Josephine Sidambe, a South African sustainability change-maker

November 12, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Ingqwele Consulting & Projects Managements Pty Ltd, a sustainability consulting business driving transformative change in South Africa

Josephine Sidambe is a visionary, achiever, and change maker, and the founder of Ingqwele Consulting & Projects Managements Pty Ltd in South Africa which was launched in 2013. As a dynamic agent of change in the world of sustainability consulting, Josephine has continuously pushed the boundaries of continuous improvements. She has an insatiable passion for sustainable solutions and unwavering commitment to reducing the climate change impact. She has contributed to the reduction of carbon footprint in the sustainability consulting industry through leadership and motivation to adopt green sustainable projects. With 25 years of professional work experience, of which 7 years are in the field of sustainability consulting, Josephine has harnessed her expertise to drive transformative change. As a senior sustainability consultant in the business, she leads with vision and tuning challenges into opportunities.

Understanding the journey to Series A

November 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

Regular readers of this column will recognise that it is highly unusual for us to review books here. We quote to illustrate points we wish to make and then draw people to where they can buy such books to support the authors, but review? Never. That is until now, so pour yourself a Coffee or cup of Tea, and enjoy!

Why You Don't Get the Results You Want Despite Your Purest Intentions

November 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Intention is a powerful tool to direct your attitude and actions. Unfortunately, sometimes intention is not enough. One always needs to consider another variable – impact. This is why, despite your efforts, you may not get the results you want personally and professionally.

Finding and following my Passion!

November 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Yolanda Matine

Finding and following my passion! For me this is a controversial topic because I believe few people have found theirs from the word GO and are already positively impacting people’s lives. I struggle every day to understand this phenomenon. At times I think only a few were privileged to be guided to their passions, but as for me I had to roam around to arrive at what I believe is my Passion (Cooking and loving the people around me through it). The question is how do we arrive at our passion ‘hustle free’?

Searching for Help

November 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

I have mentioned in past blogs that hiring is one of the biggest challenges of running your own business. Well, it does not get better. The obstacles just change in nature. It has been a year and a bit of me being at home and attempting to hire someone to help me. I got shocked every week by the failures of not finding 1 person who can help me. I mean, my brain had said there are many people at home I could possibly hire; a lot of people available to train…my brain was incorrect. Here is what I have discovered as barriers.

6 tips for responding to a heated argument in the workplace

November 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek, Talent Strategist, Leadership & HR Expert and Executive Coach

As we navigate year three of the pandemic and confront global difficulties that force us to live in a state of uncertainty, empathy in the workplace is now taking on a new level of significance and necessity. For team members to excel, be challenged, and feel like they have a purpose in their job, leaders must foster an environment and culture that allows them to bring their best self to the table. Leaders must constantly remember that the way you lead, the things you do and say, affect how others feel on the inside.

From Passion to Profit, Artisans and Creative Entrepreneurs Building Together: A Guide to a Successful, Impactful and Sustainable Business Collaboration by Comfort Badaru Smithson

November 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

A transformative masterpiece of a book by the visionary mompreneur, Comfort Badaru Smithson, entitled ‘From Passion to Profit, Artisans and Creative Entrepreneurs Building Together: A Guide to a Successful, impactful and Sustainable Business Collaboration’ is a must read for creative business and brand builders. Through her writing and insights, Comfort invites you to embark on a captivating journey that bridges the realms of creativity and commerce. This book is not just a guide; it's a roadmap to unlocking your true potential as a creative individual while building a profitable and impactful business collaboration.

Chinenye Macuacua, a Mozambican entrepreneur building an upcycling fashion business with style

November 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Chinenye Macuacua, founder, Powa Clothing (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Chinenye Macuacua is the visionary founder of Powa Clothing in Mozambique, a company dedicated to the art of upcycling, breathing new life into discarded clothing while also crafting fresh garments from dead stock fabrics. She embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 2018, immediately after completing high school. Chinenye has been the driving force behind her one-woman business for five years, demonstrating both her passion for sustainability and her creative prowess. Her dreams extend beyond her solo venture, aspiring to build a community of empowered, eco-conscious fashion enthusiasts who share her commitment to breathe new life into the old. Specializing in the transformation of men's suits, Chinenye is drawn to the empowering aura that suits exude. This attraction fuels her dedication to upcycling this iconic clothing item, infusing it with renewed purpose and style. As Powa Clothing thrives, Chinenye envisions expansion, aiming to inspire and mentor young women, passing on her passion for upcycling.

Gloria Adaba, a Nigerian entrepreneur building an environmental consulting and recycling business with impact

November 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Gloria Avosuahi Adaba, CEO, Remould Global Ventures Limited (Nigeria)

Startup Story

Gloria Avosuahi Adaba is the CEO of Remould Global Ventures Limited in Nigeria, an environmental consulting, recycling, and exportation company started in 2020. She is a resourceful Polymer Engineer and Environmentalist, with over twelve years of proven hands-on experience in Waste Management, Recycling and Environmental projects, oil and gas technical safety, Front-End Engineering, and Detailed Engineering Design. As a result of her passion for human and environmental sustainability, and safety, and her work in organizations with Health Safety and Environmental standards; she has acquired broad international and multicultural experience in Waste Management, Recycling, and Oil and Gas Technical Safety Engineering.

Ndidi Nwuneli, an impact-maker in agriculture & nutrition

November 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Aace Foods Processing & Distribution, on a mission to improve people’s nutrition and farmer livelihoods in Nigeria

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on food ecosystems, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is the founder of LEAP Africa and African Food Changemakers. She is also the co-founder of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd. and AACE Foods Processing & Distribution Ltd. Ndidi serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, AGRA, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (Heineken), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, Stanbic IBTC Group, the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, and the Bridgespan Group. She holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a visiting Scholar at Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, and an Eisenhower Fellow. Ndidi is a TED speaker, was recognized as a Schwab Fellow and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and has received numerous awards and recognitions including a National Honor by the Nigerian Government and the 2021 Harvard Business School Distinguished Alumni Award. She is the author of "Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact," and "Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses," both published by Routledge and “Walking for God in the Marketplace.”

Service Industry - it’s an Experience best done together!

November 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

Working as we do across all industries we often fall into the trap of generalising, assuming that what works well in one industry automatically delivers in another. If we group these further and say, split our membership neatly between the Manufacturers (the agricultural, manufacturing and mining worlds) and those in the Service Industry (take a bow, those who have built Consulting, Marketing, PR, Accounting and Law firms), there is so much advice within the great management books that has been written with Manufacturing in mind that cannot jump across the divide into the Service space, but why is this? Milton Friedman said: “The business of a business is business”, so just how different can these industries be?

The Rise and Rise of AI: How it Impacts Women in Business

November 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a technological advancement; it's a transformative force that's reshaping industries and society as a whole. In this digital age, where data is the new gold, AI has rapidly risen to prominence, impacting various sectors. One area where AI's influence is significant but often overlooked is its impact on women in business. Women, who have long fought for equal opportunities in the corporate world, must recognize the potential of AI and leverage it to bridge gender disparities and excel in their careers. This article delves into the rise and rise of AI, its implications for women in business, and how they can harness its power to their advantage.

Get To Know Your Adversity Quotient

November 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Marilize Jacobs

Resilience is an intelligence that can help founders overcome hardship.

Exhaustion has overtaken me, and I’ve grown weary of the incessant buzz surrounding artificial intelligence, or AI, and the health risks of air fryers. Don’t get me wrong, AI is remarkable. But I long for conversation that delves into the less chartered human territory: How people think and behave.

Setting healthy boundaries in the hybrid world of work

November 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek, Talent Strategist, Leadership & HR Expert and Executive Coach

Have you ever calculated how many of your 24hrs you are in “work-mode” – whether thinking, doing, or responding to a quick mail at a family braai? I have noticed that many people, at one point or another, struggle to find time to cope with the demands of modern-day life, especially as we are surrounded by technology. The reality is that leaders also need to fill their own cup. Many of my clients say they feel overwhelmed by what we need to do and achieve in a day. They also say, “there is just not enough time in one day” (sounds familiar?) and sometimes they even feel run-down, frustrated or anxious.

Gladys Chibanda, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur transforming waste into eco-friendly packaging and stationery

October 29, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Gladys Chibanda, founder, Krafted Ink (Zimbabwe)

Startup Story

Gladys Chibanda, founder of Krafted Ink in Zimbabwe, is a visionary entrepreneur dedicated to merging sustainability and culture. With a mission to combat textile waste and promote cultural diversity, Krafted Ink transforms discarded textiles into eco-friendly gift packaging and stationery, celebrating the rich heritage of African fabrics. Gladys's leadership propels the company towards a greener, culturally enriched future, one product at a time.

Arashnee Ramjuguth, a South African entrepreneur on a mission to make clean drinking water accessible and affordable

October 29, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Arashnee Ramjuguth, founder, Refresha Trading Enteprises (South Africa)

Startup Story

Arashnee Ramjuguth is the Founder of Refresha Trading Enteprises based in Durban, South Africa. The business is focused on providing clean purified drinking water to the community of South Africa. Refresha Trading Enterprises is a LEVEL 1 BBBEE owned custom bottled water company offering a range of products and services. Arashnee’s mission is to ensure clean, purified drinking water is affordable and accessible to the South African people. Her business aspires to be the go-to place to create an impactful branded bottled water experience by helping its clients to grow their personal brand or businesses through branding water products.

Creating an environment where women and youth entrepreneurs can thrive

October 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Ronnie Mbatsane, Managing Executive for SME Business & Sanah Gumede, Managing Executive for Strategy and Customer Value Management at Absa Relationship Banking

The past few years have been difficult ones for South Africans. We have faced the COVID pandemic, intensified load shedding, civil unrest and natural disasters to name a few. Not only have these challenges interrupted our daily lives, but the environment has changed significantly as a result with profound social and financial implications for individuals as well as businesses. According to the Africa Report, a significant portion of South Africa’s young people are now unemployed, with women making up two-thirds of the job losses during the pandemic.

Unstuckable: Never Be Stuck in Business Again with Tools from Tech Innovators by Heather Kernahan

October 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

If you feel stuck and like you have hit a wall in your business, then you need to read Unstuckable, the must-read new book by global tech executive, strategic adviser, and sought-after speaker Heather Kernahan. She pours her two decades of leading start-ups, scale-ups, and tech empires into her game-changing UNSTUCK model and shares her insights and wisdom for others to use.

Antsa Ramaroson, a Natural Hair Movement pioneer in Madagascar

October 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Curly Aho, a business dedicated to the care and enhancement of afro and textured hair in Madagascar.

Antsa Ramaroson is the co-founder of Curly Aho, a company and a social movement dedicated to the care and enhancement of afro and textured hair in Madagascar. She started with the online community in December 2017, but the business officially started in 2020 with the opening of the natural hair spa, and today it has 30 employees. Curly Aho means “I have curly hair” in Malagasy (native language) and consists of the Curly Aho Community, an online community of 50 000 members, and a support group to encourage inclusive beauty and curl confidence. Texture, a natural hair spa, is dedicated to give access to personalized treatments and curl education and Loharano is a plant-based haircare brand rich in plants of Madagascar, famous for their benefits in hair. Antsa has been featured as one of the Top 50 African Business Heroes 2021. She is a hairdresser and a certified curl expert.

Leadership during ‘interesting times’

October 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

The last few weekends we have returned to a common undercurrent in many of our articles written almost weekly since early 2020, namely the tremors hitting the world and rushing towards our beautiful businesses (our most recent here and here). From Covid warnings in early articles, or the Ever Given container ship blocking the Suez Canal (here) it’s been almost a continuous fear of the next thing to hit us, up to the present day, where supply chains are still stretched; inflation and interest rates are high (and very ‘sticky'); US$ debt of many African countries still too large and with higher interest rates now impacting our daily lives, all US$ being sucked out of the economies to pay the growing interest bills; global warming is of course omni-present and looms over us…it seems to go on and on. With all of this we could certainly be forgiven for looking at these storms and simply shutting up shop and finding a shady spot under a Baobab tree from which to rest out our days.

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