Entrepreneur Advice from Fatima Babakura: People will say no to you

September 22, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Fatima Babakura, founder of Timabee (Nigeria) — Fatima Babakura, founder of Timabee (Nigeria)

People will say no to you....

"NO only means Next opportunity. You have to keep trying because at the beginning things may seem a little rough and people will say no to you, but you cannot give up because of that."

- Fatima Babakura, founder of Timabee, an up and coming luxury women's handbag brand in Nigeria. Back in 2014 Fatima decided to bring to reality, one of the sketches that she couldn't forget about after she had drawn it. It was special and different from the others in her sketchbook. That sketch turned out to be Timabee's very first design, 'The Classic'. The response from people was just amazing and that was when Fatima decided to turn her hobby into a business.

Entrepreneur Advice from Rafiat Kasumu: Make sure you are passionate

September 21, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Rafiat Kasumu, founder of Kente Master (Ghana/USA) — **Rafiat Kasumu**, founder of Kente Master (Ghana/USA)

Make sure you are passionate....

"...make sure you are passionate about the problem your start-up was created to solve. This is essential because that passion you have will be the fuel for your business. When you speak to others about your start-up’s goals, they will hear that passion in you voice and see it on your face and they’ll think - yes, this is someone who knows what she is doing and why she is doing it. Always let that passion drive you through every stage of your business!"

- Rafiat Kasumu is a Nigerian-American who developed a love for kente while working with kente weavers in Kumasi, Ghana. Rafiat took this love to the next level by co-founding Kente Master which seeks to expand the international reach of Ghanaian kente weavers. Kente Master is a fabric artisan startup committed to promoting African entrepreneurship by internationally servicing a unique blend of premium, finished Kente graduation stoles.

Entrepreneur Advice from Olubukola Asafa: You need to have a sense of purpose

September 20, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Olubukola Asafa, founder of Oba Couture (Nigeria) — **Olubukola Asafa**, founder of Oba Couture (Nigeria)

You need to have a sense of purpose....

"Make sure whatever venture you are looking to startup is a passion for you - also make sure you are not just doing it for the profit you will make alone, but that it is much deeper than that, for example bridging a gap in the society. Also make sure that you have a sense of purpose, and your business should ultimately align with that purpose - only then can you truly live your dream."

- Olubukola Asafa is the founder of Oba Couture in Nigeria, a company that manufactures handmade handbags, sandals, shoes and other leather goods with a culture of fine craftsmanship, design and innovation. After obtaining her MBA degree, Olubukola started a business selling shoes and handbags of different brands. But, she had a vision and passion to create a proudly ‘Made in Nigeria’ luxury accessory brand, and so Oba Couture was born.

Quote of the Day by Kofo Akinkugbe

September 20, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Kofo Akinkugbe, founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd (Nigeria) — Kofo Akinkugbe, founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd (Nigeria)

"Once you have a good plan and a good concept and you work through it, the funds will always come."

- Kofo Akinkugbe is recognised globally for her entrepreneurial success story and strong business track record. She is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd a market leader in smart card technology and digital security in Africa. SecureID is a world-class manufacturing facility with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. In January 2015 the company commissioned a new state-of-the-art EMV-certified smartcard manufacturing plant – the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company serves 16 countries across Africa and is fully certified by VISA, Verve and MasterCard. In 2012, Kofo won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.

Lorna Scott, a South African entrepreneur building a gin brand that is exciting the world’s tastebuds

September 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Lorna Scott, founder of Inverroche Distillery (South Africa) — **Lorna Scott**, founder of Inverroche Distillery (South Africa)

There is something special about passionate people who create products that celebrate the natural indigenous ingredients that come from one place, making them truly unique. Lorna Scott, the entreprenurial inspirational behind the fabulous Inverroche gin brand, is one such passionate creator and brand builder, inspired by the natural botanicals that grow in the world’s smallest yet richest floral kingdom.

Quote of the Day by Dr. Ola Orekunrin

September 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Dr. Ola Orekunrin, founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria — **Dr. Ola Orekunrin**, founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria

"The people that generate wealth are people that make multiples of themselves."

- Dr. Ola Orekunrin is a medical doctor, helicopter pilot and the healthcare entrepreneur founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first Air Ambulance Service. She's dedicated to bringing trauma care to the most remote parts of Western Africa and her company, an air ambulance service based in Lagos, is doing just that. She was motivated to start the company after her younger sister tragically died whilst traveling in Nigeria as a consequence of there being no medical air service available to transport her to hospital. Ola graduated as a medical doctor from the University Of York in the UK and is a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine.

Entrepreneur Advice from Margaret Hirsch: Persistence will get you there

September 19, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Margaret & Allan Hirsch, founders of Hirsch's Homestores (South Africa) — Margaret & Allan Hirsch, founders of Hirsch's Homestores (South Africa)

Persistence will get you there....

"You can make all your dreams come true with passion, hard work, focus and the drive to persist until you get to where you want to be - and then when you get there, do that little bit more that will make a huge difference."

- Margaret Hirsch is one half of a dynamic husband and wife duo that founded Hirsch's Homestores. Back in 1979, as a secretary, together with her husband Allan, then an appliance repair man, they unwittingly became entrepreneurs who went on to build an appliance, electronics and furnishing retail empire. Today, Hirsch's Homestores is the largest independently owned appliance and electronics business in Southern Africa, with seventeen branches and concept stores spread throughout South Africa.

Quote of the Day by Bev Missing

September 18, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Bev Missing, founder and ceo of Rain — **Bev Missing**, founder and ceo of Rain

"It is a dream come true to see a tiny garage soap making business being given the opportunity to play on the global stage as an international brand."

- Bev Missing is the founder of South African body and bath product brand RAIN. Back in 1999 Bev saw a gap in the market to start making soap as it was labour intensive and all the lovely soaps at that stage were imported. Bev started the project in her garage hoping to help solve unemployment in her hometown of Ladybrand, and to make a difference in the lives of the poor and jobless. Today, RAIN has 14 stores across South Africa, two unique wellness spa's, two stores in New York and one in California. RAIN is the only beauty product company that is fully Fair Trade and Beauty Without Cruelty accredited, meaning the whole company and every ingredient it uses is regulated by the international Fair Trade body, not just some ingredients.

Essential Read: Pivot - The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One by Jenny Blake

September 17, 2017 Melanie Hawken

If you've got the perfect career or business, congratulations. But if you are even a little bit uncertain that your current gig is the right one, it is time to start thinking about your next move. In the new world of work and business, it's the only move that matters, according to Jenny Blake, author of Pivot.

Divine Ndhlukula wins Zimbabwe's private sector leader of the year award

September 17, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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Women dominated the Zimbabwe Institute of Management 2017 Leadership Excellence awards that were presented in Harare this month, with Securico Security Services founder, Divine Ndhlukula, picking up the prestigious Private Sector Leader of the Year award. She received the award for her ongoing contribution to management excellence in the country in the preceding year and for being an example and inspiration for others to emulate.

Sinenhlanhla Ndlela, a South African entrepreneur on a mission to make delicious ice cream that is also dairy free

September 16, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Sine Ndlela, founder of YoCoco (South Africa) — **Sine Ndlela**, founder of YoCoco (South Africa)

For all those people out there who love the idea of gorgeous artisan ice cream, but cannot eat dairy produce, help is at hand. YoCoco, an exciting new artisan dairy free ice cream is tantalising tastebuds in South Africa with fabulous flavour combinations and taste sensations.

Own Your Podium: Part 2

September 16, 2017 Melanie Hawken

There is no question that your ability to communicate confidently and authoritatively is critical to your career success. Presentations are amongst your most important opportunities to make an impression, to stand out and enhance your personal brand. It’s not simply another boring meeting. Get over thinking of presentations as burdens. Just by thinking about them differently, you can shift your level of confidence, and that, as you know, is the first step to improving the overall way you are perceived. Here are some tips from ‘Own Your Space’ to make your presentations more effective.

How can you make the most of each day and have a record growth year?

September 16, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Do you ever feel like you could be making more progress in your business, or like you sometimes get off track and then have trouble remembering the main things you should be focused on as you climb the entrepreneurial mountain? Do you ever wish you had someone with whom you could celebrate the big wins and who would be there to cheer you on when you hit the deep potholes?

Quote of the Day by Joanne Mwangi

September 14, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Joanne Mwangi, founder and CEO, PMS Group (Kenya) — **Joanne Mwangi**, founder and CEO, PMS Group (Kenya)

"Don’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going. So please, can the young people of Africa make sure they seize the opportunity and keep it in Africa."

- Joanne Mwangi founded PMS Group in Kenya in 1996. Today her company has five subsidiaries and a presence across East Africa. Joanne has steered the PMS Group from a small agency to a leading full service marketing and communications group and in 2010 her company was voted number one in the Top 100 SME competition in Kenya. Joanne is also the chairperson of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations (FEWA), an organisation that seeks to create an enabling business environment for women.

Quote of the Day by Bilikiss Adebiyi

September 13, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Bilikiss Abiola, founder and CEO of WeCyclers — **Bilikiss Abiola**, founder and CEO of WeCyclers

"I really believe this is the best time to be an African start up. This is Africa's time and we as Africans need to seize this opportunity to contribute our quotas to our respective countries."

- Bilikiss Adebiyi is a Nigerian entrepreneur and innovator, and founder and CEO of WeCyclers. This Lagos-based company is focused on giving low-income communities in developing countries a chance to capture value from waste and clean up their neighborhoods through an incentive-based recycling program. Bilikiss holds an MBA from MIT and a Masters degree from Vanderbilt University. She is a 2013 Echoing Green Fellow and WeCyclers were a Sustainia100 Company Award winner in 2014.

All the photos and video from the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference 2017

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

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A picture says a thousand words, so the saying goes, and we couldn’t agree more. So we have curated the huge number of pictures taken at the Lionesses of Africa Annual Conference into one special conference photo editorial feature. These photographs capture the spirit and atmosphere of the event perfectly: from the lively networking sessions; the inspirational guest speakers on stage and the insightful panel sessions; the fun in the photo booth; the conversations with our visiting book authors and exhibitors; the fabulous food and refreshments; not to mention the fabulous sight of the polo ponies being exercised right in front of us while we relaxed in the beautiful Johannesburg sunshine. This special feature also includes a short highlights video of the event and also a download button where you can select and download your favourite high resolution images as a reminder of this special conference. Happy viewing everyone!

Entrepreneur Advice from Sarah Collins: There is NO rulebook!

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

Sarah Collins, founder and CEO of Wonderbag — **Sarah Collins**, founder and CEO of Wonderbag

There is NO rulebook....

"There is NO rulebook and it will be challenging at times, but if you have a passion for what you do and the determination to succeed then you can take on anything and conquer the world. It’s exhausting and relentless at times, but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruits of your hard labour pay off."

- Sarah Collins is the founder and CEO of Wonderbag, a simple non electric slow cooker which works in mud huts in Africa to Manhattan apartments, possibly one of the only cooking devices that is globally relevant! Sarah is a South African adventurer, entrepreneur, and lifelong social activist. She thrives on challenges and has worked tirelessly over the past two decades to inspire change in the realms of gender-equality and environmental sustainability.

Quote of the Day by Juliana Rotich

September 12, 2017 Melanie Hawken

“There is a link between increasing connectivity and GDP. If you increase broadband by 10%, it corresponds to 1,163% increase in GDP. Investment in connectivity is worthwhile. We've only got 15.6% penetration of the internet in Africa – there is so much more to do.”

- Juliana Rotich is co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi, a nonprofit tech company, born in Africa, that develops free and open-source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Juliana leads a team that is expanding its global footprint and making crowdsourcing tools available and useful, and catalyzing entrepreneurial initiatives like iHub in Kenya. She serves on the advisory council of Microsoft 4Afrika and Waabeh Ltd. She also co-founded Mobisoko, a mobile marketplace for language and location relevant apps in Africa. Juliana is a TED Senior Fellow and serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Information Communications Technology. In 2011 The World Economic Forum named Juliana 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year'.

Entrepreneur Advice from Kofo Akinkugbe: We must be creative

September 11, 2017 Melanie Hawken

We must be creative....

"We need to create an environment that would drive creativity. Do not be afraid to test new things. We must be creative, ensuring we are a step ahead of competition."

- Kofo Akinkugbe is founder & CEO of SecureID Nigeria Ltd. She is a highly respected African business leader who has become a market leader in smart card technology and digital security. SecureID is world-class manufacturing company with the only smart card production plant in West Africa and one of only six on the continent. Her company serves 16 countries across Africa and is fully certified by VISA, Verve and MasterCard. In 2012, Kofo won the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship Mature Business Award.