the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Hermine Bertolini, founder, Ann Pads (Namibia)
Startup Story
Ann Pads is a social impact business, founded by Hermine Bertolini in Namibia, which addresses the combined challenge of period poverty and menstruation education in the country. Her business manufactures washable sanitary pads, combined with an educational programme approach to helping girls, families and local communities to better understand menstruation.
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Beatha Shitemba, Founder and CEO, Nel's Babies & Kiddies (Namibia)
Startup Story
Beatha Shitemba is the Founder and CEO of Nel's Babies & Kiddies in Namibia. She is a seasoned entrepreneur and award-winning business leader. Beatha's business is focused on manufacturing and providing high quality, affordable baby and kids products to the international and pan-African market. She founded the business in 2017 and now employs 3 people, all of them women from local communities. She has over 17 years of working experience in the financial industry as a former Risk & Compliance Manager.
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Victoria Haihambo, founder, Agelvipa Online (Namibia)
Startup Story
Victoria Haihambo is a Founder of a startup called Agelvipa Online in Namibia. She is also a Startup Business Coach and an Author. Her business aims to support micro women vendors by linking them to the market and offering them business management training. She founded the business in 2019 and to date has offered support to over two hundred women through training, mentorship and helping them to create business linkages. Over the past two years, she has received several start-up entrepreneurship awards, both nationally and internationally, and was inducted into the Namibia Business Hall of Fame as an Emerging Entrepreneur in 2020. In addition to these achievements, Victoria is a published author and has published her first book, the highly sought after Women’s Persistence (2019). This was followed by her current book, published in September 2019, titled ‘’The Journey To and From Wealth’’ in which she combined fiction with an element of entrepreneurship and wealth, and the pros and cons that come with it.
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Marita Walther, co-founder & managing director EBIKES4AFRICA (Namibia)
Startup Story
As co-founder and managing director of award-winning social enterprise, EBIKES4AFRICA, Marita Walther represents a women-led entity that works to empower African communities through sustainable mobility and energy. With a background in media, journalism and social sciences, Marita is passionate about gender and youth empowerment, uplifting local communities and preserving the natural environment for future generations. The business, which was launched in 2015, now employees 20 people.
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Susan Nel , founder, Susan Nel Photography (Namibia)
Startup Story
There is nothing quite as powerful as a great photographic image that captures life and work’s key moments, and in Namibia, Susan Nel and the photography business that carries her name, is doing just that. Whether it’s recording on camera a beautiful wedding, or creating a powerful image of a product that can spearhead a marketing campaign, Susan knows just how to get the right shot for the occasion.
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Susan Nel, founder of Susan Nel Photography (Namibia)
Startup Story
There is a well known saying that a picture says a thousand words, and in Namibia, entrepreneur Susan Nel, founder of Susan Nel Photography is helping her clients to tell their own unique stories through powerful images.
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Lelanie Basson, founder of Twafiika Consultant (Namibia)
Startup Story
For boutique consulting business, Twafiika Consultants, the phrase ‘it’s all in a name’ is particularly apt. Lelanie Basson’s business name was chosen as it is derived from Oshiwambo, and Twafiika means “to arrive”. This is one business in Namibia that has definitely arrived, building a solid reputation for developing highly creative and insightful strategies for businesses who are looking for that competitive edge.
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Juliet Madamombe, founder of Global Edge Training Institute (GETI) (Namibia)
Startup Story
For all those looking to get a good job and build a successful career, they know that training and personal skills development will give them the edge. In Namibia, that’s where Global Edge Training Institute (GETI), founded by entrepreneur Juliet Madamombe, comes to the rescue.
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Emily Kandanga, Lwando Mufune and Lwimba Mufune, founders of Sweat Fitness (Namibia)
Startup Story
For many people, getting fit is a real challenge and one that requires not just motivation but also specialist help and advice. In Namibia, that’s where niche business Sweat Fitness comes in. Founded by entrepreneur and passionate fitness advocate Emily Kandanga and her two co-founders, Lwando Mufune and Lwimba Mufune, they are taking fitness to the next level in the country.
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Event Report
On the morning of Wednesday 11 September, 70 women entrepreneurs gathered together for the latest in the series of popular Lioness Lean In networking events in Windhoek, once again hosted by Lionesses of Africa and Nedbank Namibia. As always, the focus of the event was on women business builders sharing their startup stories, inspiring each other with their experiences, and of course, lots of networking.
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Zodidi Gaseb, founder of African Naturals (Namibia)
Many women entrepreneurs are inspired to start their businesses as a result of trying to solve a particular problem or challenge as consumers. In the case of entrepreneur Zodidi Gaseb, her brand African Naturals, was created to find a natural but effective solution to great hair and skin health.
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Jamilla and Fierdowsah Jacobs, founders of Kids Emporium Namibia
Every proud parent knows how exciting it is to shop for their children, but it is often hard to find just the right item of clothing or furniture that is both practical and trendy. In Windhoek, Namibia, two sister entrepreneurs have filled the gap with their beautiful retail store, Kids Emporium Namibia. It stocks a wealth of must-have products to suit the needs of babies and toddlers, whilst fulfilling the needs of moms and parents to be.
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Saba Tekle and Lelanie Basson
"20 Beautiful Women: 20 More Stories That Will Heal Your Soul, Ignite Your Passion And Inspire Your Divine Purpose" Africa Edition by Saba Tekle and Lelanie Basson is a collection of personal short stories from 20 more authors, speakers, and life coaches from all over the world who are bonding together for the common goal of sisterhood and to transform women from the inside-out.
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Petrina Auino-Mwandingi, founder of KOVA (Namibia)
Lovers of fine leather accessories in Namibia are now able to shop locally to buy beautifully designed and handcrafted handbags and other specialist products, thanks to the talented entrepreneur Petrina Auino-Mwandingi, founder of KOVA. She has created a premium leather accessory brand specially for the local Namibian market, and her customers are loving the end result.
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A packed audience of Namibia’s leading women entrepreneurs gathered together in Windhoek on the morning of Wednesday 22 May for the second Lioness Lean In event in the country. The much-anticipated event was once again hosted by Lionesses of Africa (the fastest growing network of women entrepreneurs on the African continent with over 750,000 women business owners in all 54 African countries) in partnership with Nedbank Namibia. One again, the event lived up to all the expectations, as it delivered a morning of inspiration and great business networking.
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Catherine Shipushu, founder of Azania Communications (Namibia)
For many companies and organizations, building a brand that will stand the test of time and still be relevant for years to come, takes specialist expertise and experience. In Namibia, Azania Communications, founded by Catherine Shipushu, brings both of those essential elements to any client serious about investing in their brands for the long term.
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Claudette Nahum & Nangula Shejavali, founders of Leading Edge Management Consultants (Namibia)
A healthy business eco-system needs strong, sustainable companies and organisations, and often they need the right developmental support, advice and expertise to grow. In Namibia, that’s where Leading Edge Management Consultants, founded by entrepreneurs Claudette Nahum and Nangula Shejavali, is there to help.
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Sima Mlangeni, founder of Biocol Hygiene (Namibia)
Often, business success comes by finding the right market opportunities and then creating the products and services to meet the needs of those markets. For entrepreneur Sima Mlangeni, founder of Biocol Hygiene, she identified a niche market opportunity in Namibia that would harness her expertise and experience in the specialist hygiene industry.
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Paulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment (Namibia)
Most people look at old discarded oil drums and other scrap metals and just see junk. But for entrepreneur Paulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment, she sees endless possibilities. Her business finds its inspiration in turning trash into treasure, creating innovative and desirable furniture from recycled scrap oil drums.
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Liina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations (Namibia)
The world is waking up to the need to be more environmentally conscious, but more needs to be done to tackle the problem of plastic and other waste. In Namibia, one entrepreneur, Liina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations, is playing her part by recycling plastic into desirable objects that consumers want and need.
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