the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Anne K Rweyora, founder, Smart Havens Africa (Uganda)
Startup Story
Anne K Rweyora is the founder of Smart Havens Africa, an impact-driven business launched in 2018 aimed at contributing to Uganda’s housing sector by helping low-income women to become home-owners. As a female civil engineer driven to positively change lives, Anne’s business stands out by offering an innovative, eco-friendly, and empowering pathway to homeownership for women-headed families.
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Anastasia Machobane, founder and ceo, Mashobane Advisory Services (South Africa)
Startup Story
Anastasia Machobane is the founder and ceo of Mashobane Advisory Services in South Africa, a business focusing on providing specialist legal and business administration services to the mostly under-serviced SMME market. She works independently or within team environments, and has a diplomatic/assertive approach in dealing with EXCO and Board members of any organisation. She is passionate about skills development and does this through her mentorship program. The business has created jobs for 5 people.
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Silvia Ferreira, founder, Cosini Lda (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Silvia Ferreira is the founder of Cosini Lda, a construction, real estate and industrial solutions company started in Mozambique in 2020 and with a workforce of 12. She is the winner of the Access bank 2022 award for the biggest Female Entrepreneurship project in Mozambique. She has an MBA in supply chain from Vlerick Business School in Belgium.
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Stacey Menga Onyango
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Minkoti Agencies Limited, a specialist, high-growth, Kenyan construction company specializing in building and civil works
Stacey Menga Onyango is the Director / Founder of Minkoti Agencies Limited in Kenya. Stacey is the sole director of the company that was founded in 2009 as a small enterprise business dealing in general supplies, and has since grown into a middle enterprise business with over 60 employees. Stacey has a background in Human Resources and Strategic Management but decided to defy the odds and get into the construction sector in 2018. The company offers quality building and civil construction services both to the government and private sector, and has in the past year upscaled the operations of the company to South Sudan.
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Mampho Sotshongaye, founder & Managing Director, Golden Rewards 1981 (South Africa)
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Golden Rewards 1981 cc, a South African construction business empowering and upskilling women in the sector
Mampho Sotshongaye is the founder and Managing Director of Golden Rewards 1981 cc in South Africa. She is an entrepreneur and award-winning business leader, and her construction business has won local awards and received international recognitions. She founded the business in 2010 but started operations in January 2013 and now employs 56 people from disadvantaged communities. On an ongoing basis, she applies various skills transfer and community upliftment programmes, providing training and support for local workers in all projects. Mampho brings 18 years of experience in the construction industry to the business having previously worked as a Construction Manager and Contracts Manager.
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Indrani Govender, founder, Ricinz Construction (South Africa)
Impact Partner Content - Absa
Indrani Govender is the founder and owner of Ricinz Construction, a business established in 2010 in South Africa which today employs 20 people. The single mother of two boys, Indrani is an award winning entrepreneur recognized for her business and the number of jobs she has created in the community. Her passion is to uplift women and youth and ensure a better life for those who have given up on life. She now strives to create wealth for all her employees.
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Nondumiso Zendile, founder of Kingsworth Civils and Construction Pty Ltd (South Africa)
Startup Story
In South Africa, the need for well constructed, affordable housing, commercial and industrial buildings has never been greater in terms of building a sustainable economy. For entrepreneur Nondumiso Zendile, owner and ceo of Kingsworth Civils and Construction Pty Ltd, her goal is to be part of the solution to meet such needs.
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Thobile Nyawo, founder of Nyawo Construction (South Africa)
Startup Story
The civil and building construction industry sectors are traditionally tough industry sectors to break into as a young, ambitious entrepreneur. But for Thobile Nyawo, founder of Nyawo Construction in South Africa, she believes there are no hurdles in business that cannot be overcome with hard work and tenacity.
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Lynelle Blunden, owner of City Granite (South Africa)
Startup Story
Visit any good home, office or hotel interior and the chances are you will see beautiful granite or marble work surfaces and staircases. They are the mark of a high quality interior design space. In South Africa, entrepreneur Lynelle Blunden, owner of City Granite, is a specialist in fabricating and installing these unique materials to transform any ordinary space into something special.
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Marta Vânia Uetela, founder of Minimal (Mozambique)
For many young people and startup businesses in Mozambique, getting a foot onto the housing and property ladder can be tough. But that is about to change thanks to Marta Vânia Uetela, a woman entrepreneur with a big vision and a great solution who is exciting everyone with her flexible and sustainable housing solution for the country.
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Laurettah Sibanda, founder of Atlantis Construction Group and Developments (Botswana)
The world of building and construction is a tough one to break into, but one entrepreneur in Botswana is doing just that. Laurettah Sibanda, founder of Atlantis Construction Group and Developments (Pty) Ltd, is building a reputation for quality project delivery and a great approach to service.
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Joelle Eyeson, co-founder of Hive Earth (Ghana)
Creating affordable housing solutions in Africa is a key challenge for many countries, and particularly homes that are eco-friendly. But Joelle Eyeson, co-founder of Hive Earth, is bringing a new and innovative solution to Ghana, and one that is replicable across the continent.
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Michelle Mbilizi, serial entrepreneur (Malawi)
There are some women entrepreneurs who don’t just think of building one business, but have the vision and imagination to create several, and Malawian entrepreneur Michelle Mbilizi is one of those.
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