It was wonderful to meet up with all the women entrepreneurs representing Africa’s agri-business in all its forms who we brought together at the South Africa-UK Business Forum last week. We had winemakers, gin makers, tea producers, olive oil producers, all getting together to connect and share their often similar experiences of the ups and downs of taking their products to global markets. It was a great reminder of how important it is to have these industry allies alongside us as we build our proudly African, global brands. Let’s face it, sometimes trying to talk business with your family and friends who are not emotionally and practically invested in the business can sometimes feel like speaking a foreign language. We all need our fellow industry ‘geeks’ who understand our industry specific jargon, and who get what we do without explanation - those fellow industry pioneers who can share a snippet of really useful sector news, or just help us to maintain our sanity on those days when no-one else seems to understand. So find your industry allies - your business will thank you for it.
Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! - Melanie