Rozelle Abramson, a South African agro-processing brand builder

August 20, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Fynbos Fine Foods, an agro-processor adding value by turning ethically grown South African produce into bottled, natural and vegan products

Rozelle Abramson, founder of Fynbos Fine Foods in South Africa, has always been passionate about food, creating recipes and loving layered flavours. She studied early childhood education, specializing in teaching children with learning difficulties. While teaching she worked for various catering companies on the weekends and in the holidays to supplement her income and to feed her passion for cooking and creating delicious food. In 1996, Cape Hot House Vegetables was formed. She began farming Greenhouse Coloured peppers. In that same year the business launched its first value-added product which was a Chilli Ginger Jam, made with red peppers which would have gone to the compost. Within a few years the business was farming for manufacturing! The rest is history! Today, the business employs 130 people.

Mawuse Christina Gyisun, a Ghanaian catalyst for transformative change in Agritech

August 12, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Sommalife, a social enterprise using cutting-edge technology to create transparency and traceability in West Africa’s shea value chain

Mawuse Christina Gyisun is an award-winning social entrepreneur and esteemed co-founder of Sommalife, revolutionizing the Agritech landscape with her unwavering commitment to rural development. She has become a leading force in driving positive change and empowering smallholder women farmers across West Africa. Within three years at the helm of Sommalife, Mawuse has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have reached over 60,000 women farmers in northern Ghana. Through her visionary leadership, these women farmers have gained easy access to financing, conservation tools, and international markets. As a result, more than 7,000 of these farmers experienced a 22.75% increase in their income in 2022, a testament to Mawuse's dedication and commitment to rural development.

Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane, a healthcare service game-changer in Botswana

August 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Kalafhi Medical Center, a growing enterprise addressing the healthcare inequalities in Botswana and Africa

Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane is the founding director and practicing doctor at Kalafhi Medical Center in Botswana. She is also a wife and mother, and a thinking, growing and dynamic individual with nine years of experience in the health sector. Her lifelong mission is to transform Botswana's healthcare system to bring it to par with some of the world’s best healthcare systems, with a vision for Africa to become a medical tourism destination/health hub. She started the business in 2018 and today it has 51 employees.

Pauline Otila, a Kenyan apiculturist creating impact with bees

July 23, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Apiculture Venture Limited, a Kenyan social enterprise positively changing lives and food resilience through bee-keeping

Pauline Otila is a seasoned professional apiculturist and the founder of impact-driven social enterprise, Apiculture Venture Limited in Kenya. The business was founded in 2018, and today employs 19 full-time and 7 part-time people. She brings her strong working knowledge and over 18 years of experience in business operations in the modern beekeeping industry. She dared to venture into this male-dominated industry after 13 years of employment adopting the moniker, 'the Queen Bee'. She is passionate about enterprising in beekeeping and honey production. Through her business, Pauline extends her ambition as a socio-economic empowerment driver, particularly in the poverty stricken ASALs with high potential of honey production. Through her ‘Modern Beekeeping for Improved Livelihoods’ initiative, she aims at boosting household food resilience by reducing number of food insecure Kenyans.

Helen Keleta, a game-changing healthcare entrepreneur

July 16, 2023 Melanie Hawken

East Africa Hafeshawi Medical Centre, a high-impact business providing affordable healthcare to refugees in Uganda

Helen Habteslasie Keleta is the Founder and CEO of East Africa Hafeshawi Medical Center, a well-established health centre that was started in January 2018 in a convenient and highly accessible location in Kampala, Uganda. She is a mother of four, and an Eritrean Refugee living in Kampala since 2016. By profession she is an engineer and up until 2016 has been working with different family construction companies. After she came to Uganda she started living among the refugees in Kampala and noticed there is a language barrier amongst them and Ugandans. Especially when it came to health, this language barrier made it worse because 'right patient-right information-right care-at the right time' works well in life. This idea triggered Helen to invest in the medical care industry by getting different native professional doctors and nurses.

10 Exciting women-led businesses from Africa set to be showcased in The Hague

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Start-Up Night Africa on 11 July 2023 in The Hague, The Netherlands aims to stimulate investment and international market access for Africa's women entrepreneurs

With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Netherlands and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO), Lionesses of Africa has set up the Start-Up Night Africa event in The Hague, taking place on 11 July 2023. This initiative aims to showcase high-growth, women-owned businesses from Africa and connect them to investment and market opportunities in The Netherlands. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher, will deliver the opening remarks at the event, together with Lionesses of Africa founder and ceo, Melanie Hawken. The Start-Up Night Africa event will also celebrate the opening of the European office of Lionesses of Africa.

Carmen Stevens, a South African winemaking pioneer

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd, a multi-award winning, black-and-woman owned winery creating impact in South Africa

Carmen Stevens, founder of Carmen Stevens Wines Pty Ltd, is the first black person accepted to study winemaking in South Africa and qualified in 1995 as South Africa's first black winemaker. She was recognised with a Top 10 Pinotage award in 1998 for her very first red wine production. Carmen's industry awards include International Decanter Trophy winner, 2015 Winemaker of the Year California, 2018 - Winemaker of the Decade UK (Naked Wines.com). Carmen Stevens Wines continue to win recognition and industry awards every year. In 2019, Carmen registered the first 100% black-and-woman owned winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa and was awarded South Africa’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 and 2019. The Carmen Stevens NPO was registered in 2015, and today the foundation provides over 25000 learners from 125 schools in the Western Cape with a nutritious breakfast and lunch.

Ola Folami, a Nigerian contemporary fashion brand-builder

June 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Olarsgrace, a renowned contemporary womenswear brand creating unique and timeless pieces for women globally

Ola Folami is a Nigerian-born fashion entrepreneur whose business and brand, Olarsgrace, has now also expanded into Dubai. Known far and wide as Olarslim on Instagram, Ola is not just a social media sensation but also the mastermind behind Olarsgrace, a globally renowned contemporary women's wear label that caters to the sartorial needs of women around the world. With her impeccable designs, Ola has garnered immense attention and praise from shoppers across the globe. Her remarkable achievements even led to her recognition as one of the top 100 emerging businesses from Nigeria with features in several publications. The business was launched in 2017 and now employs 10 people.

Baaba Ankrah, a passionate champion of Ghana's Indigenous handwoven Kente

June 18, 2023 Melanie Hawken

GOBA Kente Limited, a proudly Ghanaian company producing bespoke Kente, one of Africa’s most universally recognized fabrics

Baaba Ankrah is the founder of GOBA Kente in Accra, Ghana, a company specializing in bespoke Kente, one of the most universally recognized of all African fabrics. Her business produces highly authentic, handcrafted Kente products to a wide range of clients, thereby contributing to the promotion of indigenous handwoven Kente and the work of craftsmen in Ghana. On a personal level, Baaba is a determined woman with a dream to succeed. Calling herself a bona fide hustler, she says she is passionate about learning and consistently strives to position herself to receive all the blessings God and life has to offer, one day at a time.

Olatowun Candide-Johnson, a Nigerian entrepreneur empowering women business leaders

June 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

GAIA AFRICA, the premier private members Business Club dedicated to serving Africa’s top 5% of female decision-makers

Olatowun Candide-Johnson is the founder of GAIA AFRICA, Africa’s premier private members Business Club dedicated to serving the continent’s top 5% of female-decision makers through specially curated activities, learning, partnerships, collaborations, advisory services, peer-to-peer mentorship, and small group events. Olatowun is a lawyer with 30+ years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations. During her time at the Total Group, she worked in different divisions including three years in the New Business Division in the Paris HQ. Before taking early retirement, she held the combined roles of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria. In 2016, she obtained a TRIUM Global Executive MBA. In 2018, she founded Gaia Africa which today has 50 employees.

Florence Achado, an impact communications change-maker in Nigeria

June 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Vee69, a Nigerian communications agency dedicated to utilizing media and communication for positive social change.

Florence Achado is the founder and managing director of Vee69, a growing media and communications agency in Nigeria, established in 2015 and today employing 15 people. Through her business, she has worked on numerous projects and campaigns that have served to raise awareness and promote positive change in local communities. She is deeply committed to making a difference and improving the lives of others, harnessing her passion and the power of the media to drive positive change. Florence believes that effective communication is the key to bringing about positive change in communities, and she is committed to utilizing her skills and expertise to make a significant and long-lasting impact. Florence is also the Chairman of the Yvonne Achado Foundation (YAF), a non-profit organization committed to combating gender-based violence.

Gisela Mudumbi Van Houcke, a visionary brand-builder in Africa’s beauty sector

May 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Zuri, a business with a vision to be the undisputed leader in the African beauty sector

Gisela Mudumbi Van Houcke is the founder of Zuri, a company providing high-quality beauty products and services designed specifically for black women in both Africa and across Europe. Her personal and entrepreneurial journey have been nothing short of remarkable. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she had to navigate many challenges in her early years. She left the country due to political instabilities and moved to the UK as a refugee. Her tenacity and perseverance paid off. During her time in London, Gisela excelled in her studies and obtained a First Class Law Degree in British and French Law. Gisela's first opportunity to do so came when she was appointed Africa Head of Legal for a British Renewable Energy company. She worked in this role for three years, gaining valuable insights into the African market and the challenges facing the continent. However, Gisela's true passion lay in entrepreneurship, and she decided to start her own business, launching Zuri in 2016, a business that today employs 30 people.

Dupe Killa-Kafidipe, an entrepreneur finding solutions to global food insecurity

May 21, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Platinum Fisheries, an ethical and sustainable B2B seafood production company in Nigeria

Dupe Killa-Kafidipe is the founder/ceo of Platinum Fisheries in Nigeria, which has a mission to produce healthy seafood using efficient, ethical and sustainable methods. Dupe is an award-winning business leader with prior C-Suite experience in process re-engineering, change management and business consulting. She is also an alumna of the Harvard Business School, IESE New York, the China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and INSEAD. Dupe once volunteered as Head of Strategy with a humanitarian intervention for children affected by conflicts in the North-East of Nigeria. Dupe’s life pursuit is to continue to be a force for good in all spheres of human interaction – business, social and environmental.

Abiola Olusola, a designer pushing the African narrative through fashion

May 14, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Abiola Olusola, a Nigerian contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke fashion brand interweaving minimalism with artisan craftsmanship

Born and raised in Nigeria, designer and fashion brand builder, Abiola Olusola, graduated with a BFA in fashion design from Istituto Marangoni Paris in 2015. She immediately gravitated towards a minimalist aesthetic, femininity, functionality, ease and undercurrents of innate sensuality. Abiola Olusola launched her eponymous brand in 2017, a contemporary women’s ready-to-wear and bespoke line with a distinct juxtaposition of minimalist cuts, sleek architecture and African sub-cultures and craftsmanship.

Katherine-Mary Pichulik, an ethical jewelry and accessory brand-builder based in South Africa

May 7, 2023 Melanie Hawken

PICHULIK, a brand celebrating sacred feminine wisdom through its unique and intentional jewelry designs.

Katherine-Mary Pichulik founded PICHULIK in 2013 and is Joint CEO and Creative Director. Prior to establishing the jewelry and accessories brand, Katherine completed a BA Honours in Fine Arts at Cape Town University. PICHULIK is sold in up to sixteen countries around the world and has collaborated with Copenhagen luxury brand By Malene Birger, and LVMH winner Lukhanyo Mdingi. Katherine has received multiple design accolades including, Accessory Designer of the Year by African Fashion International, TWYG Sustainable Fashion Accessory Award, and Vogue Italia’s top 10 jewelry brands. PICHULIK is regularly featured in global publications, including VOGUE US, VOGUE UK, Conde Nast Traveller, and L” Official Mexico. Katherine is a South African Gazelle top 40 SMME, and United States International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni.

Dalia Ibrahim, a serial entrepreneur and education innovator in Egypt

April 30, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Nahdet Misr Publishing House, EdVentures, Ta'heal for VET Skills Excellence, a group of businesses empowering through learning

Dalia Ibrahim is an accomplished business leader, angel investor, mentor, and mother of three children. She is the CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House, a prominent learning company in Egypt; the founder and CEO of EdVentures, MENA's first CVC specializing in Edtech; and the founder of Ta'heal, which offers vocational education solutions. Dalia began her career at Nahdet Misr in 1994, a family business founded by her grandfather as a small publishing house in 1938. Over the past 28 years, she has transformed Nahdet Misr into one of MENA’s leading learning and capacity-building companies. Dalia has received recognition for her entrepreneurial journey several times, including being a finalist in the "Leadership" category of the AMBA & BGA Excellence Award, a finalist in the "Lifetime Achievement" category of the AWIEF Awards, acknowledgment as one of the "Top 50" most influential women in Egypt, and receiving the "Corporate Social Responsibility Award" for Arab Women.

Gwen Addo, a Ghanaian entrepreneur passionate about hair processing

April 23, 2023 Melanie Hawken

The Hair Senta, a leading human hair processing and wig manufacturing business in Africa

Gwyneth Gyimah Addo, often called Gwen by many, is the ceo of one of the leading Human Hair processing/manufacturing companies in Africa, The Hair Senta, headquartered in Ghana and shipping across the globe. The business was started in 2012 and today employs 40 people. Gwen is also a wife, a mother, a philanthropist, and a business strategist.

Ifeoma Uddoh, a Nigerian fintech entrepreneur positively changing lives

April 16, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Shecluded, a female-focused fintech dedicated to creating economic prosperity for women through access to financial services.

Ifeoma Uddoh is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Shecluded, a female-focused FINTECH dedicated to creating economic prosperity for women through access to financial services. Since inception, Shecluded has been recognized internationally and was selected as one of NASDAQs milestone makers for its contribution to reducing inequality. Ifeoma is a Halcyon Fellow and her career spans over a decade in Consulting, Analytics, and Seed Funding for notable companies including PwC, and IROKO Partners Limited. Thanks to her hands-on experience with gender-lens financing, Ifeoma has featured on several entrepreneurship panels and master-classes hosted by First Bank, JohnHopkins University, Tekedia Institute, etc. She started her business in 2019, and today it employs 15 people.

Tania Tome, a Catalyst in Leadership in Africa & Lusophone Countries

April 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Ecokaya, a one-stop-shop for building an entrepreneurship and leadership eco-system in Mozambique

Tania Tome is a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, elite coach and mentor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author in Mozambique. She is in demand as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and leadership in Africa and Lusophone countries. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience having co-founded Ecokaya and working with Ecokaya Corporate for the last 5 Years focusing on training, coaching, mentoring, and lectures in many countries. She also co-founded Womenice which focuses on women’s economic and leadership empowerment, and the fintech startup company focused on emerging markets. She is a published author, board member, and strategic advisor for several non-profit and social enterprise boards.

Dr Noeline Kirabo, a Ugandan social entrepreneur positively changing lives

March 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Kyusa, a purpose-driven organization that empowers marginalized youth and women through enterprise development in Uganda

Dr Noeline Kirabo is the founder of Kyusa, a purpose-driven organization that empowers marginalized youth and women through enterprise development in Uganda. She is a distinguished personal and business development coach/consultant, author, TED speaker, certified mentor, trainer, and life coach. With a doctorate in Entrepreneurship Management and over fifteen years of experience in the civil society sector, Noeline is a recognized authority in the fields of personal and professional growth. As a family therapist and social entrepreneur, Noeline has made a lasting impact on the lives of children, youth, women, and community initiatives. She has also served as a personal and business development consultant for numerous exceptional companies in the East African region and beyond. Noeline is the founder and executive director of Kyusa, a for-impact organization committed to improving the quality of life for marginalized youth through entrepreneurship development. Her dedication to this cause has earned her a reputation as a transformative leader in the field of social entrepreneurship.

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