the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Sarah Dusek
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned throughout my entrepreneurial journey, it’s this: success requires us to think bigger. Far too often, I meet female entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas who aren’t dreaming big enough. We hold ourselves back by playing small, thinking that modest goals are more achievable. But the truth is, by limiting our ambitions, we’re not only underestimating ourselves—we’re also undercutting the potential of our businesses.
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Mozambique Green Businesses In Focus
Regular attendees at Lionesses of Africa’s Green Lioness Lean In events in Mozambique will know that as an impact-driven organisation we are committed to showcasing women eco-preneurs who are creating sustainable businesses, and importantly, much needed green jobs too. Each one is making their mark in their sector and community. But what they share in common is a passion for the eco-focused businesses they are creating, the desire to innovate in order to find solutions to real environmental challenges, and the motivation to create opportunities and jobs for local people. These Lionesses of Africa are not just showcasing their own unique green products and services to the world, but they are also making a real difference to their communities and their country as a whole.
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Theresa Caragol
Book Review
In Theresa Caragol’s new book, Partnering Success: The Force Multiplier to Achieve Exponential Growth, she and her AchieveUnite team present a groundbreaking approach to building strategic alliances that drive innovation and success. This book guides readers through the transformative impact of trust, collaboration, and genuine partnerships in the modern business landscape.
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Marta Uetela, founder, Baaike (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Marta Uetela is the founder of Baaike in Mozambique, a studio dedicated to designing and constructing bicycles from plastic waste collected from the ocean, Marta is on a mission to offer alternatives to conventional transportation while raising awareness about the environmental impact of plastic pollution in our oceans. She is a product design engineer and a solutions-oriented entrepreneur with a deep passion for product design and alternative manufacturing systems. She believes in the potential of Generation Z and the transformative power of design and engineering to rethink and reshape a more sustainable world.
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Brenda Hart, founder, Soft&Co (South Africa)
Startup Story
For South African entrepreneur Brenda Hart, starting a bespoke furniture design business at the age of 50 is a bold and rewarding endeavour. As founder of Soft&Co, she draws on her extensive experience in interior design to create furniture that is both beautiful and meaningful. She says, “Soft&Co gives me a niche to concentrate on and a fresh channel for my enduring love for design. It’s not just a business to me, but a celebration of a life’s work and a testament to the power of following your dreams at any age.”
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Hellen Dausen
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Hellen Dausen is the founder and owner of Nuya's Essence based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and business leader. Hellen's skincare business, which was founded in 2013 and today employs 12 people, aims to help women find readily available skincare products for daily use to enhance healthy living, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Hellen was listed by Forbes Africa 30 under 30 in 2016 as the most promising entrepreneur to watch in Africa. Her resilience, hard work, and determination have brought Nuya's Essence local and international recognition. Hellen holds a bachelor's Degree from the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya. She lives with her husband and daughter in Dar es Salaam.
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by Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles with stakeholder management have become essential for present-day organisations looking to succeed and make a positive impact. This is because ESG is more than sustainability reports, it’s a compass through which an organisation can navigate its relationships with stakeholders.
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by Ntsoaki Sibiya
I think most of us can agree that you cannot do life alone. You cannot take certain journey’s alone and you cannot advance in your entrepreneurship endeavours alone. The power of partnerships also applies to mentorship. Mentorship is a transformative force that guides entrepreneurs through challenges, offers wisdom, and fosters growth. As an entrepreneur, a mentor's guidance will provide you with clarity, accelerate your learning, and instils confidence. Their support and perspective illuminate paths which help you to nurture your talent, unlock your potential, and shapes both your personal and professional success. There are many value adds to finding a mentor and to understanding the context of mentorship (leveraging the experiences of those who are further along than you are).
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by Lori Milner
Happiness is subjective because we all have different rules for what it will take to be happy. I am not here to give you a magic formula but rather to offer a set of questions to help you understand what it means for you.
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by Jenny Reid
Employee Screening is an ever-evolving process, no employee screening policy should be cast in stone and remain that way long term. This process should be regularly reviewed and updated to evolve as the human risk factor evolves.
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Impact Partner Content
As part of an active commitment to support women entrepreneurs, Absa in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, is launching a capacity-building training programme specifically designed to help level the playing field for women in business. The training programme is designed to address the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs by leveraging the expertise and resources of all three partners. Using different learning platforms, the programme will deliver tailored training, mentorship and financial solutions to help fill in the skills gap currently faced by business owners.
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Mona Sabet, Heather Jerrehian & Fernandez Guajardo
by Mona Sabet, Heather Jerrehian and Maria Fernandez Guajardo
In their new book, Sail to Scale, authors Mona Sabet, Heather Jerrehian, and Maria Fernandez Guajardo acknowledge that most new businesses fail, and yet most failures are avoidable. While some startups may catch favorable winds, most will encounter stormy seas that can capsize their ventures. Understanding how to navigate these choppy waters is crucial. You don't learn to captain a warship by training to sail fast on calm seas.
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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department
Imposter Syndrome. Yes that’s right, it’s time to pull back the duvet and look this thing straight in the face and call it out for what it is. In the HBR article ‘Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome’ by Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey (here) they say: “Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments.” Note - ‘high-achieving people’, not high-achieving women, yet women seem to admit to it more or are allowed to own it more (‘allowed’ - you know what we’re talking about!). Yet over 70% of us have experienced this at one or more times, that’s both male and female.
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by Thembe Khumalo
Starting and running a business is no small feat. It requires more than just passion; it demands a strategic approach, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to growth. Let’s delve into some essential strategies that will help you handle your business like a pro.
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by Phindile Ndlovu
We don’t know our strength until we are tested! We do not know what we can achieve until we start getting to work. Imagine a situation where the world as you knew it, has changed. Your whole family structure, living arrangement, and budget changed. This was me. I woke up one day, and my life was changing. I was divorcing. I remember feeling depressed and down and out. I remember feeling suicidal and hopeless. I saw how I was losing myself and I knew I had to make a choice. I could either keep ruminating or I could get up and take things step by step. As much as I did not know where it came from, I found that deep in my broken heart, I had hope. I believed that a better ending would prevail, and so, I got up. At first, I knew I had to refuel because I had nothing to pour into my business. I also knew I must heal and be whole to be creative in my craft.
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by Ilse Sfreddo
This blog discusses the intricacies of procurement documents like tenders, proposals, and quotes, emphasising the types and importance of each, especially in the South African context. It outlines the differences between Expressions of Interest (EOI), Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Quotation (RFQ), Requests for Tender (RFT), and Requests for Proposal (RFP). It simplifies decision-making by detailing the rules and thresholds for procurement actions under South African public sector guidelines (MFMA and PFMA).
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by Nicolene Schoeman-Louw
Email compromise scams are a growing threat in the digital world. These scams can have devastating financial and reputational consequences for individuals and organisations.
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Ifeoma Malo
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Clean Technology Hub, an organization working on the frontlines of energy access and climate change in Africa
Ifeoma Malo is the co-founder of Clean Technology Hub, an organization working on the frontlines of energy access and climate change, across 80 communities in seven countries, including Nigeria, the Gambia, Congo DRC, Ghana, Uganda, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Senegal. The business was established in 2016 and today has 35 employees. She is an energy access expert and a climate action champion with over 23 years of experience building and directing organizational operations and strategy, supporting start-ups and MSMEs across Africa. In the past 10 years, Ifeoma has become a recognized and credible leader in the energy and utility markets, working on the intersection of energy transition, energy markets, energy and climate financing, and climate adaptation markets.
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Afifah Zualo, founder, M'Kono (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Afifah Zualo is an artisan (multi-artist) entrepreneur and the founder of M'Kono in Mozambique. She trained in Railway Engineering, but today sees the design of ethnic-contemporary jewellery as a way of codifying feelings and expressing Mozambican identity. Her Mozambican start-up seeks to honour cultural traditions while innovating in design and technique. A Leader and Social Innovator, Afifah employs a single employee, but her startup generates income for six other participants in her community who participate in the business passively. She believes in a world in which all women are respected and have justice for their efforts returned and aspires to conquer the world with her work.
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Benedita Macuácua, founder, Exclusive Crochet (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Exclusive Crochet is a crafts-based start-up founded by Benedita Macuácua in Mozambique. An entrepreneur and graphic designer, her company specializes in creating sustainable products using recycled materials such as knitted yarn, fabric scraps, and recycled soles. The company was inspired by the need to combat the accumulation of rubbish in Maputo, transforming solid waste into durable, quality crochet pieces. Benedita’s focus with her business is on the circular economy and promoting conscious consumption, offering a variety of products such as flip-flops, bags, beach cover-ups, and other items, each carrying a unique story and an artistic design that impresses with its beauty and positive environmental impact.
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