Women at Afroes: Anne and Gathoni are Leading the Mobile Gamification Path
Afroes , short for ‘African heroes’, is a mobile-first enterprise. They’re on a mission to position African youth for productive futures by, innovating in skills acquisition, engagement and connecting to opportunity. Anne Githuku-Shongwe is a Social Entrepreneur, Social Innovator, a Development Professional and a thought leader on digital and social innovation. Anne founded Afroes in 2010, as a digital enterprise. Creating gamified learning solutions designed to reach, teach and connect Africa’s young women and men to life skills, through their mobile phones. Her vision is to revolutionise learning in Africa, with a focus on delivering positive, Africa-focused mobile phone entertainment to the youth market across the continent. Anne and Afroes have received multiple awards including, the prestigious Schwab Foundation/World Economic Forum Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2013. Gathoni Mwai is a Sustainable Development professional. She has over 7 years experience working on social development issues in Africa, and on the use of data, technology and innovation for development. Having been brought up in Kenya she is passionate about the country, its people and seeing them all thrive. Gathoni joined Afroes as project manager for the development of the PeaceApp award winning Haki II: Chaguo Ni Lako, ,a mobile game that was used for peace building in Kenya, in the run up to the 2013 elections following the post election violence experienced in 2007-8. She recently completed her Masters in Sustainable Development Corporate Responsibility. Currently, she takes on the role of Kenya programme manager, where she is tasked with scaling the Afroes product range and developing partnerships. Join us on this inspiring journey as we share the stories of these two front-running African women in tech. Tell us the story behind Afroes Afroes (the name comes from a play on the words African Heroes and Heroines) was inspired by conversations with my children. I was worried that they weren’t being exposed to any positive African media content; and that their ideas and aspirations for Africa were being influenced by the Western media’s pervasively negative messages about the continent. I wanted to do something to change that. But it was whilst I observed my son excitedly relating things he’d learned while playing the computer game, Civilisations, that I realised that, children who play computer games are a captive audience for anything you want to teach them. I knew from that point onwards that I needed to harness the power of computer games, to deliver positive messages to African children. Given the growth of mobile phone usage and ownership across Africa the idea of computer games evolved to mobile phone games. How effective has the Afroes’ strategy been, in achieving its set goals and what successes have you recorded in recent times? The Afroes strategy has had to be very adaptable to the changing times, technology and issues that affect African youth. At our core ,our main goal has been to inspire and empower young Africans with 21st Century skills, which will help them transform their lives and the lives of people in their communities. We have set out to build partnerships with like-minded organisations that see mobile phone technology as a medium to change mindsets and positively impact young Africans. In the last 3 years we have been lucky enough to receive the following awards: Winner of PeaceApp – promote digital games and gamified apps as venues for cultural dialogue and conflict management, 2014; Winner, Gender Mainstreaming Awards, Empowerment Initiatives, South Africa, 2014; Winner, ICT Innovation Award for Gender Youth and Vulnerable Groups, Kenya, 2014; To date we have had over 800,000 users download our games and 100,000s more through offline activations. [bctt tweet=”Our core our main goal has been to inspire and empower young Africans with 21st Century skills” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What challenges have you faced in the course of running your business and how have you been able to walk through them? Sustainable financing has been a major challenge. We have been lucky enough to have our games fully funded by our project partners, but this has been quite limiting. Another challenge we have had is convincing programme/ solution stakeholders to adopt an alternative media/ mediums, strategy and methodology to reach and engage their traditional intended audience; as well as appeal to a new demographic of social issue based content advocates, stakeholders and consumers. How important is technology for Africa’s future and how well has the African market tapped into it? Technology is important on a global scale. What is more important for Africa is appropriate technology to enable sustainable growth and livelihood development for all. The African markets have not only tapped into the technology, but are leading the charge in technological innovation. From Mpesa (mobile money), to the use of drones to transfer essential goods. Recent statistics have showed that 2/3 of young people own a smart phone, giving them access to a world of information, allowing them to tap into new ideas and adapting it for themselves. [bctt tweet=”Technology is important on a global scale” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] If you had to binge watch any movie series, which would it be? The Wire – because it’s on my watch list but I’ve never watched it. Tell us about the Job Hunt game launching soon and the concept behind it JobHunt is a mobile game designed to simulate the online/ digital work experience. The concept of this game is to create awareness on digital jobs and the opportunities to earn an income for young people. In the game you bid for jobs, improve skills and ultimately build the skills required to win jobs in this space. What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt on your entrepreneurial journey so far and how has it helped you in the course of your work at Afroes? Being an entrepreneur is not an easy life, very often you need to be motivated even when things may not be working in your favour. There is this image of a man digging in a cave with a huge diamond just a few digs
Rutendo Beverly Mpofu : A lot of people feel there are no returns in basketball
Twenty seven (27) year old Rutendo Beverly Mpofu, was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In September 2015 she started a basketball team, Lynx Ball Queens, with four other women, Tanya Kazembe, Celestine Karimbika, Sarah Kabiseni and Melisa Maganga. Beverly is the team captain and currently plays number 15. She also holds a Communications and Media with Management degree from Monash University in South Africa. [bctt tweet=”One doesn’t have to be social but on the court there has to be unity” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When did you decide to start a basketball team? I joined a basketball ladies association team soon after my undergraduate degree, but realised we had different goals. This pushed me to start my own team. At first there was a lot of slacking and not taking things seriously. But, after the loss of one of the team founders, we decided to be serious about the team. We joined another team called Hustlers in Mufakose, Harare and after a while we branched out on our own to become Lady Hustlers. We recently rebranded to Lynx Ball Queen. We started out small with a group of about seven women and now we are more than 12. Our team is made up of women between 16 – 27 years of age. Within our first year we managed to make it to the top six in the national league with only seven players. It was really challenging but we were happy with the results. Last year (2016) we were number two. So I clearly see a great improvement. Where do you get your sponsorship? We currently do not have sponsorship, because a lot of people feel that there are no returns in basketball therefore they do not want to sponsor it. We have approached many people and Net-One (a telecommunications company in Harare) has given us t-shirts before. We take whatever small donation we get and are open to working for our sponsorship. Because we do not have sponsorship, we purchase our own kits, and cover transportation costs to and from training and tournaments. A subscription fee of $10 is paid every month by each team member, but because of the current economic conditions we have agreed that people pay whatever they can. This is what is used for the basic running of the club. Where does your inspiration come from? My brother used to play since primary school. So that was my grand entrance into basketball. All the women on the team started playing when they were young, so it’s just a passion for most of us. What does a normal day look like for you? We train during the week but it is very challenging to get everyone in the same spot at the same time because of our many different commitments. We have players that are still in school and some work, so we have to incorporate training with other clubs that have venues with good lighting. This is so that we are able to train late into the evening. We generally try to put in work where we can. On the day of the tournament, we do not train. We sit, talk and strategise and do warm ups 15 mins before a game. It also helps if we know the people we are playing. Which women have been the most influential in your life? My Mother. She continues to teach me that you can’t wait for other people to do things for you. You need yourself first before you need someone else. [bctt tweet=”When you get on the court, you leave your quarrels on the line” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the greatest lesson you have learnt when setting up your team? To be patient. I deal with people from different backgrounds who have so many things going on, so I have really learnt to be patient. How do you manage conflict within the team? When one gets on the court, they leave their quarrels on the line, they can always pick them up after if they choose. But basketball time is basketball time. One doesn’t have to be social but on the court there has to be unity. That being said, people don’t bring their problems on the court. What personal traits are necessary for what you do? A high basketball IQ. One should be able to take theory and apply it on the court. A fighting spirit and perservance. The ability to work within a team and realise that one cannot do everything by themselves. Do you run a business in the sports industry? If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Just Omomo Ibe: Rule as a Boss, Rock like a Mum, Slay as a Wife
Business strategist and work- life balance expert, Just Omomo Ibe, is helping women create a balance between their work and personal life, so they can chase their dreams and make money while at it. She also helps individuals identify the various opportunities in their business to make more profit. Just Omomo Ibe has been in the banking sector for over seven years and is the founder of The Just Ibe Network; thus living her dreams while been an employee. She is involved in speaking engagements, coaching calls, online courses and business consulting for SME’s. Recently, she launched a Youtube show which focuses on motivation and strategies from experts in various fields, the channel is aimed at further helping her target market achieve success in their life and business. [bctt tweet=”It’s an act of self sabotage to neglect your dreams because you have a job” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about The Just Ibe Network The Just Ibe Network is a group of company that comprises our consulting firm, training and mentorship platform, it also includes an online training academy and media arm. At The Just Ibe Network we pride ourselves in delivering superior quality trainings, coaching and consulting for our esteemed clients both offline and online. What market research did you carry out in the course of starting your business, and how did you go about it? The first research was that of my competitors, I needed to find out what my competitors were offering and what gap they are not filling. This helped me make informed decisions as to how best to penetrate the market. A lot of businesses offer homogeneous products, therefore market research helps you understand how best to position your business in a way that not only meets the needs of your consumers but also positions your business as authentic. [bctt tweet=”Innovation keeps you in the business long after your competitors have gone” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What challenges have you faced so far in the setup of your business? The greatest challenge I faced in setting up my business was creating time to actually execute my plans; creating and fine tuning strategies that would keep me relevant in the market place today and always. Innovation keeps you in business long after your competitors have gone, so you must constantly innovate. What are your launch plans once your business registration is completed? Honestly a business registration isn’t stopping any major launch of my business, as all facets of my businesses are in full gear at the moment. The registration would just allow me operate a corporate account in the designated banks. So my take is it doesn’t matter if your business name is ready or not, keep adding value to your ideal clients and grow your business regardless. [bctt tweet=”It doesn’t matter if your business name is ready or not; keep adding value to your ideal clients and growing your business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What inspired the book ‘Rule as a Boss, Rock like a Mum and Slay as a Wife? Rule as a Boss, Rock as a Mum, Slay as a Wife is a book dedicated to helping women create a work life- balance. Last year I started my career in public speaking, leveraging on several online platforms and offline avenues, despite been a full time banker, wife and mum. So people started asking me how I was doing all I was doing, so conveniently. I started documenting steps I have taken that helped me overcome my otherwise very tight schedule and results I achieved. This book is aimed at providing practical steps that can help women fully integrate all aspects of their lives, thus living a balanced and fulfilled life. What kind of investors and partnerships are necessary for your kind of business and what strategies are useful in achieving this? Media investors are required for the talk show arm of my business, which is targeted at providing strategies that would help entrepreneurs succeed and grow in business. Corporate investors also play a major role, especially companies who have CSR projects, ours can successfully pass as a CSR project aimed at helping young and budding entrepreneurs. Who is the one person from anywhere on the globe, you would love to interview and why? The one person I would love to interview is President Barack Obama. He is the one person I look up to the most, because he is probably about the best public speaker that exists in this day and age. [bctt tweet=”If you can think it you can definitely birth it” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What quote resonates with your business and how does it inspire you? We at The Just Ibe Network live by this mantra: if you can think it you can definitely birth it. So dear corporate ladies, your dreams are valid, they are your dreams for a reason, it’s an act of self sabotage to neglect your dreams because you have a job; the world needs you to live to the fullest. Have you mastered the art of work-life balance? Share your story, let us know more about you and your story here.
Nancy Gacheri: I have always had a passion for coming up with a business that would leave a mark in the Kenyan industry
Nancy Gacheri is the 25 year old director of Best Shoes Kenya (BSK), and a Bachelor of Business Information Technology graduate. Currently she is working as a Sales and Marketing Manager for Sunstar Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Nancy is passionate about entrepreneurship and strives to leave a legacy of positive change in everything she does. She currently blogs for Life after campus (http://whatelseaftercampus.co.ke/news/) and finds satisfaction in helping others. [bctt tweet=”The customer is the most important person in my business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Who is Nancy? I am a God fearing, industrious, outgoing and well rounded young lady. I’m passionate about entrepreneurship and motivated by the need to bring the change I want to see in the world. What is Best Shoes Kenya? Best Shoes Kenya was established in May 2016. It is a footwear manufacturing startup company which uses locally sourced materials. We manufacture men casual and official leather shoes, as well as school wear. Our mission is to attain sustainable growth in business through the production of quality, affordable and classy shoes. We are a wholesale and retail shoe company situated at Membley estate Ruiru. How did you find a gap in the market for your business? The shoe industry in Kenya has seen most of its products coming from foreign countries. This pushed me to channel my entrepreneurship skills into shoe production. The need to produce quality and lasting Kenyan shoes is the motivation behind BSK. What are three key business lessons you have learnt since running BSK? I had to learn to separate business cash flow from my personal savings, by having a separate bank account. This means also setting it up legal through registration. The customer is the most important person in my business, they can either grow it or bring it down. Plan first, then act. A business plan is a key stepping stone to a successful venture, without one you just are planning to fail. How has the market responded to Best Shoes Kenya? At first it was really difficult because the local market perception is that Kenyan products cannot be of good quality. But with time, we have been able to gain a loyal client base. Most of which are repeat customers or referral customers. How do you balance your full time Sales and Marketing job and running the BSK business? This has been my greatest challenge up to date. My full time job is from 8 am to 5 pm and from work I head home where my workshop is, to see the day’s production. It has taken so much personal discipline and sacrifice, and it has cost me a social life. I dedicate most weekends to Best Shoes Kenya and to responding to various customer queries and follow ups. I am looking forward to running the business full-time, after raising a significant amount of cash to purchase the necessary machinery for production enhancement. What are two challenges you have faced and overcome at BSK? Market penetration was the greatest challenge due to poor product perception. The myth that locally made products are not good quality. But through the production of high quality products, which meet customer satisfaction, we were able to establish a loyal client base. Balancing between my full time job and running a business used to drain my energy significantly. But with time I have been able to strike a balance. What keeps you inspired to run your business each day? I am my own motivator, and I desire to become a change agent. The dream is to see BSK on the next level, as I explore my entrepreneurial spirit and positively impact lives. What is your three year growth plan for BSK? The three year plan for BSK is to be a front-runner of locally manufactured shoes in Kenya and the greater African market . To grow to have a ternary for leather, soles and all needed for the production of shoes. To begin a HUB which will promote the entrepreneurial spirit among Kenyans, and hopefully inspire the youth to realize their goals. In one sentence, how would you want to be remembered? I want to be remembered as someone who pursued her dreams and did not just get comfortable with living, until she brought about the change she wanted to see. Instagram: @gitsherry Facebook: bestshoeskenya Twitter: NancySheri Are you in the shoe manufacturing industry? Let us know more about you and your story here.
Mmabatho Mokgadi: I want to see Colorsofthearth among the list of top tea brands across Africa
Mmabatho Mokgadi from Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, Is the founder of Colorsofthearth. An organic loose leaf tea company specializing in herbal and fruit blends. Currently she is also a full- time student at the University of South Africa, completing her second year towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Science and Social Services. Mmabatho loves yoga and is passionate about tea, particularly the medicinal components of herbal plants. When she is not reading on community psychology and the functioning of public services in South Africa, she is running her business from home. [bctt tweet=”I have a good support system from friends and family who encourage me” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Who is Mmabatho? I am the founder and tea tailor of Colorsofthearth. Currently I’m studying full-time at the University of South Africa, doing my second year towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Science and Social Services. I’m passionate about tea, particularly the medicinal components of herbal plants. My current read is on Prof Maurice M. Iwu’s “handbook of African medicinal plants”. I enjoy yoga, great food and I’m always up for an adventure. What is Colorsofthearth? Colorsofthearth is an organic loose leaf tea company, with teas sourced locally and internationally. I specialise in handcrafted fruit tea blends (using spices, herbs and dried fruits) and herbal tea. How did you find a gap in the market for your business? When I established Colorsofthearth in 2015, all I knew was that I loved tea. As a result I had lost weight drinking yerba mate, white tea and green tea and my skin was looking healthier. I wanted to share this insight with people. I have extensive knowledge of the product because I used to work for one of South Africa’s leading tea franchises, The Tea Merchant. During this time I grew to learn that tea repairs and builds from the inside out. Even after I left The Tea Merchant the love for the tradition of tea continued. Soon I began making my own blends, playing around with herbs and dried fruits. When friends came over I would serve them the tea I made and they liked it a lot. A close friend of mine encouraged me to start my own business, saying that I’m “the tea person” because there’s nothing I didn’t know about tea. The tea industry is growing rapidly and I want to see Colorsofthearth among the list of top tea brands across Africa. How has the market responded to Colorsofthearth? In February 2017 I took Colorsofthearth to the South African Broadcasting Company canteen and the response was positive, there was a lot of interest and support. I have also exhibited at Market Esque in Soweto, but this crowd was different because most people were not interested in tea. I’m aware that people still have a certain stereotype about tea, which is: it is boring and should be consumed only if you are sick. But, I can say though that the response has been more positive than it has been negative and there is ample room for improvement and growth. What are three key business lessons you have learnt since running Colorsofthearth? Persistence How to manage finances The importance of market research. How do you balance your studies and running Colorsofthearth? I write out weekly and daily schedules which help me distribute time evenly. Although at times I give more attention to school work when I have assignments due or i’m preparing for exams. In addition to that, I use resources on SLA’s website regarding balancing studies and running a business. Overall I have a good support system from friends and family who encourage me and keep up to date with my progress. What are two challenges you have faced and overcome as Colorsofthearth? In 2016 I lost all hope and drive to keep Colorsofthearth running after my contract ended as a sales assistant at a kids clothing store. This happened a few months after I established Colorsofthearth. I could not afford the apartment I was staying in and had to move back home. The move did not make it easy. I was back home, no call backs for interviews and a failing business. It was challenging financially to keep Colorsofthearth running. But, In January of 2017 I decided to step out of my “hopelessness” mode and took it upon myself to finish the things I had started. Firstly, complete my undergraduate; I registered with UNISA and applied for funding, which was approved. I remember the excitement that came with the prospect of finally getting my degree! Secondly, I needed to pick my business up again. I had to go back to the drawing board and determine why I registered my business in the first place. I soon realised it was because of my passion for tea and the desire to create and provide a product that is healthy, sourced locally and refreshing. Communities like She Leads Africa helped me gain my self confidence and purpose again. [bctt tweet=”Feel the fear and do it anyway”, a mantra I live by daily. It’s also the title of Susan Jeffers’ book” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What keeps you inspired to run your business each day? My mother, my vision board and prayer. What is your three year growth plan for Colorsofthearth? My plan in the next three years is to supply hotels, restaurants and delis around Johannesburg and across South Africa. Either employ one person or find a partner that I can work with in running the business. Have an iced tea range. Build an online store with worldwide shipping. Travel and form relationships with tea plantation farmers in Africa: Kericho Kenya, Satemwa Malawi and Tanzania. In one sentence, how will you like to be remembered? A holistic wellness brand. Instagram: @colorsofthearth Facebook: colorsofthearth Twitter: @colorsofthearth Are you in the tea business or aspire to be? Let us know more about you and your story here.
Carol Nyazika: Ndanaka is not just a beauty brand, it’s a lifestyle brand
We last spoke to Carol Nyazika 10 months ago, when she was still in the process of launching Ndanaka. Ndanaka is an au-natural lifestyle brand with products predominantly from Zimbabwe and other African countries. It brings together a variety of beauty elements and infuses them into one. Hence their tag line, A Fusion of Beauty. Revisiting our last sit down this is what she had to say about it. How was the seed planted? I started Ndanaka in 2011 when people were not really talking about natural products. Ndanaka started as a lifestyle blog and YouTube channel that promotes natural skin and hair care. I was suffering from dry skin and my mothers skin was breaking out due to menopause. All the products she was using were not working for her, so I started mixing up a few ingredients that she could try. I then trained as a formulator and are now qualified to create products. How did the name, Ndanaka, come about? I gave my brand a Shona name because there are so many products with either French or foreign names we can hardly pronounce but we learn to. The word or statement, Ndanaka, has several translations and can mean ‘I am beautiful’ or in slang, ‘I’m good now’. Fast forward to 2017… Ndanaka was launched in January and it took four weeks. The process included: formulation, procurement, manufacturing, packaging, marketing and eventually making it available to the public. What attracted you to this industry? My initial drive and motivation was seeing my mothers confidence return when she felt beautiful and happy with her appearance. Later on, my mum would say, “You keep running away and going into other industries and even though you excel in those, you are not using your God given gift”. Before, I was scared of entering the beauty industry because of the labels that sometimes come with it, but eventually I decided to give it a go. God gives us the power to profit, so I believe that now I am using my God given gift. How was it like leaving your full time job to start a business in a struggling economy? It’s interesting and the economy pushes you a bit more because now you are literally eating what you kill. I have nothing to fall back on so I have to learn to budget and also work very hard to generate sales. But, it is not only about me, but our service providers as well. Even though the economy is struggling, we are forward thinking and putting sustainable structures in place. Structures that cover our cost to meet demand. The company is self-funded. Like any business our profits are still going back into the business and we are grateful that we have managed to increase our profit every month ever since we started. We work from home, where we have a work station or lab and a garage that we converted into a storage. Because I am a trained formulator, I make my own products. It is therefore easier to come up with new products that our clients require or ask us to make . We started off with four products and we now have seven. How has the market responded to your brand? The response has been overwhelming. We started selling on the 28th of January, since then it’s been a whirlwind. The demand is growing within Zimbabwe and other countries like Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. In our first week of operation, we sold out in four days and our first retailer sold out in the first week. We are now currently in three retail shops and working to increase our presence across the country and into different markets. We aim to maintain good quality products as we continuously build, evolve and grow. What challenges have you faced with the launch of Ndanaka? Not meeting demand. However, we started taking this into consideration when pricing and formulating our products. At the end of the day we aim to provide an affordable brand because we understand our vision and goals. Another setback is packaging. We are still not where we want to be but it is all a work in progress and we understand that. With the issue of unavailability of cash in Zimbabwe, how are you managing to run your business? We have all methods of payment – most people pay cash, our second biggest method of payment is Ecocash (a mobile money transfer powered by Econet), swipe then transfers. We make sure we have nothing to hold our customers back from purchasing our products. We work with what we have, always searching for a solution and not letting the current hardships set us back. How does your brand support the Zimbabwean economy? Besides paying my taxes, I try to work with Zimbabwean companies and service providers as much as I can. Printing and graphic design is done locally. Some of my ingredients are sourced in rural Zimbabwe, therefore creating jobs. I am also pushing for my brand to be recognised internationally as a Zimbabwean brand. What personal traits are necessary to run a business like Ndanaka? Resilience Confidence in one’s product Ability to constantly evolve Good listening skills A good support system Be good at delegating Ability to take criticism A hunger to learn What advice would you give to your younger self? Just start – figure it out as you go. Have a skeleton and add flesh as you progress. Do not be afraid to ask. Be humble enough to ask for help and its okay if you dont know. Be curious about everything. Always have a contingency plan. Be resilient. People will always say something about you. Don’t take it personal. Feel your feelings – feel challenged, sad but move on- keep going. Try and be authentic – do what comes naturally to you. Try and be supportive of others. Put the work in and do what it takes to
Tsitsi Mutendi: I am the Queen of Start-Ups
[bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurship has its pro’s and con’s but it has taught me responsibility” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tsitsi Mutendi, founder of Jewel Magazine, Mucha and Mufaro dolls is a girl from Masvingo, born in Harare and partially raised in the UK. She spent eight years of her childhood in the UK before moving back to Zimbabwe. Tell us a bit about Tsitsi Mutendi I decided earlier on in life that I was more suited for entrepreneurship than I was to a career. Mostly because I enjoy starting things. I love creating new companies or entities and seeing them succeed and/or learning from their failures. My entrepreneurship journey started when I was 24, back then I wanted to be a fashion designer. I have had the privilege and honour of creating different products and taking them to a market. How was Jewel Magazine born? Jewel started in February 2011 after I lost my child. I loved reading magazines and decided to create my own that would be an outlet for the different ideas I had. Ideas to inform women about things that could help them empower themselves. The first issue went to print in June 2011 and came out in July. I wanted a magazine name which reflected what I thought of women and what they should think of themselves. I couldn’t think of any other name better than Jewel. To me women are like precious Jewels, sometimes they are covered in the earth, growing roots and preparing to germinate, sometimes you have to dig deep to find them. Do you have any plans of reviving Jewel? Jewel for me was a journey; it’s unfortunate we got to a place where we couldn’t print it anymore because we kept breaking even. The decision to stop printing was hard because I felt like I was giving up on my baby and no mother wants to give up their child. I think Jewel is one of those product pieces in the journey that has made me grow stronger. It has brought me more focus, and has always had the power to renew my will and vision to move forward. Unless we can bring Jewel back bigger and better than it was, without having to shelve it again, I think for now it will always be a part of Zimbabwean history. Tell us a bit about Mucha Fashion Mucha was born before Jewel. I love African print fabric and loved what West Africans were doing with it at the time; It was so modern and chic and no one in Southern Africa was doing it.It involved a lot of creativity with fabric and garments, and most of our clients allowed us to revamp their wardrobes. Unfortunately, I had to let go because the market became saturated and there was a lot of replication. What is Danz Media all about? It is our flagship product company which has been running for many years. So many great products are housed under it. For example, my husband, Daniel Mutendi’s Nama’s award winning children’s book, Tsuro na Gudo: Misi yese haifanani. We have also produced other Shona educational books, and continue to work with organisations and schools. I love Danz media because it allows me to be creative and to explore different media platforms. How did Mufaro come about? Mufaro came from wanting a soft cushy doll for my daughter. I could not find it in shops so I learnt how to make one. Wanting to venture into the toy market only came after realizing no one else was doing it and the opportunity was there. So my husband and I decided to attend the Spiel Warenmesse toy fair in Nuremberg which was held in February 2011, to exhibit our Mufaro Dolls. It is the biggest toy fair in the world and it ran for six days. Africa is very much underrepresented in the toy industry, so it was an amazing learning experience for us. We are in the process of implementing and working with the different partners that we met when we were there. Where is the Woman of Legacy Foundation now? I stopped running the foundation as a stand alone organisation but instead focused on corporate social responsibility. I invest in other women and provide individual and organisational mentorship. We provide scholarships as a family, not only to students who excel academically, but those we feel will invest in tomorrow. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurship is not easy but gives one the flexibility to choose when to work” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are your entrepreneurial journey highlights thus far? The ability to spend time with my family. Entrepreneurship is not easy but gives one the flexibility to choose when to work. Meeting so many remarkable women. It’s not when you start profiling women, knowing who they are, and learning why they do what they do ,do you truly realise how powerful we are as women. Risk taking. I don’t know what a comfort zone is. Entrepreneurship has taught me that risk taking is not for sissy’s, neither is it something that you should be afraid of. Most of the lessons I have learnt are because I have taken chances. I wouldn’t change my entrepreneurship journey and I definitely wouldn’t get a job. What are your top entrepreneurship lessons? Entrepreneurship has its pro’s and con’s but it has taught me responsibility. You never stop learning really. It has also taught me that I am the master of my own destiny. No amount of capital or investment is going to make a crappy idea work, you have to go out there and put in the work. At times you might not know if you are going to reap or how you are going to pay the next bill but it’s still important to stay true to your dream or vision. How do you prioritize your time between being a mother, wife, entrepreneur? I work with my husband and we both work from home- so our children see us all the time. I also have a good support system. It includes my
Carol Motolo: I want to be remembered as the person who helped others restore their faith in the Lord and themselves
Carol Natasha Motolo is a young dynamic visionary who has a soft heart for young girls who have been raped, molested or assaulted. She is an author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and a student of life. She is the founder of the Carol Motolo Foundation a non- profit, faith based, community developmental organization. Which aims to create a safe environment where rape, injustice and other societal ills against women will be a thing of the past. Carol spent years battling depression, abuse, making wrong decisions, and a preference for chaos and disaster. She did not have any tools to help her deal with her own emotions. But, a turning point in her life came when a few years ago she was able to let go of someone she thought she wouldn’t be able to live without. As a form of catharsis, Carol has been using a journaling technique since she was 10 years old. This inspired her to write a book came after living with the depression, being physically and emotionally abused,homeless, penniless, hopeless and giving birth to a premature baby. This was the ultimate test of her faith, but somehow, she Lived in Faith and overcame her battles, this led her to publish a self-help, personal development and motivational book titled Living in Faith. [bctt tweet=”It doesn’t matter who you used to be. All that matters is who you are willing to become” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about Carol Motolo Carol Motolo is an author, mother, photographer, entrepreneur and founder of the Carol Motolo Foundation. What were you working on before starting your brand? I was a full time mom and blogger. What are two breakthroughs that lead you to transform your life? My son getting out of hospital after being born premature and overcoming the trauma of being raped. What are three things you gained and lost in the process of creating Living in Faith? I lost a lot of friends. But i gained God’s love, grace, wisdom and to trust in God at all times. [bctt tweet=”I will walk by faith even when I can not see.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What lead you to write Living in Faith? I went through a lot when my son was born premature. At that point I turned to God for help and as a result my faith grew and i was brought closer to God. When my son finally became well I felt it was time to combine all i had written ; including how i overcame being abused and raped. After these kind of incidents a lot of women struggle to overcome and fully live their lives. I therefore felt that God was using me as a tool to assist those that have walked the same path as I have. How did your journaling technique begin? There comes a time in ones life when you just want to let go of the pain and resentment. I had reached that stage . So I began to write my experiences down and gradually found ways to let go and be a better person each day. Thank God because as time went by the process became easier and easier. What keeps you going every day? God ‘s presence in my life and my family; their support and faith in me really keeps me going, even in the hardest of times. What projects are you currently working on under the Carol Motolo Foundation? We are currently seeking donations and sponsors for our programme: Pens for a girl child. We’re also in talks with the Ministry of Health to assist us with more access to health care practitioners for our rape and abuse victims. What was your inspiration to empower young girls? I was born in a country where a girl child is not regarded useful or important. Therefore, I felt the need to change that mentality and educate a girl child; to show her that through education she can be anything and everything she wants to be.We have the power to work hard and prepare for a better future. The girl child needs to know that they can be better, without relying on a man for their needs and a better future. What are your current career goals? I want to be one of the best authors and to change lives with my book. In addition to that I want to own a fragrance line. By God’s grace it will be out before end of the year. [bctt tweet=”Those who live passionately teach us how to love.Those who love passionately teach us how to live” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What’s the creative process like for you? Where do you go, and what do you Inspiration comes easy for me. My room is mostly the best place for me to go if I want to be in a creative space. My kids are also my inspiration. In one sentence, how would you like to be remembered? I want to be remembered as the person who helped others restore their faith in the Lord and themselves. Want to learn more about Carol Motolo’s journey? Buy Carol’s book here: http://www.carolnatashamotolo.com/ The book is also available for purchase on Amazon Facebook: Tasha Motolo Instagram: @Sj_motolo
Tope Hassan: Our team functions entirely on social media
[bctt tweet=”We successfully created a diverse and a multi-networking hub for Africans to know about each other” via=”no”] Tope Hassan, the “Disruptive Diasporan”, is the founder of ISOKO Africa. She is a multi-lingual young African entrepreneur specializing in marketing, compliance, and media to create multi-dimensional business systems where start-ups and multi-national companies can operate fairly in a corrupt free environment and standardized economy. Tope is popularly known as an African Tourist, backpacking through African nations to discover African brands and entrepreneurs; a yoga teacher dedicated to health and well-being lifestyles of professionals and entrepreneurs; as an advocate for African brands helping them reach a wider market than their local communities; and a Media and Public Speaker sharing experiences of Africa, its brands, commerce and industry, healthy lifestyles, life lessons and inspiration. She also blogs at TopeHassan.com What inspired your decision to start ISOKO Africa? I am popularly known for my passion for Africa, which is not limited to Black girl magic, Ankara print, melanin skin and all the paraphernalia that comes with it. The commercial and inter-relations sectors of Africa pumps my passion from my lifestyle to my dreams so much that African brands in all sectors are my first option before seeking foreign brands. People get shocked when I show them products/services/apps/companies that beat global standards and wonder why they never knew about it. This made me the go-to person to recommend best options for African brands. So I decided that instead of responding to tons of calls and emails per day, how about if I created a platform for African brands to reach a global target market beyond their local communities? This platform would also to help them sell their brands globally thereby gaining the recognition and market they rightly deserve. ISOKO Africa is born out of the urgent need to eradicate the popular misconceptions and stereotypes around African brands and exposing them globally. It is geared towards repositioning minds of African entrepreneurs to build their companies as brands and not just a shop/business. ISOKO Africa, a media, and marketing organization is simply “African market” in the Swahili Language. How has social media been able to help increase your productivity? When I started out last year, my focus was to inform the world that Africa has a lot to offer commercially. It’s disturbing how Africa is patronized simply for two things: its human resource and raw materials. The social media publicizes Africa as either Black girl magic and talent or famine and war zone. Our commercial brands hardly make headlines. I started podcasting through iTunes, Soundcloud, Midas Radio and other media platforms and backpacked through African nations to discover and interview remarkable entrepreneurs and thought leaders. These podcasts were publicized through social media, reaching to a diverse audience beyond Africa. Not only that, it also encouraged more Africans to use and listen to podcasts. We successfully created a diverse and a multi-networking hub for Africans to know about each other which led to trans-national sales for entrepreneurs. This ecosystem further fostered partnerships between entrepreneurs, service providers, and customers. Gradually, ISOKO Africa developed communities in several countries where we formed teams that have become voices of Africa quietly on the search for African Brands. Our team functions entirely on social media through messaging and meeting apps that have helped us to build the vision together achieving pellets of the milestone at a time. [bctt tweet=”The best way for us to build an influential online presence is to foster communities-Tope Hassan” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What major social media campaign helped to increase your online presence? Kindly give details of the plan and how it worked. The campaigns that focused on community inclusion buffered our online presence. We advertised our tour of West African nations and this attracted a diverse audience and lots of entries. We asked our followers to recommend brands within their area for us to interview and received an overwhelming response. The messages recommended amazing brands interested in joining the experience of new Africa by either documenting, making videos, inviting us for a talk or simply to enjoy the trip and meeting entrepreneurs. It’s amazing to discover that Africans desire their friends and nations to be represented globally. This lead to our conclusion that the best way for us to build an influential online presence, is to foster communities. To achieve this, we Invested in awesome and relatable HD graphics and images: One of the greatest assets on our team is the graphic design and photography fellow. People are intrigued by appealing and great images. It’s easy to attract attention when they can relate to what you say. Defined our audience: Before publishing our posts, we ensure it would be appealing to our target audience. We also ensured to update our followers about each decision every step of the way. Fostered partner communities: We connected our vision online by engaging with our audience offline to build communities around our goal. We did this by partnering with similar event campaigns, communities, and movements. This helped to build trust, inclusion, and network and convert talk into action. It also got us a lot of feedback. [bctt tweet=”I use social media to showcase a positive side of Africa.- Tope Hassan” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Have you ever had any downside on social media? I have had to learn how to build everything we used on our platform from the website to recording and uploading podcasts. Our platform started its content through podcasting which is relatively an untapped market in Africa. Unfortunately, social media platforms do not have the capacity to run podcasts and our listenership on the website was very poor. We ran surveys to find out how best to reach our audience and discovered that majority of African youths prefer to listen or read media on their mobile phones. This meant hosting podcasts on the website would be less effective. We changed our methods and I quickly had to learn the tricks of uploading our podcasts on iTunes, podcasts for Android, Soundcloud, Stitcher and
Anisa Mpungwe: Now clothing brands are offering a lifestyle
[bctt tweet=”I am African so that aesthetic cannot disappear, it will always be there – Anisa Mpungwe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Anisa Mpungwe is a Tanzanian born, South African raised fashion marvel. She started her career at age 19 working for various fashion houses, magazines, and apparel factories within Africa, America, and the UK. Not a stranger on international runways, Anisa has showcased her work in fashion weeks in South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Italy, Sweden and New York. You might have spotted this Motherland Mogul’s garments on stars like Solange Knowles, Anele Mdoda, Lira, Simphiwe Dana, Amel Larrieux, Sharon Smith, and Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon. The former US first lady Michelle Obama donned Anisa’s clothing on her first visit to Johannesburg. Anisa has won the African Fashion International Emerging Designer Award 2013 and was the MTV Transform Today Award nominee. She has collaborated with brands such as LG, SPREE, Samsung, Maserati, Converse, Nestle, BET and Bobbi Brown. You can find Anisa between Johannesburg, Pretoria and Dar es Salaam studios. SLA contributor, Kutlwano Mokgojwa, checks in with the humble and spirited Motherland Mogul to get the lowdown on celebrating 5 years in business, creating a lifestyle brand and shipping worldwide. It has been 5 years since you opened the door to your flagship store, what would you say you owe to still being in business today? I think consistency is important in any business and across everything that you do. There are certain things that you must always do and always take care of. Another important thing is having a good team. There are days when you will not feel so great and you do not want to deal with customers, you can always pass the responsibility along when you have a good team and in my experience, getting a good team together takes a while. Your brand is described as having a strong African influence, prints and modern tribal. Do you think this description limits the brand or does it open the right doors? I think it is all of the above. People always need to relate your brand to something, whether it is an experience in their lives or something they have seen. I am African so that aesthetic cannot disappear, it will always be there. Our aesthetic will always be around the African heritage but I am also really interested in sportswear for example. I have travelled and moved around a lot and because of that, I am able to come back and tell a story through the garments. The change in the design is not that I am trying to target a specific person but it is just where the LoinCloth and Ashes (LCA) story is. You have paired up with vibrant talk show host and radio personality Anele Mdoda as your brand ambassador, how does she embody the LCA brand? Anele is quite a complex woman and that is an LCA girl – somebody who is strong and vulnerable. Somebody who has something to say wants to elevate and fully enjoy her life. Anele is all those things and she is crazy too, she is completely nuts and I love her for that. I identify the LCA girl in her; she really aspires for better in all areas. You are known to feature on a lot of runways. How do you come up with inspiration for each collection? How do you incorporate your brands aesthetic to ensure your collections are true to the LCA brand whilst still being fresh and relevant? It has to do with what is happening for us at that time but also keeping in mind who our audience is. For example, if you do something like New York Fashion Week, what they would expect is a whole lot of bead work and when you show something else it creates a kind of shock wave. When you take African print somewhere like Stockholm where they are known for being minimalist you will blow their mind with so much colour. Same goes for Germany or Berlin. I know we have one of the biggest client bases in Berlin and they love the print because they don’t have that sort of thing there. So when we create collections it is about flying the flag but doing so in a manner that is relevant to the audience and to the brand. [bctt tweet=”When we create collections it is about flying the flag in a manner that is relevant to the audience” via=”no”] Since your establishment as a women’s wear brand, you have ventured into quite a number of things such as your junior wear, home décor, giving industry talks and consultations. What motivated you to head in that direction and how has that contributed to LCA being such a big brand in the fashion industry? There was a time when you went into a clothing store and it only offered clothing but now many brands are offering a lifestyle. So if I can’t afford the dress, I can maybe afford to buy a napkin or to buy my little baby a dress. I wanted LCA to also follow that suit because we don’t only talk about women’s wear when we are in the studio, we talk about everything else. I am not known to hide my experiences so that is where consulting and mentoring comes into play. [bctt tweet=”We are looking to celebrate feminism and rediscovering the word sexy – Anisa Mpungwe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You have a new collection coming up, can you tell us more about that? Well, I cannot say much but it is a summer/spring collection. We are looking to celebrate feminism and rediscovering the word sexy. What does it mean for LCA? It means there will be lower necklines and high hems. You started shipping your clothes worldwide this February, how would you advise a small business owner who wants to extend their distribution in the same way? Firstly, I think it is important for one to evaluate their international client base. A lot