shows you how.

Know your numbers to stay ahead of the game…

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

It is one thing to complain and be grumpy about the rounding error that is the amount of funding that goes into women’s businesses in Africa, but as we stated last week (here) we believe the answer may lie instead in highlighting the benefits to the investors, and their own investor base in having a more diverse team and with that a stronger portfolio made up of more female-founded companies.

The Top 5 Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2024

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Vuyelwa Gxakushe

What are the top 5 Marketing trends you can’t Ignore in 2024? The confetti has settled, the resolutions are set, and 2024 stands poised on the digital horizon. For small businesses, navigating this dynamic landscape isn't just about riding the trend waves, it's about carving your own course with the right tools and strategies.

Change is an integral part of life - accept the fact!

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

The way to conquer any fear of change is to display an open-mindedness to new ideas and desires in your life. To get ahead one has to demonstrate a willingness to do things differently from everyone else and this in itself is a challenge as it’s so much easier to go with the flow - to fit in - to be one of the sheep.

Navigating Legal Compliance: The Power of a Project Plan

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by by Nicolene Schoeman-Louw | SchoemanLaw Inc | Specialist Technology, Commercial and Contract Law Attorney

In today's intricate and multifaceted business environment, adhering to legal compliance is far more than a mere option—it's a fundamental prerequisite for any organization. Complying with the labyrinth of laws and regulations is not solely about averting legal entanglements. However, it is a pivotal component for fostering trust with stakeholders and ensuring the enduring viability of your enterprise. To proficiently manage legal compliance within your business, a meticulously crafted project plan serves as an invaluable roadmap.

How smart are you?

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Marilize Jacobs

This question is usually answered by referring to IQ, test scores and grades. Yet, in business (and life) I believe street smarts – i.e., social and emotional intelligence as well as resilience (also referred to as SQ, EQ and AQ)– are just as important (if not more) than book smarts.

Palesa Mkhulisi, a South African PR and marketing entrepreneur focused on creating value for clients

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Palesa Mkhulisi, founder, The Link PR and Marketing Solutions (South Africa)

Startup Story

Palesa Mkhulisi is the founder of The Link PR and Marketing Solutions in South Africa, a business focused on helping start-ups to create value, build long-term sustainability, and bring positive changes to their communities through tailored marketing and PR solutions. She is a 24-year-old entrepreneur with a passion for social development and a commitment to solving real-world problems. Raised in Soweto a township in Johannesburg she developed an early appreciation for the power of community and the impact that businesses can have on society. Beyond her role as an entrepreneur, Palesa actively participates in various community outreach programs and advising young business leaders. She is dedicated to fostering the next generation of socially aware entrepreneurs.

One Rapelana, a creative and ethical accessory brand-builder in Botswana

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

One Rapelana, founder, designer, and creative director of Xita (Botswana)

Startup Story

One Rapelana is the award-winning founder, designer, and creative director of Xita, a specialist accessory brand in Botswana. What began as a hobby in 2015 evolved into a full-fledged company in 2018, with One focusing on ethically sourced leather accessories, primarily jewellery and bags crafted from offcuts, remnants, and by-product leather. While One Rapelana outsources some aspects, including collaborating with women artisans for cotton bags used in packaging and branding, she remains a one-woman show, personally crafting each product and overseeing all aspects of the company. Armed with a degree in Marketing and Management, she is also a self-taught graphic, web, and brand designer. Her work has garnered recognition, featured in Glamour SA magazine, and her products were showcased at the Brooklyn Museum store for the African Fashion Exhibition in 2023.

Bernadette Umunyana, a Rwandan creative manufacturing business builder

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Dokmai Rwanda Ltd, a manufacturing business creating proudly Made in Rwanda accessories.

Bernadette Umunyana is founder and CEO of Dokmai Rwanda Ltd, a private, family owned, and women managed manufacturing company in Rwanda, producing since December 2014 leather handcrafted fashion accessories like handbags, backpacks, wallets and belts for women and men. The company currently employs 21 people of whom 70% are women. Bernadette is a very active and creative female entrepreneur, consequently she was looking to diversify her activities through a horizontal expansion with potential synergetic impact, and noticing the growing demand for wooden and upholstery furniture in the local market she decided to acquire in 2019 an existing carpentry workshop, INWOOD, Ltd.

Entrepreneurial Success: Growing Business in a Fluid Economy by Divine Simbi-Ndhlukula (PhD)

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In her debut as an author, Divine Simbi-Ndhlukula (PhD) in her new book, Entrepreneurial Success: Growing Business in a Fluid Economy, provides ten powerful success insights for budding and established entrepreneurs alike. Zeroing in on her life’s work in her business enterprises at SECURICO and Zvikomborero Farms, she distills business administration concepts into everyday life principles that we all can admit we already know but fail to leverage.

‘Deep-rooted gender imbalance’ leaving cash on the table…

February 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

The VC numbers for Africa in 2023 were released a few weeks ago and, as usual, the dial for women just doesn’t seem to be moving. As the brilliant data crunchers at ‘Africa: The Big Deal’ show (here), male and all male funding teams in 2023 as with other years, continued to raise around 85% of the entire funding, that’s not only equity but also debt and grants. Women and all women founding teams raised a rounding error, 2.3% to be exact, with only 13% going to gender diverse ones. Their article is headed: “2023 Deep-rooted gender imbalance” and deep-rooted it is. We just can’t seem to shake off these 2% levels.

How we designed a business that allowed us to only do work we love

February 10, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

Are you tired of taking every job that comes your way, offering discounts, and working on assignments you're not specialized in? It's time to break free from the scarcity mindset, stop working ridiculous hours, and dealing with abusive clients. Let's dive into why this approach doesn't work.

Leveraging Technology for Business Success

February 10, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Shatho Babitse

In the rapidly evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, technology has become a powerful catalyst for growth and innovation. For women entrepreneurs, leveraging technology can open new doors, enhance productivity, and create opportunities for business expansion. Here are key ways women entrepreneurs can harness the potential of technology to propel their ventures forward.

5 Steps to Be More Articulate

February 10, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Laura Camacho

At least 80% of what we do, probably 99%, is communicating. We ask people to buy things, do things, approve budgets, make changes, show up, and go here, instead of there. Being articulate is an asset you can cultivate.

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