Six of Africa’s leading women entrepreneurs achieved global recognition on 17th November in Stockholm at the prestigious IWEC International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge Awards. The event aims to develop a global business network for successful women business owners, helping them gain and expand access to international markets. Lionesses of Africa congratulates the following inspirational African women entrepreneurs from Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria who achieved recognition at this year’s event.
Akiko Seyoum Ambaye, Orchid Business Group PLC, Ethiopia
The Orchid Business Group (OBG) is an Ethiopian business giant composed of several investment companies providing efficient transport support. With a hundred+ trucks and trailers helping the company to earn its reputation in the transportation sector, it also has a state of the art machinery workshop and machinery rental business.
Divine Ndhlukula, Securico, Zimbabwe
Today, Securico is a leading security services provider employing in excess of 4000 employees and offering a wide range of security products and services including Guard Service, Cash Management, Electronic Security Systems - Alarm systems, CCTVs and Access Control Systems. Securico’s story is one of tenacity, determination and hard work, creating a professionally run security company that has literally transformed the face of that industry in the country.
Nkechi Obi, Techno Oil Limited, Nigeria
Techno Oil Limited is a leading integrated oil and gas company in Nigeria, distributing petroleum products across the country through the deployment of various owned strategic asset such as fuel terminal, lubricant blending plant, LPG bottling plant, network of retail outlets/sale offices, state of the art laboratory, private petroleum terminal and on-going vessel which has enhanced the distribution of 10 million litres of petroleum products daily.
Caryn Formby, Power Plastics, South Africa
Power Plastics is a South African-based manufacturer and supplier of covers and liners, servicing markets throughout Africa. The B2B (business to business) offering includes products such as branded pallet covers and thermal covers for cold chain logistics, with a factory geared for high volume production runs. In the consumer sector, the company supplies swimming pool covers for the domestic market as well as large commercial pools.
Margrit Anne Wolff, Mercury Freight, South Africa
Margrit started working at age 14, and started in freight forwarding in 1979. Freight is her passion. In 1999 she started Buffalo Freight Systems (Pty) Ltd. In 2006 Buffalo was sold to Steinhoff. They parted ways in 2012 and she went on to launch Mercury Freight taking loyal staff and many loyal clients with her. Margrit rates community service and charity as one of her core values and mentors under privileged learners. In addition to that, she is currently building houses for homeless people and supports “Pap Mama” huts, portable prefab structures, in which ladies can cook and sell their food. .
Caroline Houghton, Rapid Allweiler Group, South Africa
Rapid Allweiler Group was started initially as an industrial manufacturing company specializing in the Production, Sales and Marketing of Pumps. Today the company has evolved and operates its core business together with a foundry for the production of high quality stainless steel castings, a Conference and Banqueting Centre developed as an empowerment initiative to contribute to upliftment within South Africa, a Restaurant and Hotel, and an Asset Management company which maintains controls and develops the group’s commercial properties and also holds the groups intellectual property in the form of patterns and strategic pieces of equipment.
Congratulations to each of these inspirational Lionesses of Africa who are blazing a trail for other women entrepreneurs to follow on the continent and around the world.