the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Tatenda Ndambakuwa, founder of Shiri (Zimbabwe)
Many entrepreneurs are driven by a passion to solve problems or address key societal issues. For Tatenda Ndambakuwa, founder of Shiri, her driving force is to address food security challenges by helping farmers in her country to become more productive and efficient using the power of technology.
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Masana Sangweni, founder of Sanaandi Events & Hospitality (South Africa)
Events are very personal occasions and for the clients hosting them finding the right event planner who can create the right experience is crucial. That is where South African entrepreneur Masana Sangweni, founder of Sanaandi Events & Hospitality, comes in. She helps her clients create beautiful and unique event memories that last.
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South Africa has a rich traditional heritage and one that is celebrated through dress and costumes that tell a unique story. Today, entrepreneur Nomafu Mdlambuzi is carrying on the family business and her mother’s original vision, creating beautiful traditional wear for her customers through her company, Ezakwantu Sewing Co-op.
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Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ (Tanzania)
Trying to find the right company to create a gifting and party favour experience can be a real challenge, but in Tanzania, one woman manufacturer is providing a solution. Patricia Majule, founder of Unique Favors TZ, is creating a range of gifting and party favour products that are made locally at a great price.
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Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations (Nigeria)
Personal experiences and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others are often the two key drivers of social entrepreneurs when it comes to starting up their businesses. For Nigerian social entrepreneur, Olivia Onyemaobi, founder of Pad-Up Creations, her inspiration came from the need to help women and girls to manage their menstrual hygiene and fulfill their potential.
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Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments (Uganda)
For many startups, taking their businesses to the next level can be challenging. In Uganda, one woman entrepreneur is helping small business owners to increase their production capacity and access finance. Maria Auma, founder of Blue Luxury Investments, is bringing her expertise and investment community to help startups to fulfill their potential.
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Bianca Hansen, co-founder of Toast Ale SA (South Africa)
When you think about beer making, bread as a key ingredient doesn’t automatically come to mind. But Toast Ale SA, co-founded by Bianca Hansen, is different, using surplus bread from bakeries as the foundation for brewing this delicious beer.
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Liesl Esau, founder of HSE Matters (South Africa)
Every company needs to ensure their workplace is safe and their employees are trained in best practice health, safety and environmental compliance, and that’s where Liesl Esau comes in. Her company HSE Matters is helping companies to get it right.
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Goeun Bae, founder of Little Pine Tree (South Africa)
Social entrepreneurs are driven to make a difference in the world, and in the case of Goeun Bae, her inspiration came from working with unemployed women in South Africa. Her social enterprise, Little Pine Tree, is giving new economic opportunities and skills to Johannesburg’s unemployed women, making their lives better through economic independence.
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Katy Valentine, founder of Katy Valentine Collection (South Africa)
Jewellery is such a personal thing, and often those buying pieces to wear or to give as gifts are inspired by the stories behind each unique piece, or by the cultures they reflect. The Katy Valentine Collection, a business and brand named after its creator, uniquely takes its inspiration from Africa and India, but with a contemporary design aesthetic.
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Gaceri Kirimi, co-founder of Destello Laundry Cleaning Services (Kenya)
As entrepreneurs, we all know how difficult it can be to balance work and life commitments, and when it comes to managing household chores such as laundry, it can be difficult without help. That’s where Destello Laundry Cleaning Services comes in, helping Nairobi’s busy professionals and families to deal with the chore of doing laundry each week.
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Chef Naledi, Private Chef and Cooking Instructor (South Africa)
They say that to build a successful business, you should start with your specialist skills, passion and knowledge, and harness those as the basis for a business that can grow. This is an approach being taken to the full by the talented Chef Naledi, a South African private chef and culinary instructor who is now helping others to build their knowledge and experience of cooking at home.
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Maria Natália João, founder of MNJ Eventos & Serviços (Mozambique)
The world of eventing is a hugely competitive business, so the secret to success is building a reputation and service offering that is differentiated in the industry. For entrepreneur, Maria Natália João, founder of MNJ Eventos & Serviços, that meant harnessing her considerable expertise and experience as an event MC and building upon that to create a multifaceted business.
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Wambui JL, founder of Hairpolitan Lifestyle (Kenya)
These days, there is growing interest in the use of natural products for health, wellness and beauty in Africa, and a growing audience to learn more about trends and products in the marketplace. Hairpolitan Lifestyle is an online magazine, created by Kenyan entrepreneur Wambui JL, and aimed at sharing stories about people who are celebrating and living natural lifestyles.
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Samantha Rice, founder of Creative Compass (South Africa)
For many successful businesses, it’s all about ensuring they stay on message and have a strong brand identity and digital presence to support that goal. For entrepreneur Samantha Rice, founder of Creative Compass, that’s where her specialist expertise and insights can make the difference.
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Janine Starkey, founder of House of Janine (South Africa)
As many successful entrepreneurs will tell you, achieving that success is often down to confidence, and lots of it, but for many women entrepreneurs, confidence doesn’t always come naturally. But South African entrepreneur, Janine Starkey, founder of image consultancy House of Janine, is about to change all that.
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Phindi Msomi, founder of Olwazini Consulting Services (South Africa)
Creating a working environment where employees can thrive and excel is a challenge for many companies and organisations. For South African company, Olwazini Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, founded by Phindi Msomi, this represented a key business opportunity.
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Wezi Moyo, founder of Benequity Consultancy and Hillside Lodge (Malawi)
In Malawi, many women entrepreneurs have not just one business, but several, working on the philosophy that it is better to both spread business risk and increase the chances of success. Wezi Moyo, founder of Benequity Consultancy and Hillside Lodge, is one such woman, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to be a successful serial entrepreneur in the country.
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Sonia Paiva, founder of Woman Farmer Foundation & Eswatini Kitchen (Swaziland)
Building one business is tough enough, but creating and running two successful, high impact businesses that both positively impact on society and the lives of those working in the agricultural sector is impressive. Sonia Paiva, founder of the Woman Farmer Foundation & Eswatini Kitchen (Pty) Ltd is proof positive that it can be done.
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Nancy Munderu, founder of Travel Shore Africa (Kenya)
For many people, organising their corporate and personal travel arrangements can be a real chore, and often a logistical nightmare. That’s where specialist travel agencies come in to help make the process easier. Nancy Munderu, founder of Travel Shore Africa, is making it her personal mission to help people better navigate their travel arrangements.
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