the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Shemia A. Williams
Book Review
In her new step-by-step workbook, Dear Entrepreneur: Start Where You Are, Shemia A Williams is your guide to building a solid foundation for your brand or business, whether you're starting for the first time or catching up. It is a book that combines actionable insights with heartfelt advice—designed to guide entrepreneurs toward success and purpose.
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by Seanice Lojede
I was recently invited to speak to a group of women entrepreneurs at GIBS University in South Africa. Part of the conversation was around Impostor Syndrome and decision making. How do you know when to take certain decisions both personal and business, and the doubt that comes with it? So I shared something I have learned the hard way…
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by Marilize Jacobs
Colour therapy in branding is the strategic use of colours to evoke emotions, influence perceptions, and shape consumer behavior through your marketing and brand identity. It is rooted in colour psychology, which studies how different colour hues (shades) affect human emotions, decisions and associations.
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by Taryn Blignaut
This article sets out the importance of having a written agreement to regulate your transactions as a small business. We also cover some of the benefits of putting in place a customised legal template for your business.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“Consistency is what transforms average into excellence.” – Tony Robbins
Businesses engaging with customers across multiple platforms—email, social media, chat, and phone—must ensure a seamless and consistent experience. Inconsistent responses, delayed replies, or mixed messaging can confuse customers and harm brand credibility. Here’s how to maintain consistency across all customer touch-points.
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What we’re loving this week
In this week’s celebration of all things Woman Made In Africa, we are showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating world-class luxury gift items that the world wants to buy. Catching our attention this week are: Taíla Carrilho, co-founder of Ruum Gallery and founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho in Mozambique; Bernadette Umunyana, founder of Dokmai Rwanda in Rwanda; Sarah Collins, founder of Wonderbag in South Africa; Adèle Dejak, founder of Adèle Dejak in Kenya.
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Selam Wondim Gebremedhin, founder, Gomida Solutions (Ethiopia)
Startup Story
Selam Wondim Gebremedhin is the founder of Gomida Solutions in Ethiopia, a gamified super-platform that seamlessly integrates gaming, brand engagement, and interactive experiences. The business, launched in 2024 and creating jobs for 11 people, develops hyper-casual games that entertain, educate, and reward players while providing brands, influencers, and developers with innovative ways to engage and grow their audiences. The platform transforms gameplay into impact—enabling users to play, learn, and earn within familiar social media and messaging ecosystems, eliminating the need for additional downloads.
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Zenzile Silvia Mabitsela, founder, Masana Generation Project (South Africa)
Startup Story
Zenzile Silvia Mabitsela is the founder of Masana Generation Project in South Africa, a poultry farming business specialising in broiler chickens, crop production, and rabbit production. She is a leader and social entrepreneur, a farmer, and a public speaker, who likes to work with local communities. Zenzile is passionate about her work and has an openness to learning and implementation in her business. She registered the business in 2014 and started operations full-time in 2018.
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Jennifer Fernandez & Amanda Jane Jones
Book Review
The book, Mother / Founder: 68 Women on the Trials and Triumphs of Starting a Business and Raising a Family, by Amanda Jane Jones & Jennifer Fernandez is an inspirational and empowering celebration of more than sixty women who are both dedicated mothers and successful entrepreneurs. Starting a business can be daunting, scary, and exciting, all at once; so too can starting a family. But they can coexist, as the incredible roster of women in this book demonstrates. Entrepreneurship can be both a sustainable and fulfilling model for working motherhood.
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Claire van Enk
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Farm to Feed, a Kenyan enterprise aggregating imperfect/surplus produce, creating market demand, and selling to customers via a digital platform
Farm to Feed is a game-changing Kenyan enterprise revolutionizing the way we approach food waste and surplus produce. Co-founded by Claire van Enk, this innovative business aggregates imperfect and surplus produce, creating a fresh market demand and delivering it directly to customers through a digital platform. By addressing food loss, boosting farmer incomes, and improving food affordability, Farm to Feed is making a tangible impact on both the environment and local communities—cutting greenhouse gas emissions along the way.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
Last weekend we highlighted that William Warshauer of Technoserve wrote (here): “Since 1960, the world has spent roughly $5.7 trillion on foreign aid…Of that enormous sum, how much has been effective in fighting poverty? The shocking truth is that we don’t really know.” “…we don’t really know.” - How is that possible?
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by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA
In the journey of developing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, perseverance plays a pivotal role. From the early days of launching a business to the strategic CSR phase and beyond, perseverance ensures that SMEs continue to evolve, adapt, and push through obstacles, ultimately creating significant societal value.
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by Jenny Reid
Queue of thousands shows desperation at South Africa job crisis. What does desperation cost our country? Many in our country are really struggling but desperate times create desperate measures. Don’t skip your processes in place to address risk. Regardless of how desperate a person may be, make sure you verify details on the job application thoroughly. Every time.
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by Margaret Hirsch
In business, success isn’t just about having the best products or the biggest advertising budget—it’s about building genuine relationships. People buy from those they know, like, and trust. That’s why, for the past 46 years, Hirsch's Homestore has been more than just a brand; we’ve been a family, a community, and a trusted partner in homes across the country.
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by Dr Michélle Booysen
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Delivering personalized customer support is essential for building strong relationships and retaining customers. However, as the business grows, responding to inquiries efficiently while maintaining a personal touch can be challenging. The key is to balance automation with human connection.
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Lioness Spotlight
Africa needs great educators, committed people who are passionate about helping children and young people to learn and fulfill their potential, equipping them to make a positive difference in the world. At Lionesses of Africa, we are celebrating women entrepreneurs who are creating leading-edge technologies and new approaches to education to make a real difference to the lives of new generations of children and young people across the African continent.
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What we’re loving this week
In this week’s spotlight on all things Woman Made In Africa, we have given a nod to Valentine’s Day celebrations, showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating world-class luxury gift items that the world wants to buy at this time of the year. Catching our attention this week are: Frances Edwards, founder of House of Cinnamon in South Africa; Zainab Ashadu, founder of Zashadu in Nigeria/UK; Lucy Beard, co-founder of Hope Distillery in South Africa; Djamila Machava De Sousa and Wacy Zacarias, co-founders of Karingana wa Karingana in Mozambique; and Selassie Atadika, founder of Midunu Chocolates in Ghana.
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Ronel Jooste and Dr Marli Jooste, co-founders, PhysEQFiT Wellness & Leadership Development (South Africa)
Startup Story
Ronel and Dr Marli Jooste, two sisters and co-founders of PhysEQFiT Wellness & Leadership Development, a business focused on Transforming People. Transforming Workplaces, and Transforming Leaders. The name, PhysEQFiT, implies the importance of overall wellbeing, including Phys = physical wellbeing (health, fitness, nutrition, brain health, stress management, burnout), EQ = emotional wellbeing (personal mastery and growth, whole-brain thinking, neurocoaching, mental health, team dynamics, mediation etc, Fi = financial wellbeing, and FiT = all these aspects need to be in balance to enhance your overall performance, leadership capacity, wellbeing and lifestyle. The business was founded in 2015 and employs 5 people.
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Adonia Mankou Yanate, founder, Shumukh Design (South Africa)
Startup Story
Adonia Mankou Yanate, founder of Shumukh Design, approaches design as both an art and a philosophy—one that shapes how people interact with space and, ultimately, with life itself. She seeks to craft environments that are not only functional and beautiful but also transformative. Her design language is deeply rooted in texture, textiles, and color, drawing from African narratives while embracing a universal human experience. With projects spanning South Africa and the DRC, Adonia is building a brand that aspires to redefine luxury in an African context, proving that design can be both deeply personal and globally resonant.
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Rym Bedoui Ayari
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
WeFranchiz, a dynamic platform connecting franchise owners with aspiring entrepreneurs in Tunisia
Rym Bedoui Ayari, founder of WeFranchiz, a franchisor-franchisee networking platform in Tunisia. She has a career spanning more than 25 years in the management of a consulting firm specializing in partnership design and assistance, market development, and international marketing strategies for international and Tunisian companies, which has introduced international franchises in the region, including: Eric Kayser, KFC, Nike, etc. and also specializes in network development for Tunisian companies by introducing techniques based on successful franchise models; Gourmandise, California Gym, CUISINA, Tunisie Booking, etc.
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