the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Rachael Mazvita Sabondo, founder of Inga Creative Centre (Zimbabwe)
Startup Story
Many women small business owners find it hard to connect their businesses to markets and customers, especially in Zimbabwe. But Rachael Mazvita Sabondo, founder of Inga Creative Centre, is creating a space where women and young people can connect, learn together, showcase skills and spark collaborations.
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Teresa Nanjala Lubano, founder, The Nanjala Company (Kenya)
Teresa Nanjala Lubano, founder, The Nanjala Company (Kenya)
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Adele Dejak
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
In the highly competitive world of international jewellery design, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But this is certainly not the case for jewellery and accessory design entrepreneur, Adele Dejak, founder of the striking global luxury brand that carries her name.
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Dounia Tamri-Loeper, founder of Dounia Home
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
It’s often said that lighting makes a space or a room come alive, and for design entrepreneur Dounia Tamri-Loeper, founder of Dounia Home, lighting is her inspiration. She is creating beautiful, statement lighting pieces that not only celebrate the centuries-old techniques and designs that are uniquely Moroccan, but is elevating them to a whole new level.
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Lioness Launch
In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, entrepreneur Adele Cutten, founder of the renowned Adele’s Mohair, launches a series of Magic Mohair Gift Packs for creative crafter customers.
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Adele Cutten, founder of Adele’s Mohair (South Africa)
Startup Story
Discerning visitors to the Eastern Cape know that it is not only renowned for its beautiful landscapes, its unspoilt beaches, and its wildlife. Those in the know also have an additional destination in their sights - a visit to Adele's Mohair, founded by passionate entrepreneur Adele Cutten. She has built a highly successful, high impact business that celebrates the much sought after mohair found on Angola goats, transforming it into luxury yarns, scarves, shawls, sweaters and much more. Adele and her team are an inspiration to those who visit, and those who depend on the business for jobs in the local community.
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Epifania Stella Ernesto Gove, founder of Pifa Gove Millinery (Mozambique)
There is a long tradition of hat wearing for special occasions in Africa. And in Mozambique, one talented woman entrepreneur is taking this art form to a whole new design level, and building a wonderful niche business too. Epifania Stella Ernesto Gove, founder of Pifa Gove Millinery, is turning heads and winning fans with her extraordinarily beautiful millinery creations, all proudly made in Mozambique.
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Dounia Home & AphroChic wanted to bring something special to the world, a lighting collection that is a true marriage between form, function and craftsmanship. The Amur collection, inspired, designed and handcrafted in the ancient city of Amur Akush, today known as Marrakech.
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Innovative South African design company, Dokter and Misses have teamed up with artisan weavers Gone Rural Swaziland, a high impact social enterprise in rural eSwatini, to develop the modular Soldier Screens system. The screens are made of a slender steel frame with inserts woven from a combination of sustainably harvested sisal and indigenous Lutindzi grass, which grows wild on rocky outcrops in the Swazi mountains.
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Abai Schulze, founder of ZAAF (Ethiopia)
The world’s fashion conscious buyers are increasingly interested in knowing where the luxury goods they purchase are made, and by whom. For entrepreneur Abai Schulze, founder of growing brand ZAAF, her company’s strong backstory and ethos is resonating with these buyers, who are rapidly becoming fans and brand ambassadors with each purchase they make.
Read moreSource: CNN Africa Marketplace
Karen Carr & Hanneke Schutte, founders of Benji + Moon (South Africa)
As any pet-lover will tell you, trying to find the perfect products for those furry friends in our lives that are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye in our homes, can be quite a challenge. However two enterprising women from South Africa have the solution. Benji + Moon is a business that creates beautifully designed, compassionately driven pet products that will make both owners and their beloved pets happy.
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Sine Ndlela, founder of YoCoco (South Africa)
Cristina Margarida Rocha, founder of Daisy Social (Mozambique)
Many people in life see social challenges around them but do not act. However, for social entrepreneur Cristina Margarida Rocha, this was not an option, and she took her love of handmade soap and used it to build a high impact social business to empower other women. Today, Daisy Social is making a real difference, and making great soap with a strong backstory.
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Dounia Tamri-Loeper, founder of Dounia Home (Morocco)
It’s often said that lighting makes a space or a room come alive, and for design entrepreneur Dounia Tamri-Loeper, founder of Dounia Home, lighting is her inspiration. She is creating beautiful, statement lighting pieces that not only celebrate the centuries-old techniques and designs that are uniquely Moroccan, but is elevating them to a whole new level.
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Lorna Scott, founder of Inverroche Distillery (South Africa)
There is something special about passionate people who create products that celebrate the natural indigenous ingredients that come from one place, making them truly unique. Lorna Scott, the entreprenurial inspirational behind the fabulous Inverroche gin brand, is one such passionate creator and brand builder, inspired by the natural botanicals that grow in the world’s smallest yet richest floral kingdom.
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Liz Kading, founder of five8ths (South Africa)
The fine art of custom shirt making is being celebrated once again thanks to a talented woman entrepreneur who is bringing her love of tailoring and passion for slow fashion and traditional craftsmanship to Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Chantelle Beukes, founder of La Fede (South Africa)
Persist and collaborate....
- Chantelle Beukes is the founder of La Fede in South Africa, creating handcrafted heirloom toys. This 'Maker' and Mompreneur started La Fede in November 2014, after her 12 year career in the corporate world ended abruptly when the company she worked for shut it's doors. With the meagre capital at her disposal she decided to purchase a few meters of fabric and a small straight stitch sewing machine. Out of these negative circumstances La Fede, which means 'Faith' in Italian, was born literally as a leap of faith. Today, Chantelle is successfully producing a range of unique handcrafted toys that inspire imaginative play for kids.
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Chantelle Beukes, founder of La Fede (South Africa)
La Fede, which means ‘faith’ in Italian, is a handcrafted heirloom toy company with a difference, as each individually created piece is inspired by a character or a story. The company, created by South African entrepreneur, Chantelle Beukes, is on a mission to bring a smile to young children’s faces as they harness the power of their imaginations to play with the beautiful, quirky toys she makes.
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Rafiat Kasumu, founder of Kente Master (Ghana/USA)
For all those Ghanaian students who have proudly graduated from university or college and worn their official graduation stoles, the chances are they may be wearing the entrepreneurial success story that is Kente Master.
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