the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Tatyana Moeda, founder, Miss Cake (Angola)
Startup Story
If you appreciate how special a good cake can be, and how a great cake can make any occasion truly memorable, then Miss Cake, founded by Tatyana Moeda in Angola is a business you need to check out. It creates delicious cakes for every type of event, from an afternoon tea to a celebratory party, and is building a great reputation for her products with clients.
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Lily Katumba, founder, Zuri Styles (Uganda)
Startup Story
Lily Katumba is the founder of Zuri Styles, an accessories design and manufacturing business in Uganda creating jobs and restoring hope to vulnerable people. Lily’s mission is to stop Human Trafficking and empower those most vulnerable by creating sustainable employment, providing coaching and mentorship, and empowering girl children.
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Marita Walther, co-founder & managing director EBIKES4AFRICA (Namibia)
Startup Story
As co-founder and managing director of award-winning social enterprise, EBIKES4AFRICA, Marita Walther represents a women-led entity that works to empower African communities through sustainable mobility and energy. With a background in media, journalism and social sciences, Marita is passionate about gender and youth empowerment, uplifting local communities and preserving the natural environment for future generations. The business, which was launched in 2015, now employees 20 people.
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Lailate Talaquichande, founder, Super Fashion, Lda (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Wearing beautiful clothes can improve a woman's self-esteem and give that feeling of self-confidence through comfort and elegance, and in Mozambique, Lailate Talaquichande, founder of Super Fashion, Lda, is helping customers to do just that.
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Zamabuya Muhanelwa, founder, Indoni Perfumes (South Africa)
Startup Story
Zamabuya Muhanelwa is the founder of Indoni Perfumes in South Africa, a manufacturer and retailer of fragrances. Originally with a PR & Communications background, her entrepreneurial journey has taken her into the market of high end fragrance creation. When she first founded Indoni Perfumes in 2018, Zamabuya had no idea it would grow into one of the best fragrance retailers, creating job opportunities and empowering youngsters in the process. Today, Indoni Perfumes is a perfume manufacturer and retailer based in Johannesburg, South Africa, but trading nationwide. It is predominantly known for offering cutting edge fragrances as well as home and pamper care products for less.
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Sónia Lumeka, founder, Kaylina Photos (Angola)
Startup Story
Sónia Lumeka is the founder of Kaylina Photos in Angola. She is an artist, architect, writer and photographer. An introvert person who enjoys good reflection and quiet places, she was born and raised in the country and is married and the mother of three children as well as being an entrepreneur.
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Mbalenhle Ndaba, founder, HomeMinder4U (South Africa)
Startup Story
For those who need specialist cleaning services in their homes and offices, help is at hand from entrepreneur Mbalenhle Ndaba, founder of HomeMinder4U in South Africa. Improving lives through cleaning is her passion and prompted her to launch her business offering a wide range of cleaning services in 2019 in Johannesburg.
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Charlotte Binya, founder, Country Foods SARL (Cameroon)
Startup Story
Charlotte Binya is the founder of Country Foods SARL which is an agri-food company based in Douala, Cameroon, producing products such as fish, pork, beef sausages, natural jams, natural fruit juices and peanut butter. Holder of an engineering diploma in transformation and quality control of fishery products, Charlotte is also a trainer in the food industry and delivers several training courses in the food industry, as well as with international organizations, individuals or companies wishing to update their teams in the food industry.
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Wada Kealotswe, founder & director Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera (Botswana)
Startup Story
Wada Kealotswe is the founder and director of Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera in Botswana, a company that manufactures eco graphite and colour pencils. The business has been running for 2 years and today has 3 permanent employees and 15 part time employees, mostly youth who have never worked before. Wada is a Development Economist from Botswana with over 10 years’ experience doing developmental work, and a graduate from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The company was a 2021 runner-up for the Catalyst SEED award in the Waste Management category, and its stories have been featured on global platforms like Forbes and Xinhua.
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Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge, founder and creative director, Umutoni (Kenya)
Startup Story
Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge is the founder and creative director of Umutoni, a luxury jewelry brand where every piece is handmade with love by the best artisans from the heart of Kenya. She is on a mission to empower the disenfranchised through her ethically driven jewellery. With a degree in Economics and background in the IT industry, Umutoni is utilizing skills developed in her professional background to share the narrative that jewellery can be an agent for social change. Having spoken at Cambridge University, being featured in Forbes and BBC, she's keen to share the brand story and continue to make an impact as she continues to amalgamate her worlds together.
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Sasha Knott, CEO, Job Crystal (South Africa)
Startup Story
Sasha Knott, the CEO of Job Crystal in South Africa, started her career in IT and moved quickly in her career finding her passion for entrepreneurship and combining this with technology that works for the customer and often disrupts industries. Sasha’s current plan is to make job seekers lives easier while helping SMEs find talent fast and effortlessly! With Job Crystal’s new system called Crystal which combines RecTech, AI, machine learning and UX functionality that makes it easy to find the needle in the haystack for SMEs looking for talent. The vision is to make a dent in unemployment.
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Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka, founder, GlambyRuthie (Nigeria)
Startup Story
Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka is the founder of GlambyRuthie in Nigeria, a brand focused on providing the best makeup services for women across the nation and the training of aspiring makeup artists. She is also studying accountancy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and currently pursuing her ICAN qualification. Ruth founded GlambyRuthie in 2020 and is focused on growing her brand, getting involved in fashion shows, and looking for collaborations in the beauty industry.
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Sibongile Mthimunye, founder, BWGL Group (South Africa)
Startup Story
Sibongile Mthimunye is the founder of BWGL Group in South Africa, a specialist business providing cleaning services to companies, businesses and households. Sibongile’s business is also a distributor of natural and environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The business was founded in 2020 and is growing and continuing to employ women from local communities. Sibongile is harnessing her 23 years of experience working in both the non-profit and corporate sectors for the benefit of her own business.
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Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu, founder & ceo, Woven Link Africa (Kenya)
Startup Story
Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu is the founder and ceo of Woven Link Africa, with 19 years of combined experience in youth capacity building programs. Her greatest accomplishments are in setting up systems and structures for design, delivery and management of vocational education, entrepreneurship, and employability programs. She has worked with various organizations in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and UK.
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Stacey Spilsbury, co-founder, Connectable Life (South Africa)
Startup Story
Stacey Spilsbury is the co-founder of Connectable Life in South Africa, an online platform that connects Mind, Body and Wellness specialists with clients. She grew up in the heart of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. She is married to an incredible man, father and farmer, and they have 4 earth loving, wild and free, little boys. Both Stacey and her husband are passionate about Family, Faith and Business. She has a background in marketing and worked for a few years in London, UK before getting married and settling down back in South Africa.
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Elohor Oderowho, Founder and Chief Editor, Elowell Max (Nigeria)
Startup Story
Elohor Oderowho is the Founder and Chief Editor of Elowell Max which was established in 2020. Her initial pursuit was to promote healthy living and wellness among African Women. This passion started when she noticed that African women needed a platform solely dedicated to their growth in all aspects. Thus, she vowed to create a women's site like no other, giving every African woman something to feed on. Being a passionate writer, she begun creating awareness for African women on how to go about vital aspects of life including relationships, femininity, fashion and beauty on her website www.elowellmaxpost.com.
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Filomena Matimbe, founder and ceo, Finana (Mozambique)
Startup Story
Filomena Matimbe is the founder and ceo of Finana, a Mozambican company specializing in Banana Flour processing and dry banana. She brings five years of experience in this business. Finana has won multiple awards including the world Gold Medal at the II World of Inventors and Innovators Forum, and also a SANBio award in Mozambique 2017. Banana flour is available in supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies. It is also served as a snack in schools and in the largest hospital in the country.
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Maureen Obaweya, founder and Creative Director, Morin.O Designs (Nigeria)
Startup Story
Maureen Obaweya is the Founder and Creative Director of Morin.O Designs in Nigeria. She is an award-winning designer whose initial career was in a pharmacy before taking an unchartered course. The Morin.O brand is a luxury brand focused on creating leather items and accessories for individuals with the aim to share African beauty, craftsmanship, and creativity with the world. Maureen established her brand in 2013 and opened her first store in Lagos in 2015. She has over 29 years of experience that cuts across arts, decor, gift company, pharmacies, and many more.
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Rachelle Best, founder, FYI play it safe (South Africa)
Startup Story
Rachelle Best founded FYI play it safe, a downloadable app that helps parents protect their children from online harm and potential physical danger. She wanted to create a solution she and other parents can use to navigate the harsh realities of managing children’s online safety. Being confronted by the dangers associated with social media platforms and the open world of the internet, led Rachelle to embark on a research study to get a clear view of the available solutions.
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Jean Archary
Startup Story
Jean Archary is a Certified Financial Planner® and created MONEY MESSAGES, a financial education and wellness company in South Africa that offers a range of solutions for employees and their families. Jean is a published and AfriCan award-winning author, financial wellness coach, speaker and mom. Her passion is to empower as many people about money matters and shift the way they think, feel and behave with money. Her company is based on the philosophy that "When you know better, you do better - (Maya Angelou).
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