the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Lioness Launch
This week sees South Africa’s leading sustainable and ethical product design brand, The Joinery, launching its new TOGETHER campaign. Founding sisters, Kim and Natalie Ellis, are asking customers and supporters to join them on their journey to making a difference. This initiative was created to support those in need with food parcels, as well as to support local farmers that can no longer supply to the restaurant industry due to COVID-19.
Read moreHend Riad and Mariam Hazem
Lioness Weekender Cover Story
Reform Studio was founded by Hend Riad and Mariam Hazem, an internationally awarded lifestyle brand based in Cairo, Egypt. Directly after the 2011 revolution in Egypt, they were excited to be part of the great change around them, eager to make a stand and to make a difference, and this is how Reform Studio was born.
Read moreFrom poisoning and injuring marine life, to the ubiquitous presence of plastics in our food, to causing major life-threatening diseases, the growth of plastic waste is threatening our planet's survival. Africa’s women entrepreneurs are rising to the challenge and are building game-changing eco-businesses combating one of the great environmental challenges of our time - plastic pollution.
Read morePaulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment (Namibia)
Most people look at old discarded oil drums and other scrap metals and just see junk. But for entrepreneur Paulina Alfeus, founder of Power Six Investment, she sees endless possibilities. Her business finds its inspiration in turning trash into treasure, creating innovative and desirable furniture from recycled scrap oil drums.
Read moreLiina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations (Namibia)
The world is waking up to the need to be more environmentally conscious, but more needs to be done to tackle the problem of plastic and other waste. In Namibia, one entrepreneur, Liina Mutilifa, founder of Green Earth Creations, is playing her part by recycling plastic into desirable objects that consumers want and need.
Read moreIn South Africa, the iconic South African homeware design brand, Carrol Boyes, and sustainable lifestyle brand, The Joinery, have launched a new collaborative community collection.
Read moreEvangelia Kalaitzi, founder of HealthyWise & Evangelia Nina K Brand (South Africa)
The world is becoming increasingly aware of sustainability and animal rights issues, particularly when it comes to the fashion industry. And, one South African entrepreneur, Evangelia Kalaitzi, founder of HealthyWise and the inspiration behind the Evangelia Nina K accessory brand, is creating beautiful, sustainable products that makes it easy for consumers to go ‘green’.
Read moreThe world is waking up to a new reality and the devastating consequences of such problems as environmental degradation and deforestation, shrinking water supplies, threats to biodiversity, lack of affordable green housing, waste management issues, and ocean pollution. The current global high profile Ocean Rescue campaign being run by Sky News this month is highlighting ocean health and the need to find innovative solutions to the problem of ocean plastics, inspiring people to make small everyday changes that collectively make a huge difference.
Read moreCharlotte Aubin, GreenWish Partners (Mauritius)
Africa has a challenge in finding new, innovative and sustainable solutions to meet its growing energy needs, and that’s where GreenWish Partners headquartered in Mauritius has a renewable solution.
Read moreJoelle Eyeson, co-founder of Hive Earth (Ghana)
Creating affordable housing solutions in Africa is a key challenge for many countries, and particularly homes that are eco-friendly. But Joelle Eyeson, co-founder of Hive Earth, is bringing a new and innovative solution to Ghana, and one that is replicable across the continent.
Read moreRealizing that the South African consumer is far more educated in the field of enzyme, bacterial and green cleaning products than just a few years ago, entrepreneur Vasie Seweramulu and two of her fellow women entrepreneurs, created Safeguard Hygiene and Safety.
Read moreAnnabel Biggar-David, founder of Organico (South Africa)
There is a growing interest on the part of consumers to find products that have been created with a gentler footprint on the planet. So it’s exciting to hear of a great holistic lifestyle store in South Africa, Organico, created by passionate social entrepreneur Annabel Biggar-David. This is a business that has environmental sustainability at its heart.
Read moreBernice Dapaah, co-founder of the Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative
- Bernice Dapaah co-founder of Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative
Read moreLalita Anousha Purbho-Junggee, founder of Nineteen Fifty Design & Print Co Ltd (Mauritius)
Many companies are being encouraged to consider the environmental impacts of their businesses, but for entrepreneur Lalita Anousha Purbho-Junggee, founder of Nineteen Fifty Design & Print Co Ltd, she is going one better. Her Sakili up-cycled bag brand is turning billboard advertising and textile waste into multi-purpose bags for her clients.
Read moreVere Shaba, founder of the Shaba & Ramplin (South Africa)
As cities across the African continent grow, and the construction of new buildings on city skylines also grows in tandem, so too does the need to create greener buildings. And, that’s where multi-award winning engineering entrepreneur, Vere Shaba, founder of the Shaba & Ramplin Green Building Solutions, comes in. She is advising companies to think and plan differently using an Integrated Green Design approach to design energy-efficient, water-efficient and low waste building engineering systems.
Read moreWinnifred Selby, co-founder of Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative
Draw inspiration and courage from your own dreams and passions....
- Winnifred Selby was just 17 years old when she co-founded Afrocentric Bamboo, a company that manufactures and markets bicycles made from bamboo under the brand Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative. Her company produces bikes that are both eco-friendly and affordable – US$100 for the local market – and made for the high terrain and rough roads of rural Ghana. Winnifred was selected as a finalist in the 2014 Edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.
Read moreColleen Deetlefs, founder of Innovative Waste Design (IWD) (South Africa)
The ability to see possibility in what others see as simply waste is a real talent, and that is something that Innovative Waste Design (IWD) founder, Colleen Deetlefs has in large quantities. She has a creative eye, combined with the business acumen to turn waste into beautiful and practical new products that have a great back story and a positive environmental footprint.
Read moreTsholofelo Tshetlo, founder of Afrophik (South Africa)
Unearthing the beautiful in things that others discard is a real creative gift, and one that entrepreneur Tsholofelo Tshetlo, founder of Afrophik, has in large quantities. Her unique eye for possibilities and detail has resulted in some of the most inventive ‘must-have’ accessories and decor items on the market.
Read moreLizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa (South Africa)
It takes vision and creative skill to see possibilities where others see rubbish, and entrepreneur Lilly Loompa has both attributes in large quantities. She is designing individual pieces of furniture and interior accessories that have a unique story to tell and celebrate the authenticity of the recycled material used.
Read moreThe environmental issues confronting Africa today are well documented. The issue is pressing, but where will the solutions come from? In Africa, many of the innovations to solve Africa's most pressing environmental problems are emerging from women. Specifically, from young women entrepreneurs who are successfully linking sustainable business to environmental consciousness and concern for societal well-being. This is the basis for a new wave of women-led ecopreneurship taking root in Africa, resulting in a new generation of women-led startups with environmental consciousness at their core.
Read more
