2020 World Economic Forum Davos: 4 things you need to know
Global leaders from the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia met this week in Davos, Switzerland for the 50th Anniversary of the World Economic Forum. The theme this year was “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”. Africa.com has curated hundreds of keynote speeches, panel discussions, focused spotlight talks, exhibits, and sideline events to give Motherland Moguls the scoop on what happened. 1. A Zambian teen is changing the women’s health game Natasha Mwansa, a Zambian teen got the world’s attention when she talked about her work in Africa. The 18-year old runs her own foundation and is the most compelling advocate and activist for girls and women’s reproductive rights. She has used her voice to address the underfunding of maternal health and forced marriages of young girls. Mwansa explained that young people want more than to simply speak at conferences or become spokespersons for meaningful causes: they want to become partners in political change. Intergenerational partnerships are necessary to help translate youth mobilization into political change. 2. Climate change is #REALAF in Africa For the world’s most vulnerable, climate change is not a distant existential threat: it is killing people right now. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, gave a powerful reality check. ‘In my region, people are dying because of climate change’ Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim at WEF Davos In the video below, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim explains what it’s like to live in a place where the effects of climate change are #realaf. 3. The Motsepe Foundation is supporting Social Entrepreneurship Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the newly elected Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, hosted several events showcasing the success of her work through the Motsepe Foundation. Through a partnership with the Schwab Foundation, the Motsepe Foundation sponsors an Executive Education program for African students at Harvard Kennedy School. 4. This woman is leading education reform with Ethiopia’s Sesame Street Originally a primary school teacher in Addis Ababa, Bruktawit Tigabu Tadesse developed the Whiz Kids Workshop, a multimedia enterprise that makes shows like “Tsehai Loves Learning”, the first educational pre-school TV show in Ethiopia. Bruktawit founded the company in 2015 with her husband while looking to make high-quality education accessible to children on a mass scale. Working from their living room, they used sock puppets, computer graphics, and their own voices to produce Tsehai Loves Learning. The most important take away from WEF Davos is that we all need to play our part to create a peaceful and sustainable world – no matter how small. How are you changing your communities? SPONSORED POST.
iCreate Africa, building skills for the next generation of Nigerian youths.
Held in one of the vibrant cities of Nigeria, Lagos, by iCreate Africa, the iCreate Skill Fest is Africa’s biggest skills competition with over 2,500 people gathered to experience 80 skilled candidates compete at the National finals. What went down at iCreate Skill Fest! The two- day event featured 14 skilled trades varying from Construction, Creative Art & fashion, Technology, Educational Training Conference, the iCreate Skills Awards, and lots more. Out of the contestants, 13 ladies competed in cooking, fashion, art, carpentry, barbing and more, of which Mojisola Akin-Ademola emerged the only female gold medalist and Champion (top in her category, fashion). As a way of curbing unemployment and empowering youth, the iCreate Skills competition is an innovative strategy designed to promote skills-trades professions amongst the youth as a means to bridge the skill gap, thereby boosting the economy. The iCreate Skill Fest partnered with GIZ SKYE, Robert Bosch Nigeria Limited, Sterling Bank Plc, AGR Ltd, Siemens Nigeria Ltd., The Fashion Academy Abuja, Trace, House of Tara, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Society of Nigerian Artists, Soundcity, ULDA, Pedini, amongst many others. The iCreate Skills Fest 2019 champions! Emerging top in their category are, Ibraheem Ridwan (Carpentry), Christopher Olaniyi (Tiling), Miracle Olasoyin (robotics), Mojisola Akin-Ademola (Fashion), Ifedayo Emmanuel Bello (cooking), Emmanuel Abanobi (make-up), Kelvin Hassan (Barbing), Oluwaseun Akanbi (Electrical installations), Chima Solomon (plumbing), Leonard Manzo (automobile technology), Toheeb Ogunbiyi (Website development), Precious Audu (graphic design), Lot Madaki (leatherworks), and Oluwaseun Akinlo (Art). The Idea behind iCreate Africa The Founder/CEO iCreate Africa, Bright Jaja aims to use iCreate Africa to create five million jobs in five years. Bright Jaja aims to rebrand the general perception of skilled workers and place more importance on technical and vocational skills through the skills fest. iCreate Skills Fest is a platform that promotes skills excellence, showcases skills standards and careers, demonstrates benchmarks of excellence in teaching and learning and creates interest in public sector agencies and private organizations to invest in skills development. Winners of the iCreate Skills Fest 2019 receive technical training from various partners. The platform iCreate Africa has created for young female artisans, is paramount for gender equality and inclusive economic growth in the continent. After recording huge success last year by hosting 4 competitions across four regions, directly empowering 180 skill trade professionals with startup capital and equipment. iCreate Africa is creating a skills ecosystem and projecting skills in the mainstream, they are most convinced that the concept is a viable solution to curb youth unemployment and prepare the youth for the future of work. Skills are the future of Nigeria! iCreate Africa urges the public to invest in skills and target the next generation of Nigerian youths. These youths will power the economy, across the world. iCreate Africa,Skills change lives.
5 halal & budget-friendly ways to eat well during a busy week
Fatimah is a Motherland Mogul writer based in Nigeria. She has written over 6,500 minutes of television while working on African telenovelas like Battleground: The Final Showdown, Unbroken and EVE on Africa Magic. When she is not writing, she shares food recipes and tips on her Instagram page – @lazyhalalkitchen. In this article, she shares 5 tips for fellow Motherland Moguls on how to eat well on a busy schedule. As a bonus, she’s kept it halal! If you live and work in a busy city like Lagos or Johannesburg, you are more likely to have an unhealthy diet. It’s easier to find a quick unhealthy bite than cook a healthy meal when you are busy. However, working hard should never be at the detriment of your health. In addition to eating well, if you are Muslim like me, it’s important in your daily life to keep your diet in line with the guidelines of the Qur’an. Halal? Haram? Mashbooh? – What does it all mean? Here are my tips on 5 simple and affordable ways to eat well while on a busy schedule. 1. Keep It Simple Eating soups, stews, wraps, smoothies, and sandwiches are a great way to maintain a halal and healthy diet when you are busy. Focus on using ingredients that are versatile, easy to get, and quick to prep. You can never go wrong with tomatoes, peppers, canned corn/beans, and eggs. 2. Use Everything Before you think you need to spend money restocking groceries, think about your unused ingredients. Are you really done with that remaining bowl of frozen bananas or can of unopened cashews? Don’t be afraid to break a few rules and get creative with your recipes. Try swapping out flour for bananas and oatmeal to make pancakes. Substitute cooking cream with cashews to make a plate of creamy pasta. Blend up your peanuts to make a sauce that can work for rice or pasta. Not sure what to make? Use sites and apps like Yummly, Supercook, and MyFridgeFood to figure out what you can make with the ingredients you have. 3. Use It Again! Do. Not. Ever. Waste. Food. It is halal to stay nourished by eating all you have been blessed with. Food waste is also the largest contributor to climate change. Whatever the reason, it is important for all of us to keep our food consumption sustainable. So you made a huge pot of soup and you’re no longer feeling it? Reheat your soup, add a bowl of water and throw in a cup or two of rice or pasta. You are saving time, money, helping the planet and raking up those blessings. Most importantly, you are staying healthy so you can crush work. 4. Buy Only What You Need If you’re a foodie like me, the temptation of buying everything from the grocery store or market is real! Going grocery shopping without a plan is the worst thing you can for your bank account. Make a list and buy only what you need for the next two weeks. This is especially important if you don’t have time to prep your meals. Buying in bulk will overwhelm you, strain your wallet and lead to food wastage. Think about what you’d like to eat (or remake ?) and focus on buying the products for that. 5. Prioritize Quality It is halal to eat in moderation and keep your plate healthy. Staying committed to eating well is easier when you pay attention to what’s going on your plate. When you are busy, find time on your weekend to make a huge bowl of healthy salad that can last for the week. A halal lifestyle of nourishment is – ⅓ food, ⅓ water, and ⅓ air. No matter how busy you get, make sure you prioritize your health by eating well, drinking lots of water. and getting a good intake of air from exercise. What tips will you use to stay committed to eating well? Foodie? Get your eats on in Joburg at #SLAYFestival2020
Struggling with your New Year resolutions? Try this instead.
If someone bet you $5 for every month you keep your resolution this year, the odds are that you’ll lose start losing money by mid-February. If you are already struggling to keep up with your New Year resolutions, you are not alone. Why most of us suck at keeping resolutions Studies have shown that New Year’s resolutions have a failure rate of 80%. One reason why we struggle to keep our New Year resolutions is that we see resolutions as short-term goals. So the second we fail to keep them, we throw in the towel. It’s simply not sustainable for most of us to stay committed to a big goal for a year without losing steam. That’s why it makes sense for organizations to plan out the year in quarters. Milestones make it easier to accomplish big goals. Make mantras. Not resolutions. In the first episode of the new video series, SLA Tips, co-founder Yasmin Belo-Osagie makes a case for starting the new year off with mantras over resolutions. High achievers like Melinda Gates also opt for mantras over resolutions. Whether your mantras are 1-word, quotes or phrases, you are more likely to achieve success with them compared to resolutions. What mantras will you make to help you #SLAY2020? Looking to network and get personalized tips for your career or business from experts? Join the Motherland Mogul Insider program now.
MUST-READ: 6 Things To Start Doing For Yourself In 2020
When you look back on 2019, what comes to your mind? Do you focus on the pains, regrets, and mistakes you made or do you concentrate on the strength you gained and all the blessings that came your way? Since this is the beginning of a new decade, here’s a positive to-do list for the year ahead. With 2020 now in full swing, keep doing these 6 things for yourself: 1. Embrace your humanness and give yourself more credit Human is the only real label you’re born with. However, it’s easy to get so focused on what others tell you that you forget how far you’ve come and what you’ve managed. Give yourself some credit and appreciate all that you are. 2. Make your happiness a priority Just in case you’ve forgotten, you matter A LOT. Your needs matter too! If you fail to put your needs first or look out for yourself, you hurt yourself more than you can ever imagine. 3. Enter new relationships for the right reasons Every relationship whether romantic, business or friendship has a purpose. Focus on starting relationships with dependable and honest people – people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. 4. Forgive yourself and others Ever heard, forgiveness is not for the other person but for yourself? Stop rehashing old wounds and reliving the pain of the past, but forgive yourself and let go of the pain. 5. Build up your confidence It’s never too late to chase after your dreams. Don’t think you’re left behind; start from where you are and work your way up towards where you want to go. Every day and step is necessary. 6. Track how you invest your energy and make productive shifts You can’t do the same thing and expect change. Be mindful of what you spend your time on and focus on what really matters. Want to invest in yourself? Join the Motherland Mogul Insider – an 8-week online program to help you grow your network and reach your professional goals.
Career hacks from 4 Motherland Moguls for 2020 motivation.
As Motherland Moguls living in the new millennia, we have a diverse group of women in leadership to get inspiration from. Here are lessons from 4 African women who have #slayed the past decade to help you to reach your Vision 2020 goals. 1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Get your receipts ??♀️ Chimamanda’s success in the literary world comes from her ability to consistently publish high-quality work. The secret sauce for the Queen of African Literature? Reading Chimamanda is an avid reader and researcher. Half Of a Yellow Sun, her second novel and an international bestseller, took four years of intense research and writing. This commitment to learning and research is a skill any Motherland Mogul needs for success. 2. Bonang Matheba: Invest in yourself sis ? Nothing says investing in yourself like putting your name on something and sharing it with the world. Bonang has established her name as a valuable brand that will make everything from Champagne to mobile apps valuable. Bonang’s success comes from years of strategic self-investment. If you ever doubt that you can do something, pull a Bonang. Bet on yourself and see how far you can go. Get your SLAY Festival Early Bird Tickets 3. Lupita Nyong’o: Don’t put yourself in a box ??♀️ Since her breakout role in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita has fearlessly stretched herself. In 2018, she announced she will be making her producer debut in Hollywood in the film adaptation of South African comedian, Trevor Noah’s book, Born A Crime. The movie is set to be released this year. In late 2019, she debuted as an author with her children’s book, Sulwe, which instantly became a New York Times bestseller! #goals Lupita gives us that go after your dreams inspo. 4. Yvonne Orji: Do it with what you got ??♀️ After a show she was writing for got cancelled, Yvonne focused on creating her own opportunities with the resources she had. In 2016, Yvonne created and starred in First Gen, a sitcom she piloted on YouTube with the goal of selling it to a major network. While the show never got picked up, it caught the attention of Issa Rae and producers at HBO when they were casting for Insecure. Yvonne has continued to leverage her resources and network to get things done. She created her hit podcast with fellow Nigerian comedienne, Luvvie Ajayi, launched an international comedy tour and is scheduled to publish her first book in March 2020. The lesson from Yvonne – start with what you have and build from there. Want to invest in yourself for 2020? Join the Motherland Mogul Insider – an 8-week online program to help you grow your network and reach your professional goals.
5 Career Lessons Sho Madjozi Taught Us In 2019
If you have not heard of Sho Madjozi, you must be living under a rock. This year, the 27-year-old proud Tsonga ambassador from Limpopo solidified her spot as an international superstar with hits like John Cena. While she’s been in the rap scene for barely 3 years, she’s found major success in a short time. This year, she won the Best New International Act category at the BET Awards, launched her first fashion collection in collaboration with Edgards, and got the world taking the #JohnCenaChallenge. After learning all we could about Sho Madjozi’s career, here are 5 lessons all Motherland Moguls can apply to accelerate their career growth. 1. Use your strengths Maya (Sho Madjozi’s legal name) has spent years honing and leveraging her writing skills to build a career for herself. Whether she’s doing screenplays, poetry or rap, she understands her core strength and has used that to explore career paths including journalism, performance poetry and rap. Develop your strengths and use them to build your career. When you bring something valuable to the table, you set yourself up for accelerated success. 2. Get involved in your community Sho Madjozi has always used her talents to try to shape or change the community around her. As a poet and journalist, she discussed racial identity and the effects of colonialism on the modern African. Now as a rapper, she promotes Tsonga culture and inspires young Africans to be proud of their roots. How does that apply to you when you get to the office in the new year? Plug into the issues of your company, clients, customers and see how your talents can change things. Your involvement keeps you visible and valuable. 3. Collaborate with strategic partners One major way Sho Madjozi accelerated her career growth this year was through her strategic partnership with Edgars. Through her collaboration with the retail brand, she launched her first clothing line at the same time as her album. To reach your career goals, it’s always easier and faster to get some help. Seek out strategic partners within your network that will help you reach your business goals. A great start is to find a mentor. 4. Know your worth In an interview with Africori, Sho Madjozi explains that African artists need to understand that they are very hot in the market right now and need to negotiate their value appropriately. Understanding the value of your skills and experiences is important to accelerate your career. 5. Bet on yourself The most important to take away from Sho Madjozi’s hustle this year is to bet on yourself. Sho Madjozi’s success in the past year has been with no label support. She has continuously taken chances and invested in herself. You must take swings and get out of your comfort zone to grow – volunteer to be team lead on a project, pitch that idea in your head, and start that side hustle! What lessons will you use to SLAY your career in 2020? SLAY Festival is coming to Joburg in 2020! GET YOUR EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW
HOW TO MANAGE DIFFICULT CLIENTS IN 2020.
With the decade is almost over, it’s the perfect time to check the relationships that are important to us. Whether you are an entrepreneur, side hustler or corporate climber, maintaining a good relationship with your clients is an important part of your success. Unfortunately, not all clients make it easy to build a positive relationship. How do you get that schmoney and manage difficult clients without losing your mind? Apply some Emotional Intelligence! Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand other people’s emotions, empathize with them and respond to them appropriately. Here are 3 tips to help you manage tough clients using Emotional Intelligence: 1. Be self-aware The first step to empathizing with your difficult clients is evaluating yourself. Think about how you communicate with your clients – are you showing them that you care? If you are a manager or business owner, is your company encouraging a culture of empathy for clients? 2. Listen Intelligently Just like your personal relationships, listening is an important part of maintaining positive client relationships. Sometimes, clients are difficult because they don’t feel heard. Consider what your clients might want from you, even if they haven’t expressed it. Listen actively by noting pain points, asking follow up questions and keeping the lines of communication open. 3. Understand your clients’ personalities Clients are people too. When you manage people, it’s important to understand their temperaments. Cholerics tend to be logical and use focus on facts. Stay proactive and result-oriented with choleric clients. Melancholics pay attention close to details. You must your processes for efficiency with them. Phlegmatics can be indecisive. Be patient and helping them understand the information they need to make a decision. Sanguines tend to be carefree and impulsive, so you might consider keeping communication informal to keep their attention. Understand your clients, their personalities and deal with them appropriately. Which of these tips will you use to manage your difficult clients in 2020? Ready to SLAY 2020 in Johannesburg? Get your SLAY Festival tickets HERE.
SHEAMOISTURE SPOTLIGHT ON THE ADIRE FASHIONPRENEUR: CYNTHIA ASIJE – CEO ADIRE LOUNGE
SheaMoisture is the enduring and beautiful legacy of Sofi Tucker. Widowed with five children at 19, Grandma Sofi supported her family by selling handcrafted shea butter soaps and other creations in the village market in Sierra Leone. Sofi became known as a healer who shared the power of shea and African black soap with families throughout the countryside. She handed down her recipes to grandson Richelieu Dennis, who founded SheaMoisture and incorporated her wisdom into the brand’s hair and skin care innovations. SheaMoisture products and collections are formulated with natural, certified organic and fair trade ingredients, with the shea butter ethically-sourced from 15 co-ops in Northern Ghana as part of the company’s purpose-driven Community Commerce business model SheaMoisture has partnered with She Leads Africa to support and showcase Nigerian women who support their communities. About Cynthia Asije Cynthia Asije is the CEO and founder of Adire Lounge and holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration. She is a multi-award winning textile designer at Adire lounge, a hand-dyed textile company that trains women in rural communities and creates job opportunities for them. She has a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Enterprise Development Centre Lagos, and a Non-Profit Leadership certificate from Lagos Business School. Cynthia was on the Ynaija Power list 2018 for Fashion and Style and 100 Africa’s Next Startup by IFC-World Bank Group 2018. Cynthia founded Adire Lounge because she is passionate about eradicating extreme poverty using capacity development and entrepreneurship by infusing old cultural practices and technology. One woman at a time, Cynthia is working to eradicate poverty in her community with her brand. To learn more about Cynthia’s business Adire Lounge, you can connect with her on Instagram, Twitter and on her website. How did you start Adire Lounge? I started Adire Lounge as a hand-dyed textile company that creates unique designs on non-conventional fabrics like chiffon, T-shirts, scarves and silk. I also train rural women, widows and out of school youths in adire making. The vision behind Adire Lounge is to preserve our rich cultural heritage and traditions, while also closing the unemployment gap and creating job opportunities for women and youth in my community. I truly believe that Adire lounge is making a difference in my community and country as a whole. What was your motivation? I wanted to build a brand that not only made profit, but helped my immediate community. Starting Adire Lounge was a way for me to preserve our beautiful culture while helping young people like me, earn a sustainable income and help their families too. Most of the women in my community are of low social and economic status so they live below the poverty line and it can be quite difficult for them to provide basic necessities for their families. With my brand, I have been able to keep some of them on a salary which has helped them provide food, education and health care for their families. What makes your brand stand out? We have been able to build a premium textile brand that creates unique hand-dyed prints on non-conventional fabrics like chiffon, silk, T-shirts and scarves etc. We have also made custom prints for fashion designers and corporate organizations. Our pieces have been used by other brands to make products like footwear, pillows and other products. We also collaborate with different brands to make new products. Also, our approach to business which follows a community commerce model has helped us stand out as a brand that makes a significant contribution to our community. Can you tell us 1 to 3 things you struggled with as a business owner and how you overcame them? One of the things I struggled with was having access to enough finance when I started out. To combat this, I used the bootstrap method to finance my business. Another issue I had was access to the market. It was a relatively new idea, so we needed to do a lot of marketing to increase our brand awareness. To combat the problem, we utilized social media marketing and influencer marketing to target our clients. How have you managed to stay above the noise in this industry? It can be quite distracting working in an industry that has a lot of competition such as the fashion industry but I have stayed above the noise in the industry by focusing on my “why.” Focusing on why I stared Adire Lounge keeps me grounded and focused. What impact have you made on your community since starting this business? Most of the women in my community are of low social and economic status and they can’t afford to provide basic necessities for themselves and their families. So since starting my business, I have been able to help them gain economic independence by providing them with jobs. With the income they earn from these jobs, they are able to provide good food, health care and education for their families. I believe this will cause a ripple effect and a larger impact in society as they will be able to achieve financial freedom for them and their families, thereby reducing poverty. What is your major goal for 2019, and what have you done so far to achieve it? Our goal for 2019 was to have an empowerment centre. So far, we have gotten the space from a community in Lagos, and construction work has started on the space we got. Can you share 3 interesting facts about yourself? I am creative, amazing and very resilient. What is your fave skin, hair or self-care routine? My favorite self-care routine is to meditate and I have a dedicated spa date. How do you feel about this opportunity to promote your brand with SLA sponsored by SheaMoisture. I am so excited about this opportunity to showcase my brand on the SLA platforms, sponsored by SheaMoisture because Adire Lounge will be able to leverage the network and meet more of our target audience. Mention one word that should come to people’s minds when they think about your
This woman-led startup bets it can help African businesses grow faster
As Sub-saharan Africa lags behind in the World Bank’s 2020 ease of doing business report, one woman-led startup thinks it can help entrepreneurs grow their companies in this tough environment. After years of mentoring startups and running businesses in Ghana and Nigeria, Munachim Chukwuma started IB Consulting in February 2019 to help founders overcome operating challenges she also had to face as a young entrepreneur. Munachim and her team believe they’ve found the recipe to help African business grow quickly with their innovative and affordable service model. Why Nigerian startups are struggling to grow. According to experts from Harvard University, startups that want to stand the test of time must learn new ways of operating and behaving. This is difficult for a lot of entrepreneurs because these new ways tend to be completely different from their start-up roots. Most startups struggle to grow and scale either because they do not know how or lack the proper structure and strategy. This is where we come in. Munachim Chukwuma – Founder, Ibobo Consulting IB Consulting believes that African entrepreneurs struggling to grow their businesses must realize they are in a different phase of their business life cycle, and therefore must change. IB Consulting’s growth recipe for startups. To help entrepreneurs struggling to scale, Munachim and her partners created a service model that combines strategy consultation, negotiation, and content creation. IB Consulting bets its 3 service tentpoles are what entrepreneurs need to grow faster despite the difficulty of doing business in Africa. We decided to focus on strategy consultation, negotiations and content creation as a company because we realized most of the challenges most businesses face in today’s society are tied to those three areas in one way or another. Munachim Chukwuma – Founder, Ibobo Consulting In addition to its unique service model, IB Consulting promises clients efficiency, personalization, and great service. Why you should watch out for IB Consulting. In less than a year, IB Consulting is proving it is not just all talk. The company reports that since February, it has helped over 10 business owners rebuild their structures and execute action growth plans. It’s also not just about the money for this company this woman-led company. They have done some pro bono work for new entrepreneurs who could not afford to pay for some of our services. In 2020, the company plans to expand aggressively to reach, help and educate help businesses across Africa. We intend to grow over the next year of business and reach more people across the continent, as we also reinvent our business and launch more products that can meet the needs of our prospective clients. Munachim Chukwuma – Founder, Ibobo Consulting Visit https://iboboconsulting.com/ for more information on how IB Consulting can help your business. Sponsored Post.