the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Vivette Ayiaga, founder, Vee Crafts (Kenya)
Startup Story
Like any specialist craft that requires key skills, a fine eye for detail, and a wealth of creative talent, the art of crocheting demands all three, and Vivette Ayiaga, founder of Vee Crafts in Kenya, has them in abundance. She is passionate about craft and particularly crocheting, and has turned that passion into a business, whilst also continuing her studies in statistical economics at Masinde Muliro University-Kenya.
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Bright Asiimwe Wandera, founder and CEO, Plum Cafe and Restaurant (Uganda)
Startup Story
Bright Asiimwe Wandera is the founder and CEO of Plum Cafe and Restaurant in Uganda. She’s a serial entrepreneur with interests in retail chain and hospitality. She’s an alumnus of Africa Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative and Stanbic Bank Uganda Business Incubator. Bright runs two supermarkets and most recently a high-end restaurant with two branches. Bright founded Plum Cafe and Restaurant this year in February 2021 after testing a restaurant model in 2020 that was attached to one of her supermarkets.
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Susan Nel , founder, Susan Nel Photography (Namibia)
Startup Story
There is nothing quite as powerful as a great photographic image that captures life and work’s key moments, and in Namibia, Susan Nel and the photography business that carries her name, is doing just that. Whether it’s recording on camera a beautiful wedding, or creating a powerful image of a product that can spearhead a marketing campaign, Susan knows just how to get the right shot for the occasion.
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Andrea Massamba, founder, AM Support - Marketing and Publicity Agency (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Andrea Massamba is a founder of AM Support - Marketing and Publicity Agency in Mozambique, a business she started in June 2020, when she found an opportunity during Covid. She understood that some organizations had to close because of Covid, so she decided to start her business to help the organizations continue to be active on social media, supporting them with their communication, scheduling posts, producing content etc. And now she's growing step by step.
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Startup Story
Frutee Belliez is a South African agroprocessing business founded by sisters Mbaliyethu(Lisa) Mthethwa and Masibonge (Lona) Mnguni. They have over 10 years’ experience as entrepreneurs, and their company focuses on processing fruits and vegetables and supplying them to industrial kitchens, as well as catering companies. They have won numerous awards with the most recent being Top Processor in KZN in the Department of Agriculture Female Farmer Entrepreneur Competition in 2018.
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Shaquila Antonio, founder, Confeitando Com Amor (Mozambique)
Startup Story
For all those who have a sweet tooth and love to celebrate every occasion with a beautiful cake, Confeitando Com Amor in Mozambique, founded by creative confectioner Shaquila Antonio, has just what you need. Her cake brand has built up a great customer following in her city of Beira and is set to grow further over the coming years.
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Lorna Mashiba, founder, Rangi Gallery (Tanzania)
Startup Story
Lorna Mashiba is the founder of Rangi Gallery in Tanzania, a virtual platform that connects African artists to Intercontinental art enthusiasts. As the founder of Rangi Gallery, she aspires to grow, empower and transform local talent beyond its borders.
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Taíla Carrilho, co-founder, Ruum Gallery & founder, Atelier Taila Carrilho (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Many entrepreneurs are born to create, and in Mozambique, Taíla Carrilho, co-founder of Ruum Gallery and founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho, is one such person. Her design talent has led her to co-found a creative gallery to showcase handcrafted design objects, and also her own fashion atelier.
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Rumbidzai Matemachani, founder, Rungano Rwedu (Zimbabwe)
Startup Story
For lovers of eye-catching luxury fashion accessories and footwear, look no further than Rungano Rwedu in Zimbabwe, founded by Rumbidzai Matemachani. Her creative talent, combined with some of the finest specialist training in footwear and accessory design and manufacture in Italy, led Rumbidzai to launch her own brand back in her home country of Zimbabwe.
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Chaimaa Elghani, founder, GO4Work (Morocco)
Startup Story
The concept of co-working for entrepreneurs is not a new one globally, but in Morocco, Chaimaa Elghani, founder of GO4Work, there was a gap. Today, she is creating an inspirational co-working space for people to develop their entrepreneurial spirit and to network with like-minded people who are all on their own business building journeys.
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Joan Mugenzi, founder, Imagine Me Africa (Uganda)
Startup Story
Joan Mugenzi is the founder of Imagine Me Africa, based in Uganda. She is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach with 385 hours of coach training and over 750 hours of coaching, with a focus on employment transition. Whether a person is getting into a new job, moving into the next opportunity within the organization, grappling with management and leadership transition role, or planning on exiting, Joan enjoys facilitating the conversations. Joan has trained in coaching up to the highest level of coaching (Mastery), and wholly believes in the need for people to experience professional coaching. She is the founding and current president of the International Coaching Federation Uganda Chapter. Her focus is building Africa's coaching hub of choice.
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Catherine Nakayemba, co-founder, Safe Girl (Uganda)
Startup Story
Catherine Nakayemba is the co-founder and administrator of Safe Girl in Uganda, a business on a mission to lower the cost of menstruation by making safe and eco-friendly reusable menstrual kits. Each kits consists of two reusable sanitary pads, a knicker, storage bag and a piece of soap. This lasts for 12 months hence enabling a rural woman or girl to save from buying monthly pads. Since launching the business, it has produced over 1000 reusable menstrual kits and distributed them all around Uganda. The business employs 20 women working in both production and marketing of the pads.
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Robyn Keet, founder, Inner Voice Creative (South Africa)
Startup Story
Inner Voice Creative, founded by Robyn Keet in South Africa, is a socially conscious photographic exhibition management service and photography mentorship business. Robyn is using this business platform to create a range of specialist photographic services and training products that allows the business to give back to the global creative community.
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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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Kathy Mann
Startup Story
If the past 18 months has taught us anything, it’s the need to better cope with stress, and in South Africa, a real specialist in this field is Kathy Mann. Her consulting business offers help and advice to all those who are finding it difficult to cope with stress and looking for a better way of managing it.
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Alice Kivuva, founder, FiveStars Africa (Kenya)
Startup Story
All avid sportspeople, especially cyclists want to find comfortable, fashionable and stylish activewear that makes them feel and look good, and which inspires them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Entrepreneur Alice Kivuva, founder of FiveStars Africa, the unique African Inspired Sports Brand in Kenya, has created an activewear that does just that.
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Marina Rakotondrasoa Ralaivaomisa, founder, Massöva (Madagascar)
Startup Story
Most of the population of Madagascar lives in rural areas relying on farming to make a living, but the majority live in poverty. Marina Rakotondrasoa Ralaivaomisa, founder of Massöva, is on a mission to help change their situation through her entrepreneurial approach to agribusiness and extending the local value chain.
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Jolene Roelofse, founder, Fluence Africa (South Africa)
Startup Story
As a marketer for over 18 years, and after running her marketing and communications company since 2010, Jolene Roelofse, realized that there is a need for a focus on influencer marketing, that can be measured, outside of only the number of followers. Influencers who can be used for their reach and engagement with their audiences, to relay information about brand products and services. This led to the start of Fluence Africa.
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Kintu Jovia, founder, Kia Cosmetics (Uganda)
Startup Story
Most successful haircare brands start because they look to solve a problem for consumers, and in the case of Kintu Jovia, founder of Kia Cosmetics in Uganda, that was certainly true. Her inspiration was to give consumers the choice to use chemical free products that would be good for their hair and the environment.
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Safietou Seck, founder of SARAYAA (Senegal)
Startup Story
There is a growing interest by textile lovers around the world in discovering handwoven fabrics from the African continent, and this interest is something that Safietou Seck, founder of SARAYAA, is tapping into with her business. Her clothing line effortlessly blends contemporary design with the inspiration of beautiful handwoven fabrics from the African continent.
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