Event Report Lionesses of Africa’s latest Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024, took place on 17 April 2024, with 148 women entrepreneurs predominantly from South Africa joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “Women in manufacturing, creating jobs and local impact”. It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognise and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building sustainable manufacturing businesses that are creating much-needed jobs and driving economic growth ..read more

Julie Roy Book Review In her new book, The Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur: Your Guide to Business Mastery, Uncommon Freedom, and Legacy Wealth, author and entrepreneur Julie Roy shares some major takeaways from her journey to financial freedom and a fulfilling life. While offering insights and concrete action items to help anyone striving to propel their business, Julie speaks directly to highly motivated women who are seeking to harmonize high net-worth entrepreneurship and family. Writing from the hard-earned wisdom of her own experiences, author and entrepreneur Julie Roy offers nugget ..read more

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department There have been many times over the past few years when we have looked at a country’s foreign exchange rate, have watched in horror as it has collapsed, had sleepless nights over the inflation that is sure to come given the needs of the country for US$ based imports (or is already building due to the mismatch between the ‘official’ rate and the parallel black market rate), and wondered how our Lionesses in that country will survive the long nights ahead. A case in point sadly was the recent collapse of the Nigerian Naira from a fixed rate of aro ..read more

by Lori Milner The difference between where you are and where you want to be is found in the dance between your current self and your future self. A dance is successful when both people are in a rhythm, with the understanding that one person needs to lead and the other needs to follow. Now, let's use this metaphor for your life. If you are not where you want to be, consider what your current self is doing or not doing that prevents the success you aspire to. Now, fast forward three years ahead, and if life were exactly as you wished it to be, what would you see? Who is this fabulous future ..read more

by Thembe Khumalo Here's something I've noticed over the years coaching men and women in various professions: Women consistently identify themselves as having low confidence and seek support in building it up. I've never had a man raise a lack of confidence as a primary concern. Why the Difference? I love tackling societal problems at their root – our homes. From a young age, girls are often socialized to be more cautious, obedient, and accommodating, while boys are encouraged to be assertive, competitive, and take risks. When my children were young, I was fixated on ensuring they grew up c ..read more

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie Something I am stepping into more and more is Deservingness. My Deservingness muscle is still ridiculously underdeveloped. I strained this very weak muscle twice this morning before my feet even touched the ground. Thankfully, it is a lens with which I am training my mind to observe myself and the interactions and experiences I live through each day. A lingering question I have is why is it so difficult for so many of us to ask for help? It’s not pride so far as I can tell. Some days ago, I had a session with my client; let’s call her Mary. Mary’s life is a busy o ..read more

by Jenny Reid A “job” is defined as “a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price”. A “skill” is defined “as the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc.” Work has traditionally been focused on jobs, completing the tasks required to fulfil a certain job description. However, Deloitte, suggests instead of looking at work as a series of jobs, we should be focused more on the set of skills held by employees and how those benefit the company as a whole. For instance, a person may hold the job title of S ..read more

Éssita Viagem, founder and General Director, Ellen ESV SCC Lda (Mozambique) Startup Story Éssita Viagem is the founder and General Director of Ellen ESV SCC Lda (Mozambique), is an experienced entrepreneur and is part of the Top 25 multilevel marketing leaders in the South African company Inuka fragrances (South Africa). The company Ellen ESV is dedicated to accounting, taxation, financial consultancy, and financial education training services in the Mozambican market. It was created in 2017, having been restructured and becoming Ellen ESV SCC, Lda in 2021 and currently employs 11 people, o ..read more

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 he ..read more

Claire Blanckenberg   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 logistica ..read more