Beatha Shitemba, an entrepreneur growing a specialist baby and kids product brand in Namibia

November 20, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Beatha Shitemba, Founder and CEO, Nel's Babies & Kiddies (Namibia)

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.

Purity Gakuo, a Kenyan entrepreneur making refrigeration affordable to small-scale fishers in Africa

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Purity Gakuo, founder, Kuza Freezer (Kenya)

Purity Gakuo is a climate change advocate and founder of Kuza Freezer in Kenya. Her business bridges the cold chain gap in the fish value and supply chain by making refrigeration affordable to the small-scale fishers of Africa. She has a zeal for improving the livelihood of people in her community and Africa at large, especially women and youth, through affordable refrigeration. She has a professional background in business management with 4 years of experience, and has won several awards including the AFCFTA Caravan Prize, in recognition of her role as a community champion.

Victoria Haihambo, a Namibian entrepreneur connecting micro women vendors to markets

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Victoria Haihambo, founder, Agelvipa Online (Namibia)

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.

Nadine Farrag, an Egyptian entrepreneur transforming the country’s wedding industry

November 6, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Nadine Farrag, CEO & Founder, Farahy (Egypt)

Nadine Farrag is the CEO & Founder of Farahy, the first and largest one-stop-hub for everything wedding related in Egypt. Since 2020, Nadine and the team have been utilizing technology to transform the Egyptian wedding industry from a very fragmented market to a one-stop service and product marketplace. During the process, they haven't only been helping out couples achieve their stress-free dream day, they've also been empowering women all over the industry by bridging the gap between them and their clients. Internally, they're very proud to have a 100% female team.

Barbara Kamba-Nyathi, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur creating an intuitive wellness platform

November 6, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Barbara Kamba-Nyathi, founder, Bold Dialogue Investments PVT Ltd (Zimbabwe)

For those looking for a safe space for healing and personal transformation, entrepreneur Barbara Kamba-Nyathi has created Bold Dialogue Investments PVT Ltd. Launched in 2019 in Zimbabwe, this lifestyle and wellness business helps people to live a more purposeful, authentic and fulfilled life.

Isabel Resende, a Mozambican entrepreneur turning a passion for people and gardening into business

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Isabel Resende, partner and Managing Director, Control Plus Services, Limitada (Mozambique)

Isabel Resende is a partner and Managing Director of Control Plus Services, Limitada, a Mozambican company dedicated to the provision of gardening services and pest control. It is composed of 10 employees, based in Maputo City, and has representatives in the central and northern areas of the country. She holds a law degree and a master's degree in Business Management. Her journey as an entrepreneur began in 2021, however, she has more than 10 years of experience in the job market.

Vivian Ozoemena, a seasoned Nigerian entrepreneur with a passion for sportswear

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Vivian Ozoemena, owner and ceo, LaBelle Sporties (Nigeria)

Vivian Ozoemena is the owner and ceo of LaBelle Sporties in Nigeria. She is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for sports, hence the name. The business renders services in the designing, production, and selling of sportswear. Since its inception in 2021, the company has employed two staff members who have grown with the company. LaBelle Sporties seeks to empower more people, especially women, from all across Africa through employment in the next few years to be their own bosses and enjoy the journey.

Adérójú Ope-Ajayi, a Nigerian entrepreneur with a passion for fostering positive change in the sports industry

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Adérójú Ope-Ajayi is the Founder and Lead Instructor at Dolphin Swim School and Dolphin Aquatic Center in Nigeria. She is also a Sports Development Advocate with a passion for fostering positive change in the sports industry in Africa. Her mission is to help develop the sports industry in Nigeria by partnering with the right stakeholders, helping to build sustainable sports businesses, and providing knowledge to new entrants in the industry. She founded her business in 2017 and has over 15 team members. She brings over 17 years’ experience in sales and business development expertise gained in the corporate world to the business.

Doreen Michelo, a Zambian agripreneur addressing food security through affordable locally grown farm produce

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Doreen Michelo, Founder and Managing Director, Mzala Enterprise Ltd (Zambia)

Doreen Michelo is the Founder and Managing Director of Mzala Enterprise Ltd in Zambia, a business founded in 2018. She is a serial entrepreneur and business leader focusing on enhancing local community capacity growth and sustainability by growing and producing high quality farm produce for the local market that is not only accessible but very affordable. Empowering the local community through Agriculture Skills training and knowledge dissemination through the skills hub/centre is another major focus of the business as it aims to leave a lasting positive impact on the community supporting its operations. The business has employed 9 permanent workers and 20 seasonal workers. Doreen has 9 years business work experience as a professional in various industries.

Alexina Phiri, a global women’s rights change-maker in Africa and the world

October 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Alexina Phiri, founder and ceo, Adona Foundation

Alexina Phiri is the founder and ceo of Adona Foundation, a global women’s rights organisation that aims to inspire, empower and educate girls and women across the world.. She is a lawyer with over seven years of experience in implementing international-level policy to tackle issues such as human rights, governance and counter terrorism. Her most recent role was with the UK’s Department for International Trade. As a British Diplomat at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Alexina spearheaded international summits including the Africa Investment Summit in 2019 and COP26 in 2021. She is a former Acting British High Commissioner to Zambia (2019) and Acting Deputy British High Commissioner to Botswana (2020).

Mary Aboagye, a Ghanaian agritech entrepreneur helping cereal farmers to thrive

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Mary Aboagye, co-founder, aiScarecrow Technologies (Ghana)

Mary Aboagye is a co-founder of aiScarecrow Technologies (Ghana), an Agritech startup focused on crop protection, helping cereal farmers successfully ward-off pest birds from consuming their crop. With her background as an environmental scientist, she established the environmental change agency, an organisation dedicated to environmental preservation. Her efforts got her enlisted as one of the top 540 women in Africa involved in the Agritech or Agribusiness space. She co-founded aiScarecrow Technologies in 2019 and has since then won several awards including the KIC Agritech challenge 2019, the ingenuity cup 2021, the Israeli green innovation competition 2022.

Diana Mbabaali Miiro, a pioneering landscaping entrepreneur creating green spaces in Uganda

October 2, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Diana Mbabaali Miiro, managing director, KeyScapes Limited (Uganda)

Diana Mbabaali Miiro is the managing director of KeyScapes Limited, a pioneering company in Uganda specializing in landscaping, potted plants artistries and gardening supplies. She is an ardent gardener with a mission to encourage Ugandans to live a healthy natural lifestyle, growing their own food organically in the small spaces of their backyards as CSR (Community Social Responsibility) under the Backyard Gardeners Uganda, a forum she founded on social media platforms. Diana previously worked in the Information Technology & Change department with Barclays Bank, now ABSA Bank, as Head, Service Management before joining the world of entrepreneurship when she discovered that she could make a living from her passion. She is a Vital Voices Fellow, Vital Voices Leadership Journey, a female future program graduate and an Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Mentor.

Priscilla Musenge, a Zambian entrepreneur creating sustainable animal feed solutions for greener business

September 25, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Priscilla Museng, founder, Entomo Farm ( Zambia)

Priscilla Musenge is a Climate Change activist and a budding entrepreneur, who is the ceo and founder of Entomo Farm in Zambia, a business launched in 2018. It has since created jobs for 7 people. She was one of the top 10 Finalists of the inaugural cohort of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs in 2020, a White House Initiative. Additionally, in the same year, Priscilla’s start-up also received a grant in sustainable waste management from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Zambia. Most recently, she also won 2nd prize in the world’s largest green business ideas competition - the 2021 Climate Launchpad business competition and was one of the recipients of the inaugural 2022 ZANACO (Zambia National Commercial Bank) awards in Zambia.

Anotida Nyowani, an entrepreneur creating a natural and affordable skincare company in Zimbabwe & Mozambique

September 25, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Anotida Nyowani, co-founder, Luxury Junkies (Zimbabwe & Mozambique)

Anotida Nyowani is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Luxury Junkies, a natural skincare company in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. She is also a physiotherapist by profession, with a talent and a passion for formulating natural, cruelty free skin and haircare products. Her sister Chido Mhindurwa has a psychology degree with years of human resources management and business development experience under her belt. Together they teamed up to create a luxury non-toxic skincare company that runs in Mozambique and in Zimbabwe. Their drive is to offer sustainable, healthy and clean skincare at an affordable price.

Mércia Cossa Bomba, a Mozambican woman entrepreneur creating unique accessories that celebrate capulana

September 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Mércia Cossa Bomba, founder, N`sky Arte Da Felicidade & Serviços (Mozambique)

Mércia Cossa Bomba is the founder of N`sky Arte Da Felicidade & Serviços in Mozambique, a small company with four workers focused on manual arts and crafts, and which has been in the market for 5 years. She started her company at the time as a hobby whilst also employed as a secretary for a cosmetics distributor. But because she has a son with chronic atopic dermatitis, she was forced to quit her job in order to take care of her son. However, as she always tried to be financially independent, she started to make handmade invitations and bracelets, and her business was born.

Irina Mayra Cremildo, a Mozambican entrepreneur making travel management easy for her clients

September 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Irina Mayra Cremildo, founder, Kusafiri Afrika LDA (Mozambique)

Making travel and tourism arrangements can often be stressful, particularly for companies and people with complex needs, but Irina Mayra Cremildo, founder of Kusafiri Afrika LDA in Mozambique, has the specialist services to make travel less of a chore and a real pleasure.

Adele Mans, a South African entrepreneur creating a food business catering for pets

September 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Adele Mans, co-founder, Bismark’s Bistro (South Africa)

Every pet owner wants the best for their beloved furry friends, including giving them healthy diets, and that’s where Adele Mans, co-founder of Bismark’s Bistro, is on hand to help. Her business provides pet owners with healthy and well-balanced food and customized eating plans to keep their dogs and cats healthy and happy.

Ana Belmonte, a Mozambican entrepreneur turning a passion for gardening into a business

September 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Creating a unique service offering is always a great starting point for a successful business, and Ana Belmonte is certainly doing that with Malachi Garden Service Lda. She brings her considerable expertise and passion for gardening to every job she undertakes for her clients, and her reputation for great service is growing as a result.

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