What we're loving this week

February 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

What we’re loving this week

In this week’s spotlight on all things Woman Made In Africa, we have given a nod to Valentine’s Day celebrations, showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating world-class luxury gift items that the world wants to buy at this time of the year. Catching our attention this week are: Frances Edwards, founder of House of Cinnamon in South Africa; Zainab Ashadu, founder of Zashadu in Nigeria/UK; Lucy Beard, co-founder of Hope Distillery in South Africa; Djamila Machava De Sousa and Wacy Zacarias, co-founders of Karingana wa Karingana in Mozambique; and Selassie Atadika, founder of Midunu Chocolates in Ghana.

Ronel and Dr Marli Jooste, two impact-driven South African entrepreneurs on a mission to guide others on their journey toward holistic wellbeing

February 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Ronel Jooste and Dr Marli Jooste, co-founders, PhysEQFiT Wellness & Leadership Development (South Africa)

Startup Story

Ronel and Dr Marli Jooste, two sisters and co-founders of PhysEQFiT Wellness & Leadership Development, a business focused on Transforming People. Transforming Workplaces, and Transforming Leaders. The name, PhysEQFiT, implies the importance of overall wellbeing, including Phys = physical wellbeing (health, fitness, nutrition, brain health, stress management, burnout), EQ = emotional wellbeing (personal mastery and growth, whole-brain thinking, neurocoaching, mental health, team dynamics, mediation etc, Fi = financial wellbeing, and FiT = all these aspects need to be in balance to enhance your overall performance, leadership capacity, wellbeing and lifestyle. The business was founded in 2015 and employs 5 people.

Adonia Mankou Yanate, a South Africa-based interior designer creating functional, beautiful, and transformative environments

February 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Adonia Mankou Yanate, founder, Shumukh Design (South Africa)

Startup Story

Adonia Mankou Yanate, founder of Shumukh Design, approaches design as both an art and a philosophy—one that shapes how people interact with space and, ultimately, with life itself. She seeks to craft environments that are not only functional and beautiful but also transformative. Her design language is deeply rooted in texture, textiles, and color, drawing from African narratives while embracing a universal human experience. With projects spanning South Africa and the DRC, Adonia is building a brand that aspires to redefine luxury in an African context, proving that design can be both deeply personal and globally resonant.

The time for words has passed

February 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

This last week Melanie released our 10-year Impact Report (here).

To see published, what has been done quietly and with little fuss over the past 10 years brought home to us the incredible work by our founder and ceo along with a massive team of supporters, doers and Lionesses, day in day out, to bring business knowledge, training, mentorship and access to global supply chains and of course finance, to our fabulous community within which our inspirational membership can learn from each other, support one another, and collaborate and/or trade with one another.

Burnout Recovery Guide For Female Entrepreneurs: Overcome Stress, Regain Enthusiasm, And Enjoy Life While Still Working by Kasia Richter

February 16, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In her book, Burnout Recovery Guide For Female Entrepreneurs: Overcome Stress, Regain Enthusiasm, And Enjoy Life While Still Working, author Kasia Richter helps hardworking women entrepreneurs to unlock the secrets to burnout prevention and a stress-free life!

Can South African HR leaders stop white-collar crime in their organizations?

February 13, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

South Africa is grappling with a significant surge in white-collar crime, underscoring the urgent need for robust employee screening practices. The recently released second-quarter crime statistics for July to September 2024 revealed an 18.5% spike in commercial crime incidents compared to the same period in 2023. This alarming increase, from 30,630 to 36,300 cases, highlights the highest surge recorded this year.

Personalization Through Process: Building Stronger Customer Relationships

February 13, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.” – Michael LeBoeuf

Customers expect more than generic service—they want personalized experiences that make them feel valued. Personalization, when embedded into business processes, strengthens customer relationships and fosters loyalty.

Resilience in the Legal Profession: A Professional Imperative

February 13, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Sonja Cilliers and Maryke Groenewald

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin

Resilience is a term that surfaces frequently in discussions about the legal profession, but its meaning is often misunderstood. Is resilience an inherent trait, or is it something legal professionals can develop over time? More importantly, how does the high-pressure, fast-paced environment of legal practice affect a legal professional’s ability to remain resilient?

Ady Namaran Coulibaly, an ardent promoter of African languages, facilitating language inclusion for the continent’s people

February 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

**Ady Namaran Coulibaly, Co-Founder, Bolingo Consult**

Startup Story

Ady Namaran Coulibaly is Co-Founder and Quality and Compliance Manager of Bolingo Consult, a language services company established in 2019, which currently has offices in Ghana and Rwanda and a 10-person strong workforce. Through Bolingo Consult, Ady supports organisations and businesses looking to engage populations in Africa in their mother tongues and expand their reach within the continent. Ady is an ardent promoter of African languages, having co-founded the African Languages Conference.

Anne K Rweyora, an inspirational entrepreneur enabling women to own climate-smart homes in Uganda

February 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Anne K Rweyora, founder, Smart Havens Africa (Uganda)

Startup Story

Anne K Rweyora is the founder of Smart Havens Africa, an impact-driven business launched in 2018 aimed at contributing to Uganda’s housing sector by helping low-income women to become home-owners. As a female civil engineer driven to positively change lives, Anne’s business stands out by offering an innovative, eco-friendly, and empowering pathway to homeownership for women-headed families.

The Female Founder Formula: A Real-Life Roadmap to Nailing Entrepreneurship by Helen McGuire

February 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Book review

Helen McGuire, entrepreneur and author of The Female Founder Formula: A Real-Life Roadmap to Nailing Entrepreneurship, believes that most women start businesses motivated by passion or purpose. She says they are driven to tackle the bigger issues or to provide a better way of life for themselves and their families. However, as most business books are written by men – they don’t take purpose or lifestyle into account. Having been successful as an entrepreneur while raising a young family over the last decade, Helen wanted to write the book she wished she'd had when she started out as a female founder with babies, a busy family life, and just an idea.

Spotlight on Tanzania: Meet 16 women entrepreneurs who are building unique businesses and brands

February 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Spotlight

In the latest in our series of Spotlight features on individual African countries where women entrepreneurs are making their mark with their businesses and brands, we shine a spotlight on Tanzania. From high-impact agribusinesses that are creating much-needed jobs, to tech businesses that are innovating and educating, to serial entrepreneurs building multi-faceted business empires across diverse sectors, Tanzania is a country with a wide variety of growth-focused women-owned businesses that are well worth a visit. Meet 16 women entrepreneurs in our Lionesses of Africa community who are building growth businesses and brands that are putting Tanzania on the entrepreneur map.

Wiem Ben-Mahmoud, a change-making Tunisian EdTech entrepreneur

February 9, 2025 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender cover Story

KidzRise, a business harnessing the power of AI combined with personalized learning to uncover and nurture each child’s unique talents

Wiem Ben-Mahmoud is the CEO and Founder of AI-powered Child Talent Detection platform, KidzRise, in Tunisia. She holds a Global MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and a Master's Degree in Digital Management and Information Systems. Wiem began her career at Vermeg where she led international negotiations with Central Banks across Europe and Asia in the digital financial sector. Driven by her vision to impact children's lives, she left her stable career to launch KidzRise in 2023. Recognized as Most Promising Entrepreneur of 2024 by AfricArena, her EdTech startup has gained validation from MIT and MIT Solve in the USA , making a significant impact in Africa and beyond. The company has created jobs for 10 people to date.

What we're loving this week

February 8, 2025 Melanie Hawken

What we’re loving this week

Each week we shine a spotlight on all things Woman Made In Africa, showcasing Africa’s talented and innovative women entrepreneurs who are creating world-class products that the world wants to buy. Catching our attention this week are: Patricia Vasco, founder, Amorambique (Mozambique); Kevine Kagirimpundu and Ysolde Shimwe, co-founders, Uzuri K & Y (Rwanda); Linda Mukangoga, founder, Haute Baso (Rwanda); Ana Alecia Lyman, founder, Bio Óleos de Miombo (BOM) (Mozambique); and Laura Struik, co-founder, ROF-Style (South Africa).

Skills over degrees: Redefining job qualifications in South Africa

February 8, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

In today’s evolving job market, a university degree is no longer the only pathway to success in South Africa. Increasingly, employers are valuing practical skills and hands-on expertise over formal qualifications, opening doors for job seekers who may not have had the opportunity to pursue traditional higher education.

The Productivity Trap: 5 Time Management Habits That Are Secretly Stressing You Out

February 8, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

We don't choose to be stressed or anxious. When life gets tough, we often fall back on habits that seem helpful but actually make us more tired and worried. The starting point is to create an awareness of the habits that have a misalignment between intention and impact.

On Perseverance: How a Dream to Visit Fiji Became a Testament to Never Giving Up

February 5, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Memuna Williams, DBA

Last year, Victor and I finally made it to Fiji on our first trip to the Pacific. But the journey to get there was one filled with patience, perseverance, and a little bit of life’s detours.

Customer Service Excellence: The Importance of Feedback Loops in Customer Service Processes

February 5, 2025 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Michélle Booysen

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Ken Blanchard

Customer feedback is a critical resource for any business aiming to improve its service delivery and foster customer loyalty. Feedback loops, when embedded into customer service processes, provide actionable insights to refine operations and enhance satisfaction.

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