Kutloano Skosana, a South African creative entrepreneur harnessing the power of storytelling

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Kutloano Skosana, Creator and Host, Shades and Layers (South Africa/USA)

Startup Story

Kutloano Skosana is a creative entrepreneur from South Africa, now based in the US. She is the Creator and Host of Shades and Layers, a podcast dedicated to the stories of Black and Other Women of Color entrepreneurs across the globe. Kutloano’s media career began in radio journalism after she graduated from Rhodes University shortly after the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. She worked at 702, Kaya FM, Metro FM and SAFM between 1996 and 2008. Alongside her radio career, she was sharpening her entrepreneurial skills with her business partners, Maria McCloy and Dzino at their groundbreaking multimedia company, Black Rage Productions.

Claire Blanckenberg, a South African entrepreneur addressing food poverty

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Reel Gardening, an innovative business promoting sustainability and contributing towards solving the social and food crisis in South Africa.

Claire Blanckenberg is a visionary and natural-born entrepreneur from South Africa, and the co-founder of Reel Gardening. Her knack for simplifying processes and improving products was evident from a young age. At just 16, she revolutionized vegetable gardening with her invention, now known as Reel Gardening, streamlining the planting process with a patented method. Recognizing the logistical challenges hindering South Africa's future workforce, Claire took action. She developed the Siyaphambili Pre-Paid Taxi App, directly addressing the pressing issue of logistical poverty in the country. An esteemed figure in the field of social entrepreneurship, Claire frequently shares her insights at prestigious institutions like the Wits Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa.

Give your business and customer experience an edge at the Absa Commercial Payments Summit in South Africa

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Event Feature

South Africa’s women entrepreneurs are encouraged to join the 2024 Absa Commercial Payments Summit on 16 April 2024 at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, to discover top technology and leading conversations that can impact their business. Industry trends, payment innovation, and collaboration will be on full display at this inaugural, must-attend event.

Thinking Bigger: A Pitch-Deck Formula for Women Who Want to Change the World by Sarah Dusek

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In her new book, Thinking Bigger: A Pitch-Deck Formula for Women Who Want to Change the World, serial entrepreneur and investor, Sarah Dusek, tackles head-on a key challenge for women business and brand builders. The lack of female representation among top-earning business founders is surprising when compared with the number of women who start businesses. Fewer than thirty women in history have taken companies they founded public on leading stock exchanges. Although consistent references to “women and small business” dominate global development strategies and influence public policy, women are granted less than 2 percent of all venture capital investments annually. Things need to change!

Vanda Harries, a South African business coach helping women entrepreneurs build personal brands

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Vanda Harries, founder, The Life Architect (South Africa)

Startup Story

Vanda Harries is the entrepreneur behind The Life Architect, a business coaching and consultancy specialising in marketing and communications and personal brand building in South Africa. She is passionate about helping other women entrepreneurs and non-profits to develop their personal and business brands to achieve their goals.

Mirene Guitiche, a Mozambican creative entrepreneur building a business that celebrates the art of sewing and craftwork

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Mirene Guitiche, founder and CEO, Miregui Art (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Mirene Guitiche is the founder and CEO of Miregui Art, a company that has existed since 2020 and is dedicated to creative sewing and crafts in Mozambique. She is an entrepreneur equipped with skills and is very talented, in addition to being a Management student (UEM) in the country.

A Mirene Guitiche tem 23 anos é estudante de Gestão (UEM), é fundadora e CEO da Miregui art, uma empresa existente desde 2020 que se dedica a costura criativa e artesanato. Empreendedora munida de competências e muito talentosa.

Thozama Ledidi, a South African security industry manufacturer

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Unipro Protective Wear, a South African business specializing in the manufacture of bullet-resistant vests for the defence and security sectors

Thozama Ledidi is the founder and managing director of Unipro Protective Wear in South Africa, a business specializing in the manufacture of bullet-resistant vests for the state, security companies, and other private sectors. She graduated from the University of the Free State and has a political Science Degree. In 2014, Thozama established a combat uniform and protective wear manufacturing company. After operating Unipro Protective Wear for 4 years, she then saw a need for defence products, and that’s when she decided to do her research on needed products within the defence industry. She then found her niche in the manufacturing of bullet-resistant vests. Today, her business has created jobs for 26 people.

3 Limiting Beliefs That Create Stress and How to Overcome Them

April 12, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

As a life coach, my job is to listen to what is being said and mine for the hidden limiting beliefs that hold my clients back from maximising their potential in their personal and professional lives.

Upskilling as an Antidote to Imposter Syndrome

April 12, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

At a recent meeting with entrepreneurs, I was asked about overcoming imposter syndrome. No one liked it when I responded by asking, “Are you an imposter?” This is an uncomfortable question, particularly when you are regularly questioning your abilities, feeling insecure, and struggling to feel confident in a particular role or task. For you to be able to respond with a firm “No,” to such a question you need to be sure that you are equipped with the knowledge and skills for the work you are proposing to do. And that was my point in asking the question.

Strategies to Grow a Business

April 12, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Helena Naitsuwe Amadhila

Businesses are unique entities that require constant upgrading to grow to ensure relevance and generation of income at all times. Here are some strategies to grow a business in a dynamic world.

Needing People Is Healthy

April 12, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Many moons ago, a colleague described me as being FIERCELY INDEPENDENT. She was challenging my modus operandi. She was kindly admonishing me. I knew this and I understood this. Yet, in some twisted corner of my mind, I construed her admonishment as a compliment.

Amirah Adam, an entrepreneur building a textile print design business where art meets fashion in Mozambique

April 7, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Amirah Adam, founder, Mira La Mira (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Amirah Adam is the founder of the company Mira La Mira, a textile print design brand launched in 2018 in Mozambique. She is the winner of several financing awards and the Mozal & Kulungwana award. Since the age of 16, she has worked in the digital arts field, and has extensive experience in communication design, photography, and advertising. She has also worked in alternative areas such as business management. She completed her degree in Mozambique and her master's degree in Portugal, where the Mira La Mira brand was born. The business has created jobs for 4 people.

Claire Amondi, a beauty entrepreneur building a fresh skincare brand in Kenya

April 7, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Claire Amondi, founder, CEO of AGNES | Pure & Regal (Kenya)

Startup Story

Claire Amondi is the founder and CEO of AGNES | Pure & Regal, a clean and safe skincare line made in Kenya. AGNES seeks to inspire and promote the importance of healthy skin. Born out of the founders' obsession with all things skincare and the desire to encourage the value of self love, the brand is committed to formulating simple and effective products that help enhance and maintain your glow. Launched in 2018, today the business has created jobs for 3 other people.

Mozambican entrepreneur Patricia Vasco launches new children’s book project

April 7, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

A new book for children and adults to read together as part of an enjoyable learning journey has been written and launched by successful Mozambican serial entrepreneur Patricia Vasco. The book entitled, “O Kaio e o cão Panda” was inspired by her young son, and reflects her love of storytelling for children.

Becoming An Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur Part 2 by Hanna Olivas and Adriana Luna Carlos

April 7, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

For women entrepreneurs who want to unlock their growth mindsets and strategies, help and inspiration is at hand from Hanna Olivas and Adriana Luna Carlos in their new book, Becoming An Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur Part 2. It is a book that will propel you towards fulfilling your ambitions and becoming an unstoppable woman. In the book you will discover the transformative narrative of twenty extraordinary women as they share experiences and learnings from their entrepreneurial journeys.

Think Bigger - your product or service possibly has a superpower

April 7, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

Three core things get investors up in the morning.

- The Problem.

- The Solution.

- The Team that is going to deliver.

The ‘Problem’ is the starting point that drags investors in. As Maxime Bayen, the Operating Partner, of the Catalyst Fund says "I am often sold on the problem. If I see the problem is big, if I see that it is well articulated, is data backed, then I am really eager to see the solution..." (here).

Contentment

April 5, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Refilwe Sebothoma

I find contentment to be a very powerful ability, but yet difficult to practice. I have seen the absence of contentment leave many people in an unhealthy “life-race”, wanting to compete and compare with people they don’t even know. Instead of looking back and appreciating how far they have come and pacing themselves well for the future, they are constantly chasing the next biggest thing at whatever cost.

Rent - the entrepreneur’s nightmare

April 5, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

Rent is every entrepreneur’s nightmare, that is if you need a space for your business. The property market in South Africa has increased prices at an alarming rate. When I first rented in Midrand, I was paying R3000 each month for a 7 x 4 space. It was in a plot type of area, not as commercial as it is today. The rental currently is R7 500 for the same space. This is the same story across residential rates.

Riding the wave

April 5, 2024 Melanie Hawken

by Izane Cloete-Hamilton

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

The three witches from William Shakespeare's Macbeth chant this delightful little jingle as they add ingredients to their cauldron to make a spell. The toe of a frog (it is not specified if it is from the left or right foot), the fillet of a snake, the eye of a newt, and other yummy ingredients all go into this brew.

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