Buhle Magwentshu, an artisanal coffee roastery business builder

February 25, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Asmara Coffee, a South African artisanal micro-roastery with a vision to make quality, artisanal coffee with wide customer appeal.

Buhle Magwentshu is the founder of Asmara Coffee, an artisanal micro-roastery based in Johannesburg, South Africa and launched in 2018. She is a Food Scientist and seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of corporate experience in the FMCG sector. Buhle established Asmara Coffee in 2018 with the vision to make quality, artisanal coffee, which appeals not only to the palates of coffee connoisseurs, but also to those starting out on the exciting journey of exploring coffee.

South African leading sustainable luxury product design brand, The Joinery, strikes gold at the Eco-Logical Awards

November 19, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Awards & Accolades

The South African sustainable luxury product design brand, The Joinery, based in the Cape Winelands and founded by Natalie and Kim Ellis, has just been recognised as a gold award winner at the Eco-Logical Awards. The brand picked up the Gold Eco-Logic Award in the Eco-Fashion and Lifestyle category, sponsored by Pick n’ Pay Clothing. This latest accolade is a testament to the Joinery team’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. Renowned for its beautifully designed range of sustainable products, use of responsible fabrics, and ethical production, The Joinery has won fans around the world for many years for its passionate belief in being kind to our planet and fair to our people, one plastic bottle at a time.

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson, a Ghanaian social entrepreneur creating impact through coffee

August 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson, Founder & CEO, Kawa Moka Coffee Company (Ghana)

Startup Story

Emi-Beth Aku Quantson is the Founder, CEO and Chief Caffeination Officer at Kawa Moka Coffee Company, Ghana's leading social enterprise coffee company and roaster, where she drives investment and growth. She has raised over $200,000 in debt and equity investments; created over 250 jobs in coffee through farmer partnerships and employment of marginalized groups; and established Accra's largest roastery, supplying major supermarkets and cafes across the country and internationally. Emi-Beth has been recognized by the President of the Republic of Ghana, President Akuffo Addo. Prior to founding Kawa Moka in 2015, Emi-Beth worked as a tax consultant and transfer pricing expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Ghana and Kenya.

Catherine Mahugu, a change-maker revolutionizing Kenya’s coffee value chain

November 29, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Chiswara, reinventing the coffee supply chain through technology to benefit Kenya’s coffee farmers

Catherine Mahugu is a globally acclaimed entrepreneur. She is a software engineer by profession and change-maker by passion. Catherine is a certified human-centred design expert, a skill she acquired at Stanford University. Currently, she is the founder of Chiswara, a tech-enabled specialty coffee company launched in 2018 that offers an equitable coffee experience for both local farmers and global consumers. Partners committed to the company's growth and impact include Alibaba, UNCTAD, and IFC.

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