The BOLD Change the World: Lessons from GEC 2025

August 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA

Arriving in Indianapolis for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) felt like being welcomed home by a community of friends. GEC chose Indiana intentionally, recognizing the state’s strong startup ecosystem and culture of innovation. “The BOLD Change the World” was the event’s tagline, but also served as a call to action. From the moment we landed, GEC volunteers greeted each of the 5,000 attendees arriving from 150 countries, guiding us to buses, sharing local dining tips, and ensuring a seamless transition to the main conference hotel. Registration was swift, credentials were issued (Founder, Ecosystem Builder, Policymaker, Investor), and a sense of shared purpose was already in the air.

Business Growth - The Critical Role of Process in Expanding to New Markets

August 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“You can’t scale chaos. You can only scale clarity.” – Anonymous

Expanding into new markets is an exciting growth milestone—but it also brings complexity, risk, and the need for operational precision. Whether you're entering a new region, industry, or customer segment, success depends on more than ambition. It requires robust, repeatable processes that guide your team, protect your standards, and adapt to new conditions.

What's Your Money Mindset? (And Why It Might Be Running Your Whole Life)

August 14, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Seanice Lojede

What if I told you that your relationship with money was decided before you could even spell “budget"? This morning, I hosted a powerful training session. The women of Stanbic Bank Uganda's Ignite mentorship program gathered virtually for a session called "Money & Your Mindset" and something extraordinary happened. One woman messaged, "I would pay VERY GOOD money for this." Another said, "This is the first time I've understood why I do what I do with money.” From the first few minutes, you could feel the energy shift. Heads nodding. Eyes widening. Truths landing. They didn't just learn about money, honestly - they met themselves, truthfully, and maybe for the first time in this way. I FELT IT TOO! What we explored wasn’t how to budget or save (though that’s important). It was something deeper: the invisible beliefs and emotional habits that shape how we relate to money. And ultimately, how we lead our lives.

Beyond Networking: Building Strategic Sisterhood That Fuel Growth

August 14, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Ntsoaki Sibiya

There is a moment in every woman’s journey when she realizes that success alone is not enough. It is not enough to collect business cards, chase applause, or sit at every table just to be seen. I reached that moment years ago - in a boardroom full of people, yet profoundly alone in my mission. My business was growing, yes. My name was on event posters, my calendar was full. But behind the scenes, I was carrying the weight of leadership in isolation. Surrounded, yet unseen. Accomplished, yet unanchored. That’s when I began to understand something no networking event had ever taught me:

You don’t just need more contacts. You need a council. You need an advisory board. A strategy of proximity.

Prizing More

July 26, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA

Earlier this year, I made a deliberately planned stop in Oxford on my way to the Paris Marathon to spend a few days on the sidelines of the Skoll World Forum. I was curious to see how leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers are thinking about systems change today.

Business Growth: Processes That Enable SMEs to Scale Sustainably

July 26, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“You don’t build a business – you build processes, and the processes build the business.” – Anonymous

Scaling isn’t just about selling more—it’s about delivering more with consistency, efficiency, and control. Without scalable processes, growth quickly leads to chaos, service breakdowns, and overwhelmed teams. Sustainable growth requires SMEs to invest in processes that can grow with them.

From 34% to 10%? Why the Real Unemployment Question Is About Visibility, Not Just Stats

July 25, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Sasha Knott

South Africa is having something of a statistical identity crisis. Recently, Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie questioned the country’s official unemployment rate of 32.9%, suggesting it might be closer to 10% if we included the informal sector – gig workers, informal traders, and side hustlers. Minister Parks Tau echoed the sentiment. Stats SA, however, held firm. While that debate sparks headlines, it may be missing the bigger picture. The real issue? We’re still not connecting the right people to the right jobs – fast enough or far enough. “Arguing whether unemployment is 34% or 10% misses the point,” says Sasha Knott, Global CEO of Job Crystal. “The real debate should be: how do we reduce unemployment? If 24% of our workforce is in the informal sector, why aren’t we building tools to help those businesses grow and hire more?”

Sisterhood Superpower: How collaboration can fuel an African woman’s entrepreneurial dreams

July 25, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, Founder & CEO, ZER Consulting Africa

"Our legacy is more than just our business. When we empower others, especially our fellow women, we create a ripple effect that extends far beyond our immediate sphere."

Africa is alive with audacious dreams, bustling tech hubs, and villages brimming with innovation. And guess who's increasingly at the forefront, turning those visions into reality and disrupting industries? African women entrepreneurs! But here’s the honest truth: even the most brilliant idea, the most meticulously crafted strategy, can feel like a marathon without the right gear and running buddy.

Leadership Today: A Focus on Women

July 18, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA

Why Investing in Your Leadership Matters — A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking at the introduction of a Women in Leadership course at WITS Business School. It got me thinking about a question I often hear: “Is a leadership course really worth it?”

The power of social media screening in high-level recruitment

July 18, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

Background — A leading recruiter in South Africa was tasked with filling a critical vacancy for a senior-level IT developer at a major fintech firm. The position had remained open for months due to a significant shortage of highly skilled IT professionals in the country. Pressure was mounting to secure a candidate with the right blend of expertise, leadership, and innovation.

Designing with Purpose: Creating an Inner Circle that Matches Your Mission

July 18, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Ntsoaki Sibiya

There are seasons in life when growth feels like acceleration. There are others when it feels like pruning. But in every season, one thing remains constant: who walks with you matters just as much as where you are going.

Performance Management: Measuring the ROI of Process Improvements

July 18, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

"In business, every decision is an investment. ROI is how we learn if that investment was smart." – Melinda Emerson

Process improvements aren’t just about making workflows smoother or reducing frustration—they are business decisions meant to deliver real value. To understand the effectiveness of those improvements, it is a good practice to measure their return on investment (ROI). Doing so helps justify the change, builds confidence, and informs future decisions.

The Backbone of Great Leadership: Owning Your Role

July 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

Leadership is not about titles, authority, or being in charge. It’s about taking ownership. At the heart of every successful team or business lies one powerful trait: accountability. When leaders lead by example and take full responsibility for their actions, their words carry weight and their teams thrive.

The critical importance of verification - lessons from a high-profile qualification fraud

July 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

In today’s competitive and increasingly scrutinised hiring landscape, verifying a candidate’s qualifications isn’t just a formality, it’s a vital safeguard for organisations and the broader community. The recent case of Zholia Alemi serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences that can occur when due diligence is overlooked.

The Mid-Year Mentor Check-In: Auditing Your Growth and Realigning for Impact

July 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Ntsoaki Sibiya

We are officially at the midpoint of the year — that sacred space between what was and what is yet to be. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years as a woman who builds, mentors, and leads — it’s that growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. Intentional design.

Performance Management: Setting Up Simple and Effective Quality Assurance Processes

July 12, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” – Steve Jobs

Quality assurance (QA) is often associated with complex systems or highly regulated industries—but every business, regardless of size, benefits from having simple and effective QA processes. Quality assurance isn't just about avoiding mistakes—it's about consistently meeting customer expectations, building trust, and improving outcomes.

Let’s rewrite the ‘good’ businesswoman narrative

June 29, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jeni-Anne Campbell

“It is time to remove the unconscious biases associated with being a “good businesswoman”.

I consider myself a good businesswoman, but defining what that means to other people isn't always easy. Out of curiosity, I turned to Google and was surprised to see the glaring and unsettling differences between its definition of a good businessman and a good businesswoman.

The Future Is Fast, But People Still Matter Most.

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Margaret Hirsch

Over the past four and a half decades, I’ve watched retail evolve in ways we never imagined possible, from handwritten invoices and Sunday newspaper ads (as well as being on the back page of the local newspapers) to e-commerce, apps, social media, and AI. Its always been my belief that if something can make your life better, why not embrace it? I remember getting the first ever cellphone in Durban which was the size of a brick and being so proud to show people that I could talk to the office from their homes! We have always tried to be ahead of the pack, way back from the time we introduced the microwave oven to peoples homes by starting the first independent microwave cookery school in South Africa. Even now we run workshops in our Samsung stores for clients who want to get the most out of their new cellphones, nothing is too simple – I showed a 90 year old how to use Whatsapp to speak to his great-grandchildren in Australia on Facetime and he got such a kick out of it!!

Performance Management: The Role of Process Audits in Sustained Performance

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort." – John Ruskin

Aiming to maintain high performance and continuous improvement? Then let me suggest that process audits are not a luxury—they’re a necessity. A process audit systematically examines workflows, identifies inefficiencies, and ensures alignment with business goals. It helps organisations spot risks early, uncover hidden waste, and maintain a culture of accountability and excellence.

How compliance and paperwork can assist you with funding readiness

June 24, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

A recent finfind report, in partnership with African Bank , titled “finfind South African MSME Access to finance report 2025”, the report states that accessing necessary capital has always been a tremendous obstacle for a small business looking to establish itself. I am sure this statement is true not only in the South African context, but across the world, and I am equally sure that most of you can relate with personal experiences, as you have been navigating your journey.

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