The importance of visible women entrepreneur role models for young girls

April 19, 2020 Melanie Hawken

The Edit / by Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa

As women entrepreneurs, we know how important it is to our own business journeys to have successful women role models to inspire us - women who have built great businesses, often against the odds. And for the next generation of young girls, it’s equally important that they have role models to inspire them to consider entrepreneurship as their future. Yet, a new research study in the UK by Santander found that a staggering 81% of 11-18-year olds in the UK are unable to name a single female entrepreneur. It shows that visibility of women entrepreneur role models for young girls is key, especially on the African continent.

The top 10 trends driving women’s entrepreneurship in Africa in 2016

May 22, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa — **Melanie Hawken**, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa

It’s clear that women’s entrepreneurship in Africa has reached a tipping point and can certainly no longer be seen as a passing fad, raising the odd eyebrow and resulting in the occasional eye-catching newspaper headline. It’s a fundamental economic force that will reshape the economies of Africa.

Lionesses for Africa

May 11, 2016 Melanie Hawken

The Decade of the Woman Entrepreneur in Africa means great opportunities for women to make an impact, writes Melanie Hawken, founder and ceo of Lionesses of Africa.

Celebrating the World’s Leading Startup Cities - It’s Time to Put Africa On the Map!

November 1, 2015 Melanie Hawken

I read a really interesting article this week, written by Richard Florida in The Atlantic Monthly’s City Lab column, on the findings from the 2015 edition of the Startup Genome Project from Compass, which provides a new ranking for the world’s leading startup cities. The report is based on data from 11,000 global startup companies and interviews with more than 200 entrepreneurs worldwide. Its ranking gauges the world’s leading startup ecosystems—the broad infrastructure of talent, knowledge, entrepreneurs, venture capital, and companies that make up a startup community. The report measures these ecosystems based on their quality of talent, pool of venture capital resources, experience and mentorship provided by startup founders, market reach of their companies, and the ultimate performance and exit value of their companies. So, the big question is where is Africa on the list? The answer is, nowhere right now!

11 Trends Shaping Women’s Entrepreneurship in Africa in 2015

August 22, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Having spent the last few weeks speaking at various conferences about women's entrepreneurship and the work of Lionesses of Africa, and having the pleasure of meeting so many dynamic and inspirational women entrepreneurs, one thing has become crystal clear. This is the most exciting of times for women entrepreneurs in Africa. There is a reason why this has been called ‘The Decade of the African Woman Entrepreneur.’

Why Africa’s women ‘gazelle’ entrepreneurs could drive the continent’s future innovation and growth, if current barriers to entry are removed

July 7, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Africa’s entrepreneurship landscape could be set to rapidly change for women, if its women ‘gazelle’ entrepreneurs are supported in their efforts to spearhead a new spirit of innovation and growth across the continent. Gazelle entrepreneurs are defined as those businesses that have increased their revenues 20% annually for at least four years, starting from a base of US$1 million. Here in Africa, women gazelles are high-impact entrepreneurs, and represent a different breed of woman entrepreneur on the continent.

Why the global 'Slow Movement' is good news for Africa’s women entrepreneurs

June 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

In today's increasingly fast-paced world, there is a quiet revolution taking place, one that looks to create a more meaningful approach to life. The Slow Movement celebrates all things lovingly handmade, beautifully handcrafted, and above all produced ethically and in a manner that is kind to the environment. Africa's talented women entrepreneurs, makers and crafters are poised to show the rest of the world how it is done.

The meteoric rise of the successful multi-tasking Mompreneur in Africa

May 10, 2015 Melanie Hawken

Across Africa, the number of women embarking upon hugely personal journeys to launch exciting new businesses is on the rise - and with it is the number of women juggling the demands of being entrepreneurs with their equally demanding roles as Moms. Yet, when you think about it, it’s no great surprise - women, and especially those who are Moms, are essentially hard-wired to multi-task, they do it everyday of their lives.

Why it’s a great time to be a millennial woman entrepreneur in Africa

May 2, 2015 Melanie Hawken

After years of global economic pressure and lots of business uncertainty in the marketplace, there are signs of a new wave of optimism amongst entrepreneurs, and interestingly, this charge is being led by millennials who want to do things differently. It would appear that more and more young people are seeing entrepreneurship as a first choice career, not simply something to fall back on if that big corporate job doesn't materialise. For this increasingly influential group of global citizens, it would appear that being your own boss is definitely high on the lifestyle and career wish-list.

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