Zaza Letsholo, a South African agripreneur building a business with community impact

September 29, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Zaza Letsholo, founder, ABM Farming Dreams (South Africa)

Zaza Letsholo is the founder of ABM Farming Dreams in South Africa. She is a passionate farmer and community builder specializing in livestock and dry bean production. Inspired by her late father, a dedicated farmer, Zaza grew up on a farm where she learned the values of hard work and resilience. In addition to her farming endeavours, she runs a safe haven for vulnerable individuals, including orphans. With over 12 years of experience in car sales, Zaza is also an award-winning top performer in her field. Her commitment to agriculture and community welfare reflects her desire to make a meaningful impact in her community.

Yolanda Isabel Langa, a Mozambican eco-preneur innovating with plantable seed paper

September 29, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Yolanda Isabel Langa, founder, Yo-Ecológico (Mozambique)

Born and raised in Maputo, Mozambique, Yolanda Isabel Langa is the founder of Yo-Ecológico, an eco-business that innovates with “seed paper,” a recycled product that includes seeds from flowers, spices, and vegetables. Her company offers eco-friendly products such as gifts and invitations, and is expanding with personalized planners, sustainable keychains made from seed paper with rings, and chains made from recycled plastic bottles. Yolanda combines her entrepreneurial experience with a passion for sustainability to make a meaningful difference in the world. Yolanda is about to graduate from Eduardo Mondlane University with a degree in Public Administration. In addition to her academic career, Yolanda is also an active volunteer at an NGO focused on education, health, and the environment.

Sheillah Siima, a Tanzanian entrepreneur publishing resources and tools to help make daily life more organized

September 22, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Sheillah Siima, creative head and founder, Sheillah Publications (Tanzania)

Sheillah Siima is the creative head and founder of Sheillah Publications located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is also a self-publisher, author, and is professionally an editor for print media. Her company publishes a range of resources, tools, and journals to help businesses and individuals manage their lives more effectively.

Jusaina Violanda, a Mozambican entrepreneur helping people green their homes and gardens

September 15, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Jusaina Violanda, founder, Nandzika Garden Center (Mozambique)

Jusaina Violanda is the founder of Nandzika Garden Center in Mozambique, a business dedicated to bringing nature closer to people’s lives through beautiful plants, green decor, and professional landscaping. She uses the power of plants at her garden center to help her customers create beautiful personal spaces and environments that enhance lives and fulfill the emotional need to be closer to nature.

Bophelo Mohapi, a South African mobile spa business builder bringing beauty therapy directly to her clients

September 15, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Bophelo Leah Mohapi, founder, ChamomileSpaAndBeauty (South Africa)

Bophelo Leah Mohapi is the founder of ChamomileSpaAndBeauty in South Africa, a growing mobile beauty treatment spa. She is solely responsible for running her mobile spa but has a team of 17 therapists that she hooks up with for gigs. Bophelo also has 7 promoters helping her reach more clients as part of her growth journey. ChamomileSpaAndBeauty has been operating since 2015, originally as a side hustle. The business started operating under the name of ChamomileSpaAndBeauty in 2022 and was formally registered in 2024.

Marta Uetela, a Mozambican eco-innovator constructing bicycles from marine plastic waste

September 8, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Marta Uetela, founder, Baaike (Mozambique)

Marta Uetela is the founder of Baaike in Mozambique, a studio dedicated to designing and constructing bicycles from plastic waste collected from the ocean, Marta is on a mission to offer alternatives to conventional transportation while raising awareness about the environmental impact of plastic pollution in our oceans. She is a product design engineer and a solutions-oriented entrepreneur with a deep passion for product design and alternative manufacturing systems. She believes in the potential of Generation Z and the transformative power of design and engineering to rethink and reshape a more sustainable world.

Brenda Hart, a South African entrepreneur realizing a dream of building a bespoke furniture design business

September 8, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Brenda Hart, founder, Soft&Co (South Africa)

For South African entrepreneur Brenda Hart, starting a bespoke furniture design business at the age of 50 is a bold and rewarding endeavour. As founder of Soft&Co, she draws on her extensive experience in interior design to create furniture that is both beautiful and meaningful. She says, “Soft&Co gives me a niche to concentrate on and a fresh channel for my enduring love for design. It’s not just a business to me, but a celebration of a life’s work and a testament to the power of following your dreams at any age.”

Afifah Zualo, a Mozambican artisan entrepreneur creating ethnic contemporary jewellery celebrating beadwork

August 26, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Afifah Zualo, founder, M'Kono (Mozambique)

Afifah Zualo is an artisan (multi-artist) entrepreneur and the founder of M'Kono in Mozambique. She trained in Railway Engineering, but today sees the design of ethnic-contemporary jewellery as a way of codifying feelings and expressing Mozambican identity. Her Mozambican start-up seeks to honour cultural traditions while innovating in design and technique. A Leader and Social Innovator, Afifah employs a single employee, but her startup generates income for six other participants in her community who participate in the business passively. She believes in a world in which all women are respected and have justice for their efforts returned and aspires to conquer the world with her work.

Benedita Macuácua, a Mozambican circular economy business builder creating sustainable products using crochet

August 26, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Benedita Macuácua, founder, Exclusive Crochet (Mozambique)

Exclusive Crochet is a crafts-based start-up founded by Benedita Macuácua in Mozambique. An entrepreneur and graphic designer, her company specializes in creating sustainable products using recycled materials such as knitted yarn, fabric scraps, and recycled soles. The company was inspired by the need to combat the accumulation of rubbish in Maputo, transforming solid waste into durable, quality crochet pieces. Benedita’s focus with her business is on the circular economy and promoting conscious consumption, offering a variety of products such as flip-flops, bags, beach cover-ups, and other items, each carrying a unique story and an artistic design that impresses with its beauty and positive environmental impact.

Kearoma Rantao, an online fashion retail brand builder in Botswana

August 23, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Kearoma Rantao, founder, Cheri & Auti Fashions (Botswana)

Cheri & Auti Fashions is a clothing fashion label established in 2021 by Kearoma Rantao in Gabarone, Botswana. A Jazz artist, singer, and performing artist, Kearoma decided during COVID-19 to start a fashion line called Cheri & Auti Fashions. Today, the business is an online retail store and has been making and selling mainly women’s casual wear since it launched.

Juanita Coetzee, a South African entrepreneur building a pioneering health tech company in The Netherlands

August 22, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Juanita Coetzee, Founder, JooL (The Netherlands)

Juanita Coetzee is the Founder of JooL, a pioneering health tech company launched in 2022 and dedicated to enhancing patient care through innovative digital solutions. Hailing from South Africa, Juanita brings a wealth of experience in healthcare management and technology integration. With a strong commitment to improving healthcare accessibility, she has successfully led JooL in developing platforms that bridge gaps between informal caregivers and access to healthcare information, resources and tools. Her leadership and vision are driving significant advancements in telemedicine and chronic disease management, making healthcare more efficient and inclusive for underserved populations.

Refilwe Sebothoma, a visionary entrepreneur combating energy poverty by making LPG accessible in marginalised communities

August 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Refilwe Sebothoma, founder, Hakem Energies (South Africa)

Refilwe Sebothoma, founder of Hakem Energies in South Africa, continues to grow as a visionary entrepreneur with proven business savvy and qualities. Harnessing her business acumen, she founded her businesses in monopolized industries and established them as high-growth start-ups which are highly recognized and are now medium and large businesses. Her purpose is about impacting and empowering the lives of ordinary people through her work because she believes that when individuals are empowered and self-sufficient, they can go back to their communities and replicate that impact. She loves to spend time mentoring, coaching, and sharing her journey with upcoming entrepreneurs as part of her paying it forward. The business has created jobs for 9 local people.

Gisela Monteiro, a Mozambican natural cosmetics and artisanal perfume brand builder

August 11, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Gisela Leonor Monteiro, founder, Sublime Produtos Cosmeticos Naturais (Mozambique)

Gisela Leonor Monteiro is the founder of Sublime Produtos Cosmeticos Naturais in Mozambique, a business dedicated to the production of 100% natural cosmetics and artisanal perfumes. Having completed a hotel and tourism course as a student, she embarked on her entrepreneurship journey when she was 26 years old after taking cooking courses, cooking for events, and providing meals to companies close to her area of residence. She worked in several businesses, including catering, event promotion, culinary training, and clothing sales, always with the dream of becoming a businesswoman. Her entrepreneurial journey kickstarted after participating in business management and financial education courses, undertaking transformational training at IDEIALAB, the FEMTECH training program, FÓRMULA MILIONÁRIA and OFFICINA DE NEGÓCIOS with coach Arcelio Tivane.

Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, an agri-techpreneur focused on improving traceability, transparency and sustainability in global food supply chains

August 6, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, founder and CEO, Open Food Chain (The Netherlands)

Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt is the founder and CEO of Open Food Chain in The Netherlands. She is a seasoned and award-winning entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in agri-tech. Open Food Chain is focused on improving traceability, transparency and sustainability in global food supply chains. She founded the business 7 years ago and now employs about 20 people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. Her vision is to bring the new internet to the food system and launch the first bitcoin for food.

Rejane & Krissie Gwynne, two South African entrepreneurs building an ethical fashion brand celebrating African textiles

August 3, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Rejane Gwynne and Krissie Gwynne, co-founders, OYOO Style (South Africa)

Rejane Gwynne and partner Krissie Gwynne are co-founders of OYOO Style in South Africa, an ethical fashion and homeware range made from African textiles. The business supports skills development for local seamstresses, and also has a focus on sustainability with its no waste approach to production. The entrepreneurial pair met in the UK and after 16 years abroad they returned to South Africa to be closer to family and to explore the beautiful African continent. OYOO Style was created in 2021 and has 3 employees.

Dr Michélle Booysen, a South African entrepreneur providing businesses with specialist expertise to integrate change and improve performance

August 3, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Dr Michélle Booysen is the CEO of the Pétanque NXT Group, providing business leaders with the clarity to implement necessary changes swiftly and effectively, through its offices in South Africa and The Netherlands. Michélle is a consultant with over 35 years of experience spanning the legal profession and economics, driven by a passion for using enterprise as a catalyst for societal progress. She holds a PhD in Economics, a Bachelor of Law and Economics degree, and a multitude of other academic and practical application qualifications. Michélle specializes in integrating change and performance improvement by mapping and analyzing business processes. The business was founded in 2002 and today employs 17 people.

Ginette Blackbeard, a South African sustainable beauty brand builder with a passion for the circular economy

July 28, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Ginette Blackbeard, founder Enough. Upcycled Beauty-Health (South Africa)

Ginette Blackbeard, founder of ENOUGH. Upcycled Beauty-Health in South Africa, is harnessing her upbringing which instilled in her a profound respect for the environment and an unwavering commitment to minimizing waste. Her passion for the circular economy and sustainability inspired her to establish her business, driven by a belief in the essential shift towards circularity for the future of our planet. Ginette brings over two decades of experience in entrepreneurship across diverse sectors, from creative enterprises to manufacturing and engineering. She is also a co-founder of Emrin, a manufacturer of PLA filament, a biodegradable plant-based polymer.

Enid Katorobo Bashengezi, a South African financial and project management specialist consultancy builder

July 28, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Enid Katorobo Bashengezi, founder, EKB Consultants (South Africa)

With over 20 years of experience in accounting and project management, Enid Katorobo Bashengezi is the founder of EKB Consultants in South Africa. She is a seasoned professional specializing in leadership development, fiduciary assurance, and financial management across sectors, including decentralized systems. She is a Chartered Accountant (FCCA) and holds master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Information Technology (MSc IT), alongside certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Personal Leadership Effectiveness Coach and Consultant.

Lusanda Omelo, a South African digital marketing and AI automation business helping SMMEs establish their online presence

July 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lusanda Omelo, Managing Director, Luome Brands (South Africa)

Lusanda Omelo is the Managing Director of Luome Brands, a digital marketing and AI automation business in South Africa. After many years in the corporate world, Lusanda embarked on her entrepreneurial journey. With a rich background in marketing, she has worked with both multinationals and startups. Her true passion lies in helping SMMEs thrive in their environments. In her exploration of AI, Lusanda developed findaiforthat.co.za, an online AI directory featuring over 1,000 tools designed to make business tasks easier. This platform is a testament to her commitment to leveraging AI to support businesses in achieving their goals. She has partnered with various international clients to ensure that these tools are used and easily available to Africans.The business started in 2021 and has created jobs for 3 people.

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