Diverse photography can help challenge perceptions and fight stereotypes. When Amanda Esther Akokhia started her photo studio some five years ago in the United Kingdom (UK), where she grew up, she was not aware just how important this was. At the time, photography was a hobby but it soon began to give her life purpose and meaning.



“When I started working, I would leave work during lunch, take pictures and return to work, and that was how I started photography. I wasn’t really fulfilled doing my job, but photography made me really happy. I knew in my heart that this is what I wanted to do [for] a living. That led me to open my first studio at 24,” says Akokhia, born in the UK but whose parents are Nigerian.



She’s the owner of Green Studio and now has over a decade of experience in the industry. Through education and the consistent drive for representation, she hopes to use her photography platform, Amanda Akokhia Photography, to bring about much-needed change.



The British Journal of Photography found that, globally, about 70% &#8211; 80% of photography students are women but they only account for 13% &#8211; 15% of professional photographers. Furthermore, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics also reportedly estimated that, although women account for half of all working photographers, they still struggle to get opportunities.



When Akokhia started cutting her teeth in the industry, she had already noticed the disparity.



“I knew I wanted to do photography, but I could not find any successful role models that looked like me in the industry to emulate,” she recalls.



This was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, she decided to fully commit – she quit her legal profession and opened her studio with £10,000 ($12,400), which she secured through a combination of savings and investment from her business partner.



“They believed in my vision and were eager to contribute,” says Akokhia.



In those days the vision for the brand was simple.



“I didn’t know what the industry was like, I just knew my dream was to shoot for big magazines and to see my pictures on billboards. I was really interested in beauty and fashion and my vision was to be a commercial photographer who shot for the big brands that I admired so much growing up. I didn’t know how I was going to get there but I knew that was what I wanted to see myself doing,” Akokhia adds.



Within two years of opening her business, Akokhia had already fulfilled her goals in photography, working with brands like BBC, Warner Brothers, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Disney and Pantene, among others.



“I started thinking [about] what the new vision for me at this stage of my life is. And I started to imagine a world where everyone would feel seen and can be seen through my work and encouraging other photographers to capture everyone. Sometimes, when you look at magazines in the UK, you only see photographers of a certain type and color. I shoot everyone as I would shoot a model for a campaign shoot,” she says.



Akokhia has steadily grown her business from one that generated a monthly revenue of £5,000 ($6,200) to one that has secured individual commercial campaigns worth £15,000 ($18,600) by elevating her business and building relationships with prominent commercial brands. An important focus for her is representation in her work, both behind the lens and in front of it.



And, as a rising creative in the sector, Akokhia hopes to achieve her new vision for creating inclusivity through training and mentorship, where she teaches future photographers and creatives how to turn their passion into a business.

Amanda Esther Akokhia started her first photo studio at the age of 24; image supplied

The UK-Based Nigerian Photographer Using A Different Lens To Challenge Norms

Leading the way in youth empowerment and change is Zuriel Oduwole. She shares the story of her humble beginnings and the lessons since.



Over a decade ago, at 10 years old, Zuriel Oduwole already proved to the world that age is just a number. That statement still rings true for the 21-year-old who calls herself a filmmaker, global education advocate, presidential advisor, and peace envoy.&nbsp;



“Actually, everything that I&#8217;ve done now, it started with filmmaking,” Oduwole says to FORBES AFRICA, after leaving the stage following her panel discussion at the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on March 8 in Johannesburg.&nbsp;&nbsp;



She reveals more about a competition she took part in when she was nine, to create a documentary focusing on the “revolutionaries in history”. While all her peers focused on the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and various European ones, Oduwole opted for something different.&nbsp;



“I&#8217;ve always wanted to be different; I don&#8217;t want to follow the mold,” she says.



Oduwole, born to parents who are from Nigeria and Mauritius, decided to focus on Ghana, which resulted in her flying to the West African country from her home in Los Angeles in the United States. While collecting all the necessary footage for her documentary, it bothered her that children, particularly girls, were out on the streets during school hours.



“I found out that it’s a big challenge – girls are out of school, not just in Ghana but across the African continent. That’s how my film started. But from that, after seeing what was happening on the ground, I went back home and thought about what I wanted to do; to try and do my small part; to try to make a difference.”&nbsp;



Since then, she has sat down with over 30 world leaders to address global social development and education challenges that children and teenagers face, from former Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to billionaire Aliko Dangote. Oduwole says she has also spoken to around 52,730 youth in over 21 countries.&nbsp;



“When I sit down with all these presidents and prime ministers, first of all, it’s such an honor,” says the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Young Achiever Awardee.



“But the biggest thing I try to do is to show myself as an example of what girls in their country can do. The biggest thing I try to talk about is education and how there are not enough girls in schools… I try to show myself as an example through excellence.”



According to a 2024 Statista report which explores the out-of-school population among primary school children, between 2000 and 2018, over the past two decades, there has been a decrease globally in the number of girls of primary school age who are out of school.



However, the progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children has generally “stagnated since 2007” and there is still a higher number of girls than boys who are not in primary school, worldwide, today.



Furthermore, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest out-of-school population in the world – 22% of girls and 17% of boys from this region are not in primary school.&nbsp;



“As of 2022, 22.3% of female and 25.9% of male South African learners aged seven to 18 stated that poor academic performance was the main reason for dropping out and not attending educational institutions. The rate of learners not attending educational institutions due to family commitments was significantly higher among females at 12.1% than among males at 0.2%,” the report read.&nbsp;



“Whenever I go and meet with these heads of state or am asked to speak at schools and speak on platforms, it’s not intimidation I feel, it&#8217;s a sense of responsibility,” Oduwole adds.



The change that she would like to see, is the way women are viewed. Oduwole would also like for young people to seize every opportunity and dare to dream.&nbsp;



“…If your dreams don&#8217;t scare you, then they&#8217;re not big enough. And so, as youth, we have the whole world at our fingertips. We need to dream big dreams,” Oduwole says.



“I have a different take about what we are about, as women. First of all, we have to decide if we are objects or subjects… I say that because I don’t think women came together and decided to dress in a certain way and show off half their bodies in front of the cameras, just so a group of four to five people could tell us who the most beautiful is. I think we need to decide that we are subjects of excellence as opposed to objects to be defined by others.”

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‘We Are Subjects Of Excellence’: 21-Year-Old Pan-African Activist Who Has Met With 30 World Leaders

Story curated by Chanel Retief and Nicole Pillay Art Direction: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane ; Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Styling: Deneal Van Wyk; Outfits supplied by Fashimo Styles Studio, Ukara, Suited For Her and Preview Accessories Hair &amp; Makeup:Vanessa Unamaca, MakoleMade Location: NewKatz.Studio, Johannesburg



If you ever find yourself with an internationally-acclaimed chef, just know that he or she will joke that they would like for you to first taste their food before adding salt. And then want you to know that this craft is an art and science come to life. 



As a food and nutrition scientist, chef Siba Mtongana is no different. She gained global recognition when her show Siba’s Table first aired on Food Network, capturing the essence of South African cuisine. Reportedly, more than 150 countries and 60 million homes in the US tune into Cooking Channel alone to watch her whip up her culinary specialties, proving how hungry the world is for African cuisine.



Q. How did your journey in the culinary world begin, and what inspired you?



A. My journey started when I was a very young girl in my mother&#8217;s kitchen, where I was so mesmerized by how my mother could turn simple ingredients into the most amazing dishes. She had a garden that my dad tended for her. My life was an interaction from the garden to the kitchen, which was really beautiful. I decided, against my parents’ wishes, to become a chef. At the time, there weren&#8217;t many people who were successful; I&#8217;m going to say specifically African black people who were successful in the food industry, especially as chefs. Therefore, my parents were very skeptical… but I do believe that I&#8217;ve created a template – because [of] my cooking show on Food Network, where I can say specifically to Africans, this is actually a career path you can take. I think my contribution to the food industry and culinary world was that I made it more relatable and easy for people to follow in my footsteps.



Q. Can you talk to us about a big career milestone?



A. I have been blessed with many career milestones but one comes to mind… I opened my first restaurant during Covid-19. SIBA–The Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant in Cape Town (at the Victoria &amp; Alfred Waterfront) and is doing incredibly well. Last year alone, we won about 10 awards, locally and internationally. I often think to myself, should I not have done it at that time, would I have had the trajectory that I am on now? Maybe not, because the story might not have been as strong but you really have to have that inner gut feel and follow it.

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Over 30 Under 50: ‘I’ve created a template for young people’/ Siba Mtongana

Story curated by Chanel Retief and Nicole Pillay Art Direction: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane ; Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Styling: Deneal Van Wyk; Outfits supplied by Fashimo Styles Studio, Ukara, Suited For Her and Preview Accessories Hair &amp; Makeup:Vanessa Unamaca, MakoleMade Location: NewKatz.Studio, Johannesburg



Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng’s story is not one that kickstarted with a university degree, or when she started advocating for the sexual and reproductive health and mental health rights of all. In fact, the story that shaped Mofokeng, known as Dr T, had its beginnings in her childhood in QwaQwa, in the Free State province of South Africa during apartheid. 



“[I] experienced some of the most exciting but also frustrating and scary times growing up [during] apartheid, but [as] an adult, [I also] experienced the wonder of a democratic South Africa. [I wanted to become a doctor] after witnessing adults and neighbors around me injured in the protests [that happened], and I was there and helpful. I think, as a child, [I was] also inquisitive about [these] protests; I&#8217;m grateful that they never chased me away but incorporated me in a way that I was safe [and] could still participate. 



At the photoshoot for this feature, Mofokeng is anxious to get to a table where she can open her laptop to finish up some work, as she wears many hats.



As a medical doctor, she specializes in advocating for women’s health with regards to their sexual health and relationship concerns. As the United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur, her work focuses on the rights of every individual to experience the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in the US.



“Would you consider yourself a power woman, Dr T?” we ask.



“A power woman is bold. And she is fearless, in that she gets to determine life for herself, she moves at her pace, and is not shy to say ‘I&#8217;m exhausted, can someone else take over?’ I accept that for this moment that power is being projected on to me. But I like to project power more than take it as an identity or something that I have to live up to because I&#8217;m only human and some days, I&#8217;m really not feeling so powerful.”

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Over 30 Under 50: ‘A Power Woman Gets To Determine Life For Herself’/Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu is collaborating with pan-African financial institution African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus to produce a short film directed by Hollywood actor Idris Elba and starring music icon Seal.



In a move to empower and foster Africa’s creative economy, the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Films will set the movie, Dust to Dreams, in Lagos, Nigeria. The film follows the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter, as she meets her father for the first time, and Abudu will serve as both Executive Producer and Producer, with Heidi Uys as Supervising Producer. Alongside Abudu and Uys are producers Temidayo Makanjuola, Inem King, and Vanessa Demme. The cast for Dust to Dreams includes international music icon Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, better known by his stage name Seal, along with Nse Ikpe-Etim, Eku Edewor, Atlanta Bridget Johnson and Constance Olatunde (also known as ‘Konstance’).



“I am delighted to be working with Afreximbank and this incredibly talented team. Dust to Dreams is a story close to my heart, and I&#8217;m thrilled to bring it to life with such passionate collaborators,” Abudu shares in a press statement.



Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of Afreximbank (who was also 2023 FORBES AFRICA African of the Year) adds in the statement that “the Bank is committed to supporting Africa&#8217;s creative industries through financing, facilitation, providing market access solutions, capacity building and other services”.



In a 2022 trade report by Afreximbank, Africa’s creative economy generates over a billion dollars in revenue yearly. In addition to that, the creative economy also creates thousands of jobs. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added in their 2021 report that Africa (along with the Middle East), represents about 3% of this output, generating about $58 billion. The creative economy is recognized as a highly diversified, resilient, and gender-neutral sector that provides high-skilled jobs and encourages young entrepreneurship, while supporting innovative forms of sustainable economic growth.



In the August-September 2023 issue of FORBES AFRICA, the award-winning Elba, who was the edition’s cover star, had said that his film, TV and digital production company, Green Door Pictures in the United Kingdom, would be collaborating with Abudu to empower and uplift talent from Africa.



At the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit in Johannesburg on March 8, Abudu had spoken about her work: “You’ve got to find what you are passionate about. And when you truly find what I call your God-given purpose, I do not see it as a cost… [you need to] go out and do certain things and make a change.



“I spent a better part of my life [in England] and the manner in which I was treated as a black young girl growing up, I knew instinctively that I had to do something to change that and I wasn’t able to until I was 40…,” said Abudu, who also walked away with the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Businesswoman Award at the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards.



“Often, when I am asked what I would say to my younger self, it would have been to have the courage to say ‘Mo, you need to go out there and start telling stories about who you are, about who your continent is, the history, the culture and the traditions.”

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Mo Abudu, Idris Elba And Seal Come Together For Film Collaboration With Afreximbank

At the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards, held at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Friday, March 8, African stateswoman and South Africa’s former first lady Graça Machel took home the 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Lifetime Achievement Award. Machel dedicated the award to women both past and present.



“It has been a long moment and a long journey. It has been nearly eight decades of my journey. And as I stand here, what comes across my mind literally is the hundreds and thousands across the continent, across the globe – many women, most of them who are not here but many millions that are represented here by you today,” the founder of The Graça Machel Trust told a packed ballroom, accepting her award.



“Imagine I am standing here with the likes of Ma’Sisulu… those who are in my generation… We had dreams together, we fought together. And there were times we didn’t believe it would happen not only to have countries be free but more importantly to have women, young women taking what I call center-stage.”



Machel’s dedication to service is rooted in Mozambique’s struggle for self-rule and international advocacy for women and children’s rights. She has also dedicated her life to building equitable rights for women and children.



Machel produced a ground-breaking United Nations Children&#8217;s Fund (Unicef) report, The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, that changed the way the United Nations and member states respond in conflict zones. She has worked in advocating for global health, child welfare, and women’s rights and empowerment.



The Graça Machel Trust she founded in 2010 focuses on advocating for women’s economic and social empowerment, food security and nutrition, education for all, as well as good governance.



In her speech, Machel stated that she will be using this award to encourage young women to uplift the continent. “At the Graca Machel Trust, we say ‘the future is African and the future is female’; this is the expression of what we see here tonight.”



She added it is the first time she has received an award in the presence of her family.



The star-studded evening celebrated women excelling in different sectors and industries across the continent. Other winners included South African middle-distance runner and Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya (2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Champion of Change Award), Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis, South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha (2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Entertainer Award), South African actress Connie Ferguson (2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Media Icon Award), and CEO at EbonyLife Mo Abudu (2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Businesswoman Award).



The 2024 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards gala was held as part of the ninth annual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on March 8.

‘The Future Is African… The Future Is Female’: Lifetime Achievement Award For Graça Machel At FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards Gala

Story curated by Chanel Retief and Nicole Pillay Art Direction: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane ; Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Styling: Deneal Van Wyk; Outfits supplied by Fashimo Styles Studio, Ukara, Suited For Her and Preview Accessories Hair &amp; Makeup:Vanessa Unamaca, MakoleMade Location: NewKatz.Studio, Johannesburg



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“I wouldn’t say a ‘power woman’ is fearless because some way, somehow, I do get that fear. But I can say she is a strong woman even though problems approach. She will always be strong and stand up for herself; she has perseverance.”
</blockquote>



In 2023, Nomcebo Zikode was celebrated across Africa, but especially in her home country South Africa after she brought home her first Grammy award with two-time Grammy award-winning flautist, Wouter Kellerman and singer and producer, Zakes Bantwini for their song Bayethe. It was a win she did not think would happen. At the FORBES AFRICA power women photoshoot, Zikode walks in with a big smile, ready to reflect on the journey that led to that moment.



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“I knew that I wanted to be on TV or I wanted to be a singer,” Zikode says. “Becoming an actress was the second thing but being a singer was the first thing, so I&#8217;m living my dream. I&#8217;m really so happy to be recognized, not only in South Africa but abroad, and seeing people loving your work as they do, even though there was a point where I was about to give up because I [was] looking at my age. I was over 30 and this music thing was not happening, so I am really grateful to God.”



Also successful as the founder of record label, Emazulwini Productions, Zikode wants to inspire the youth, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 



“Personally, it was never about changing my life,” Zikode explains. “It’s about showing another child who’s currently sitting at home, watching me win a Grammy so they can see that Nomcebo made it possible to achieve her goals, so that where they are sitting – whether they&#8217;re coming from a rural area or from a poor family – they know that it is possible for them!”



Zikode’s admission of wanting to give up – this was before her hit song Jerusalema topped charts across the globe – is not unique to her. To the women who feel that their careers have stunted, Zikode offers the best advice: “Just keep going and respect your craft. You never know when your time is coming.”

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Over 30 Under 50: ‘You Never Know When Your Time Is Coming’-Nomcebo Zikode

Story curated by Chanel Retief and Nicole Pillay Art Direction: Lucy Nkosi Photography: Katlego Mokubyane ; Assistant: Sbusiso Sigidi Styling: Deneal Van Wyk; Outfits supplied by Fashimo Styles Studio, Ukara, Suited For Her and Preview Accessories Hair &amp; Makeup:Vanessa Unamaca, MakoleMade Location: NewKatz.Studio, Johannesburg



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It’s the need of the hour that most entrepreneurs pivot in their approach to building businesses. This has become quite normalized in the tech space. Traditionalists see risks but not Dr Aisha Pandor, whose main goal has always been about building businesses that help those around her and help her plough back into her country’s economy. 



Pandor, a qualified human geneticist, started SweepSouth, an online home cleaning and gardening services platform, with her husband, software engineer Alen Ribic, in 2014. The idea came about when she had just left her corporate career. While they were reviewing different business ideas, the couple realized that they needed help at home, at the time.



“That sparked the idea that there are services like Lyft and Uber, but there&#8217;s nothing that helps to connect you to home services, using technology,” Pandor says.



Almost a decade later, Pandor walks in for the photoshoot at the NewKatz.Studio in Johannesburg, South Africa, ready to announce that she has stepped down as CEO of the online platform.



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“One of the great things about being a scientist is that when you&#8217;re building, you measure your impact as you&#8217;re going along, you do it in a datadriven way.


“Now, I&#8217;m thinking about work-life balance. And so, I think it&#8217;s important to also showcase this phase in [a] woman&#8217;s career,” Pandor adds, stating that she will not be leaving SweepSouth permanently but will rather focus more on building a business centered around health, health technology and genetics.


“This is often the time when you&#8217;re having children or your children are old enough that you start thinking about the time that you spend with them. I think this notion of not needing to find the perfect balance, but being able to hold lots of spaces at the same time – that is really what being a power woman is about. It&#8217;s not about perfection. It&#8217;s about constantly trying.”

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OVER 30 UNDER 50: ‘Not About Perfection, But About Constantly Trying’-Dr Aisha Pandor

Women-founded companies in African health technology soared to new heights last year, raising $52 million in funding, 31% of the total investments compared to 2022’s 1.4%, which represents over 2,000% increase, as per Salient Advisory&#8217;s latest Market Intelligence report titled 2023 Roundup: Investments in African Healthtech.



The report establishes that it is an increase over the $2 million in funding that went to women-founded companies in 2022. Year-over-year, the number of deals that went to women-led companies in comparison were 26 deals in 2022 and 33 deals last year. Funding to mixed-gender founding teams increased from 10% in 2022 to 21% last year.



&#8220;The key driver in the overall increase was the fact that we saw large funding rounds for a number of women-founded companies, including Kasha’s $21 million round which is the largest by a woman-founded company in African healthtech,&#8221; Yomi Kazeem, Engagement Manager at Salient Advisory, shares with FORBES AFRICA.



&#8220;Alongside Kasha (Kenya), Dawi Clinics (Egypt), Maisha Meds (Kenya) and Chefaa (Egypt), collectively accounted for 75% of the total funding raised by women founders in 2023.&#8221;



He considers it great to see such large funding rounds for women, explaining that it aligns with his team&#8217;s advocacy to investors and donors for intentional approaches to providing funding to women founders with the aim of bridging long-running gender financing gaps.



For him, if the trend is sustained, the implication is that funding in African healthtech ecosystems will become more inclusive, with more &#8220;amazing&#8221; women-founded companies getting crucial early and late-stage funding to support their work. &#8220;It will also mean that these women founders will also be at the forefront of transforming health systems across the continent.&#8221;



The report also highlighted a nuanced perspective on funding dynamics within African healthtech receiving $167 million in equity, grant, and debt funding. While overall investments experienced a marginal 2% decline, the sector demonstrated resilience compared to the broader African tech ecosystem, which saw a substantial 39% drop in funding.



The African healthtech ecosystem’s number of deals rose by 17%, to a total of 145. However, the average ticket size for deals decreased by 15%, to $1.1 million, with 78% of innovators raising less than $1 million in individual deals. In total, 114 innovators received funding last year, with 23 of them receiving multiple investments.



Zillah Waminaje, Consultant at Salient Advisory, elucidating on the funding landscape, states to FORBES AFRICA, &#8220;The reality is that much of the funding deals for healthtech startups on the continent are grants, which typically have smaller ticket sizes. In 2023, 52% of all the deals we tracked were grants but this added up to just 7% of all funding, with an average ticket size of around $170,000.&#8221;



Waminaje further highlights the strategic significance of grants, emphasizing their role in validating business models and propelling growth trajectories for innovators.



&#8220;We expect to continue to see a large number of grant deals for healthtech companies, especially as grant-based programs like Investing in Innovation, which has an annual cohort size of 30 healthtech companies, deepens the important work they are doing across African healthtech ecosystems.&#8221;



The report unveiled a surge in funding activity, with a notable focus on online pharmacy solutions, primarily driven by Series B raises. Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt emerged as focal points for investments, while francophone Africa witnessed a modest uptick, propelled by notable deals in Côte d’Ivoire.



Equity investments dominated the funding landscape, comprising 91% of total investments, with only a single debt-based investment recorded. Pre-seed and seed-stage funding collectively amounted to $36.8 million across 50 deals, and $99m was invested at Series A or higher stages across seven deals.



Last year also witnessed a doubling of merger and acquisition activity compared to 2022, with the report highlighting a burgeoning investor appetite for African health tech as over $600 million was raised in new funds.

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Women-Led African Healthtech Firms Secure $52M In Funding, Marking Over 2,000% Increase

The 15th annual Realizing The Dream Legacy Banquet recognized three community members who embody the leadership style of Dr Martin Luther King Jr., including Nigeria’s Adebola Aderibigbe, an advocate for girl child rights.



At the 15th Realizing The Dream Legacy Banquet recently, Adebola Aderibigbe, a 20-year-old student from Nigeria, became the youngest and first African to be honored with the Horizon Award.



Aderibigbe was recognized alongside former Birmingham Mayor, Richard Arrington, Jr. and attorney and former United States (US) Senator, Doug Jones, who received the Mountaintop Award and the Call to Conscience Award, respectively.



The recognition, given annually and in line with Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles, celebrates individuals who champion social justice, peace and equality.



Hailing from Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state in Southwestern Nigeria, she embarked on her advocacy journey for the rights of the girl child at the age of 15, winning the International Day of the Girl Child Essay Contest organized by HACEY Health Initiative, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on improving the health and productivity of vulnerable and underserved populations in Africa, especially women and girls. Her winning essay, What Gender Equality Means To Me, marked the beginning of her journey, which led to an invitation to serve as a Girls Advisory Board member of the NGO where she has made both local and international appearances “educating people on why girls will always matter in the world today.”



When asked about the award, Aderibigbe shares her disbelief, telling FORBES AFRICA, “Honestly, it is still so hard to believe what happened the night of January 12th is real. Never in my life did I ever think I would someday be awarded something so prestigious. I feel honored to be recognized alongside notable dignitaries in the state.”



“Receiving this award reassures me of a statement I have always lived by – the ability to chase my dreams while changing the world around me. It has given me a greater sense of purpose knowing that there is still so much impact to be made regardless of where I find myself.”



Being a second-year student at Stillman College, Alabama in the US, Aderibigbe also manages The House Tuscaloosa, volunteering to promote literacy in The West End Community. Her commitment extends globally, having served as a panelist at the With And For Girls Awards in London in the UK, and featured on the podcast interview segment of I.G. Advisors, a UK-based organization focused on strategy consultancy and specializing in social and environmental change.



Aderibigbe also runs the initiative Girls Matter Too and contributes as a volunteer member of The Legend Lifeskills Foundation, an NGO set up with the aim of equipping young people, especially girls, with skills for success in life and career.

Adebola Aderibigbe; Photo courtesy University of Alabama

20-Year-Old African Fighting For The Rights Of the Girl Child On Prestigious Award And Chasing Dreams  

Following the COP28 United Nations Conference in Dubai in December, the race is on to find tech-centered solutions to assist in achieving global sustainability goals, say experts.



Each year, world leaders and governments meet to have a series of high-level conversations about how to manage the growing impact of climate change under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). Late last year, COP28, the name given to this gathering, took place in Dubai and, like previous years, the discussion was around figuring out innovative solutions to help tackle the effects of climate change and take stock of the progress that has been made so far.



“For a long time, people were unsure or maybe not aware of the devastating action of the climate issue we have now. COP each year reminds people that there is an issue and to really understand the actual impact of climate change and how it is affecting your lives now and COP centralizes a lot of this information and allows it to be further disseminated afterwards,” says Adiam Gafoo, founder and COO of Arts Help, a global non-profit that uses art as a vehicle for social change.



With over 21 million followers, Arts Help is one of the world’s largest digital art publishers. They utilize their social platforms to convey different messages about social change, like climate action under the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.


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<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="691" height="865" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61073" style="width:491px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied.jpg 691w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Adiam-Gafoo-COO-Arts-Help-image-supplied-240x300.jpg 240w" sizes="(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Adiam Gafoo COO Arts Help (image supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>


The next wave of climate action plans is due in 2025. Organizations like Arts Help consider themselves non-traditional climate activists who aim to create a means of understanding the jargon around this through all art forms.



“One of the missions of Arts Help is to establish a digital climate library with the United Nations, which they are building over a period of five to six years. The Web3 component of this is for me to basically find innovative ways of how Web3 can build the infrastructure that is going to support it in various ways,” says Del Titus Bawuah, Founder of Web3 Accra and board member of Arts Help.



“The current state of climate change action is at a critical juncture. It&#8217;s evident that more aggressive and collaborative efforts are needed globally. The focus should be on implementing actionable strategies that go beyond discussions and lead to tangible results. It&#8217;s imperative that we see a shift from pledges to action, with a stronger emphasis on accountability and measurable outcomes,” says Eche Emole, co-founder of Afropolitan, a movement towards creating a digital nation aimed at enabling all Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, to live abundant lives.



“We are dealing with just the basic understanding and many people simply don’t understand the gravity of climate change because they do not see it in their day-to-day lives. So, it is very easy to dismiss this as something that is somewhere else. I think just the basic lack of understanding is the biggest issue facing climate change, so they leave it up to the policy-makers and government because it is seen as their job,” says Gafoo.



Bawuah has a different take on the issue.



“There is a lot of bureaucracy in my opinion with climate change and there needs to be a startup approach to climate change where people have an environment where innovation is the driving force. There is too much red tape and there is also a situation where it is seen as a ‘buzz word’ as opposed to a real-life problem. So, each day, things are not moving quickly enough to get better,” he says.



“I think one of the main challenges is the gap between commitment and implementation. Many nations and organizations pledge to reduce emissions, but actual progress is often slow. Another challenge is the equitable distribution of resources and technology, especially in developing countries that are most affected by climate change. Additionally, there&#8217;s a need for more public awareness and education to drive collective action at all levels,” says Emole.



These reasons have led many to look at innovative solutions like blockchain, for example. Its use is seen by many as revolutionary in tech and has been largely lauded as a tool to bring about change in archaic financial and supply chain management systems. The main proponent of blockchain that makes it unique is its decentralized record of transactions.



“How we approach the future in terms of digital infrastructure is key. In this case you think of the COP approach of understanding that climate change policies can no longer be held in physical documentation, especially if you are promoting things that are positive for the environment. It will be unwise not to consider technology when you are building the new infrastructure,” says Bawuah.



“Also, when you think of this kind of initiative through the lens of Web3, it is highly efficient to have things on blockchain because it is more transparent and it also holds leaders accountable. More importantly, it allows us to consolidate data about the environment in a much more efficient way than has ever been done before.”



So how can blockchain help combat climate change?



“Blockchain can play a pivotal role in combating climate change by enhancing transparency and traceability in carbon emissions tracking. It can facilitate the creation of a more reliable and efficient carbon credit market, ensuring that emission reductions are accurately recorded and traded. Blockchain&#8217;s decentralized nature also allows for more democratic and inclusive participation in climate action initiatives,” says Emole.



“Blockchain is the kind of infrastructure that can consolidate information transparently and distribute it efficiently. I think some institutions have made good strides but how do you access the data? How is data shared between one another and is that transparent? I think that blockchain as an infrastructure, supporting the data and the way we form [an] agreement between one another, is going to be central to changing the future in how we tackle climate change. Digital infrastructure is the way forward and that is going to reduce most carbon emissions,” says Bawuah.



There is still a long way to go in the fight against climate change and while blockchain has potential, it&#8217;s not without challenges. The energy consumption of certain blockchain networks is a concern.



“However, these challenges can be managed by adopting more energy-efficient consensus mechanisms like Proof-of-stake. Additionally, integrating blockchain with renewable energy sources can further reduce the carbon footprint associated with its operations,” says Emole.

The pollution hand and effective management with netzero symbols – renewable energy, reduced CO2 emissions, green production, and waste recycling in business, net zero carbon.

‘Need A Startup Approach’: Views From West Africa On Using The Blockchain And Even Digital Art To Combat Climate Change

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50 OVER 50: EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA 2024

Addressing sexual exploitation and abuse in the digital ecosystem.



The hype around the development of the metaverse, an immersive digital space that will take real-world experiences online and blur the line between physical and virtual, is palpable. Accounting organization KPMG predicts that by 2030, we might be spending more time in the metaverse than in the real world. In a survey conducted by Pew Research and Elon University in North Carolina, more than half of the technology experts responded that by 2040, they expect the metaverse to be a fully-immersive, well-functioning aspect of daily life for half a billion people (or more) around the world. 



But for many, the excitement around the world’s digital future is something that should be approached with caution. Women, in particular, have been known to experience gender-based violence in the form of online harassment. One study from the Economist Intelligence Unit uncovered that 85% of women have experienced or witnessed online violence, with 38% of women reporting personal experiences with online violence and 65% reporting knowing of other women who were targeted online.



If women are already su-fering a disproportionate amount of abuse online, will they be safe in the metaverse?



In 2022, the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) was formed by two international gender equality and advocacy organizations, Equality Now and Women Leading in AI. For over 30 years, Equality Now has been campaigning for legal and systematic change to address violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world but what they soon came to realize is that the sexual exploitation and abuse they were working against stopping in the physical space could be manifested online.



“People are using the internet to replicate and amplify the same sort of violence; [what] we’re seeing in the physical space is being played out in the digital space. It’s growing at an alarming rate just because of the nature of the internet,” says Tsitsi Matekaire, Equality Now’s Global Lead of End Sexual Exploitation.



Born in Zimbabwe, Matekaire has worked with women’s rights organizations throughout Africa, providing legal aid services to women affected by domestic violence.



“Looking at the legal frameworks, we didn’t realize that if we focus our research so narrowly on sexual exploitation and abuse, we sort of miss the bigger picture because this is happening in the digital ecosystem.” Working with a network of women in technology, AUDRi is calling for an international standard that will address women and girl’s rights in the digital space grounded in international human rights law.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-a-game">More than a game</h2>



The studies around avatar gender-swapping in the online gaming space are eye-opening. To avoid toxic sexual behavior, female players choose a male avatar to avoid being harassed.



Wai Yen Tang, a researcher from the University of Amsterdam, found that in gaming culture, women are often harassed because they are perceived as an outside and intrusive minority.



“Women don’t participate to the extent that they should because they have serious concerns around safety. The result is self-censorship, where you don’t want to bring out your true identity,” says Maitekaire. “We are a diverse community but as a woman, you’re operating as a white male because that attracts less harassment. There are black women, cisgender women, trans women… all of that can get lost if people have that fear.” In addition, it’s all too easy for the abuse can easily jump from digital to physical – in April 2023, a man in California was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year old girl he met playing a popular kids gaming app – which is exactly why organizations like AUDRi are so needed.



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“WE ARE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY BUT AS A WOMAN, YOU’RE OPERATING AS A WHITE MALE BECAUSE THAT ATTRACTS LESS HARASSMENT.”
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“We really wanted to look at that digital dimension and assess the impact it would have on human rights and human vulnerability so we are advocating for policies at a global level,” says Matekaire. “Even on a national level, we have to show governments what they need to be thinking about to ensure rights are protected within that space.” 



For Matekaire, the urgency is now because as the technology is being developed, policy frameworks need to be created to keep up. “There’s a dilemma because things are moving quickly and policies can also be future-proofed to anticipate the risks,” she adds. “We need to ensure that in the design stage we are building in those principles of equality, of safety, of human rights, for people with disabilities and those in the LGBTQ community. We have to anticipate these different aspects before or as the technology is designed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">An economic opportunity</h2>



Be it education or healthcare, throughout the continent, there has been interest on a governmental level in how the metaverse can be best utilized. Egypt, for example, launched MetaTut at the end of 2022.



MetaTut is a virtual city created to celebrate Egyptian culture and take the country’s heritage into the digital age. It’s not only a virtual tourist destination but a place where people can meet others and even conduct business.



“African governments are looking at the metaverse as an opportunity to advance their economies but have they anticipated the risks?” asks Matekaire.



Considering the potential impact of the metaverse, AUDRi is urging governments, regulators and big tech companies to consider the rights of those who remain marginalized online. They’re calling for guidelines to be established that measure the impact on the human rights of vulnerable groups as well as best practices when it comes to design. 



“And we need governments involved because ultimately governments are the ones that are responsible for people’s rights,” she adds. “As AUDRi, what we’re really talking about is a global approach – global policies and laws that countries can derive their national laws and policies from.

Avatars

Will Women Be Safe In The Metaverse?

Nobuhle Ndlovu is among the few to break the glass ceiling in the male-dominated world of private equity.



An investment banker-turned-vice president at a private equity firm in South Africa, Nobuhle Ndlovu realized early on that her calling was to help humanity.



Awarded a full scholarship to Canada, she majored in Economics and International Politics, is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford. She has lived and worked in seven countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.



It was after a stint at Standard Chartered that Ndlovu realized her true goal. “My internship taught me that banking is the easier route to track money and hold people accountable. The NGO space has a lot of wastage; I liked the concept of making a difference but being able to quantify it.”



Ndlovu started her career with the mindset that she didn’t need to prove herself.



“I had been schooled overseas by my own right through scholarships, and worked hard to get to where I am, but coming back to a South African setting, it all goes out of the window,” says Ndlovu, who started from scratch when she moved back to South Africa.



Ndlovu recalls her earliest job in corporate finance in South Africa as one of only two women in a team of around 50. “I recall thinking, ‘wow, in South Africa, this is still a thing’; I get it in New York, but South Africa?



“But I quickly learned that if you stay humble, put your head down and work, you’ll get the props – if props are necessary,” she says.



“For me, it was about ‘how do I get to the next thing’. There’s not a lot of faces that look like me so it was trying to balance that and doing my best to include others to pay it forward,” she says.



Ndlovu didn’t know she wanted to get into private equity but as she got older, she thought about creating businesses and sustainable ecosystems.



“Even before I went into mergers and acquisitions advisory, I knew I wanted to gain the necessary hard skills to be able to go into private equity,” she says



Today, Ndlovu is a vice president at Kasada Capital Management, an independent real estate private equity platform that focuses on the hospitality sector in sub-Saharan Africa. She also made it to the Mail &amp; Guardian 200 Young South Africans cohort in 2021.



“I get to travel for work and spend a lot of time in East Africa. Hospitality is such an interesting space but it’s also about creating spaces that people want to spend their time and money in.”



You could look at it as real estate or FMCG because you’re catering to a fast-moving good, she says.



“My current fund is across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and it’s so fulfilling seeing how much you’re supporting the region.”



Some of the biggest lessons Ndlovu has learned over the years is that no market is the same.



“It’s about how you balance risk and return all the time and having the right people in place to buy and manage assets.



“We’re SSA-focused; we’re constantly trying to work out what market in SSA makes sense when, and where each asset gets anchored.”

Nobuhle Ndlovu; image supplied (1)

South African In Private Equity: ‘Put Your Head Down And Work’

Wandia Gichuru cannot wait for the day that AfCFTA becomes a reality, especially in the textiles and fashion space.



Most people start young. But while in her 40s, Wandia Gichuru’s journey into entrepreneurship was serendipitous and unexpected. Creating a truly Kenyan fashion brand, she now epitomizes a new generation of fearless entrepreneurs in the East African nation.



Before venturing into the fashion world, Gichuru spent over 15 years as an international development advisor, working for the government of the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the World Bank. But she always knew that she wanted to make a difference back home.



Into fitness in a big way and also a salsa dancer, she set up Vivo Activewear with a friend, Anne-Marie Burugu, in Nairobi in 2011, with a vision to create a Made in Kenya brand catering to women embracing wellness as a lifestyle. She went on to also set up an e-commerce platform onboarding Made in Kenya beauty and fashion brands.



From a single store in Nairobi, Vivo Activewear grew to include Vivo Woman, Safari and Zoya, curated to resonate with the contemporary African renowned for fusing style, comfort, functionality, and affordability.



“Our vision at Vivo Fashion Group is to see Africa dress herself, as well as Africa dress the world. We believe that in addition to being great producers and ardent consumers of fashion, the time has come that we are also creators of strong African fashion brands,” says Gichuru.



The fashion label recently joined the&nbsp;Nairobi Securities&nbsp;Exchange’s Ibuka incubation and acceleration program.



“We want as many people as possible to join us on this journey. So, listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange would be one way to do this, by allowing anyone who wishes to become a shareholder of the group.”



Expanding its footprint across East Africa and beyond is a pivotal component of Vivo&#8217;s strategy. Unlike merely exporting Kenyan styles, the approach involves tailoring offerings to suit each unique market it enters.



Gichuru emphasizes the importance of establishing partnerships with creators, designers, suppliers, and manufacturers in these regions, thus nurturing the industry ecosystem.



“Over 200 million East Africans get up and get dressed every day. It is hard to get accurate data, but in our estimation, less than 5% of East Africans wear any clothes that were produced in East Africa. So, the opportunities in the fashion sector are huge, and we are only scratching the surface,” says Gichuru.



As Africa prepares for a single trading bloc under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Gichuru says this presents an exciting opportunity, especially in the textiles and fashion sector. She envisions the removal of barriers that currently impede sourcing and distribution across African countries, potentially opening doors to new African brands entering the Kenyan market.



“We cannot wait for the day that AfCFTA becomes a reality, especially in the textiles and fashion space. This will open doors for everyone in the sector in such powerful ways. We are desperate, for example, to make clothing using Kitenge fabric from Ghana. However, under the current tax environment, we would have to pay 50% duty on Ghanaian fabric, which makes it impossible to create a competitively priced product from it.”



For entrepreneurs like Gichuru, this impending reality holds the promise of uncharted growth. However, alongside this anticipation come the pressing concerns regarding the key challenges that must be addressed to facilitate the scaling of businesses like hers on the African stage.



“Hopefully, AfCFTA will address these kinds of challenges and we will be able to start sourcing from and distributing to countries across Africa. And vice versa, we will see all kinds of African brands enter the Kenyan market,” she says.



Gichuru’s venture, Shop Zetu, is also making strides in Kenya’s fast-growing e-commerce space. The platform is a one-stop shop for all things fashion, beauty, and accessories.



Her current focus is the East African and COMESA markets, where products can be more efficiently moved to and from Kenya.



The Vivo Fashion Group also places strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Over 70% of its 450 employees are women. Gichuru is also keen on promoting female entrepreneurs.



“Women in particular are sometimes afraid to come across as too ambitious or too confident. Which can work against us, especially when trying to raise capital. We must be clear about our goals and learn how to articulate them in a way that convinces people that we know where we are going, we know how to get there, and that they should join us on the journey.”



She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be true to themselves and not let perfectionism or fear hinder their ambitions. She also emphasizes the importance of action.



“I have an incredibly strong bias for action. The advice I mostly give to younger entrepreneurs is to just get started! Don’t let ideas just sit in your head. Start! Execute! Put something in front of potential customers and get a reaction. You’ll either make a sale or you’ll get some feedback – or hopefully both. But it will get you one step further on your way to building a real business”.



As Kenya celebrates 60 years of independence, Gichuru believes that determination and resilience are central to keeping the country’s entrepreneurial spirit alive.



“We have a way of picking ourselves up and keeping ourselves going. And we are also lucky that we live in such a beautiful country, and have a great sense of humor – so no matter how difficult things are, the sun will still be bright and shining, and someone next to you is going to crack a joke and make you laugh!

Wandia Gichuru; image supplied

‘To See Africa Dress The World’: A Kenyan Fashion Entrepreneur On The Industry’s Promising Future  

Zuri obtains fabrics and designs from Kenya and other African countries, creating jobs.



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African style is making its way to New York City. In June this year, the Brooklyn Museum hosted Africa Fashion, one of North America’s largest exhibits celebrating African clothing and craftsmanship. From being highlighted on fashion runways to new stores popping up around the city, fashion from the continent is creeping into the wardrobes of many New Yorkers.



One fast-growing store is Zuri, which opened a few years ago in downtown Manhattan. The brand prides itself on obtaining fabrics and designs from Kenya and other African countries.



“We are hiring different artists from there, who then produce the pieces,” Tiffany Collins, an employee at Zuri, tells FORBES AFRICA. “Then it’s shipped. So you kind of create this ecosystem that continuously flows. You’re creating jobs, and you’re paying people fair, livable wages.”



Workers at Zuri hope their efforts will make African clothes a staple in wardrobes.



“More celebration and understanding of the textile and the process and what really goes into producing those beautiful pieces,” is what Collins wishes for. “So many hands have touched them prior to them even getting here.”

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Rocking African Style In Manhattan

Susan Tusabe’s NGO in Uganda has grown to include over 600 children and 90 mothers, with activities expanding from static book clubs to a mobile library, menstrual and mental health education, leadership workshops, agricultural instruction, digital competency, and support for a boys’ football academy.



A proverb in Luganda, one of Uganda’s luxuriant abundance of languages, enjoins: okutambula kulaba, okudda kunyumya. Experience life, and return to tell your story.



The liberating power of storytelling is the beating heart of Kampala’s arts education and literacy NGO Art of a Child. Its Founding Director, Susan Tusabe, started the organization in 2016, after recognizing an appetite for reading in the children she met on her daily walk to work.



“I used to take a path through a slum area in a suburb called Kabalagala,” she says. “The children I met showed a hunger for information. If I took books for them, they would show more interest; if I didn&#8217;t show up, they would look for me. At some point, I was told that kids in the slums were not interested in reading; that I should look for another thing to do for them, like providing food. But I realized children are not really interested in other handouts; they&#8217;re actually looking for information.”



Ad hoc visits and book distributions matured into a Book Club, where stories were read aloud to include children whose literacy levels were still low. “They needed guidance on how to read books,” Tusabe says. “They had never experienced hearing a story like Jack and the Beanstalk. So they were very excited.”



Those nascent meetings attracted around 30 children; the NGO’s portfolio of programs has now grown to include over 600 children and 90 mothers, with activities expanding from static book clubs to a mobile library, menstrual and mental health education, leadership workshops, agricultural instruction, digital competency, and support for a boys’ football academy.



Tusabe says this diversification has allowed Art of a Child to meet the changing needs of the different communities it serves.



“Literacy has evolved; it&#8217;s really no longer about just reading or writing,” she says. “Literate individuals should be able to use knowledge to develop their communities. We want young people to be able to make a positive change.”



The program’s alumni have gone on to innovate solutions to problems experienced in their own childhoods. “Some girls have started up a project called School Pads, addressing period poverty,” says Tusabe. “They believe the project will reduce the number of school dropouts. Some are focusing on the environment, planting trees in their communities. And we talk to them about being able to equip themselves economically; a few have started shoemaking, another is making beauty products. So it&#8217;s a mixture of leaders.”



The success of these programs has offset the challenges an NGO of this kind often faces in both urban and rural settings: an initial resistance to outreach which doesn’t always provide an immediate tangible benefit. “Maybe because of what they have seen, or whichever organizations they have dealt with, they expect a scholarship or allowances, a reward for being there. But the ones who stay actually gain more. For example, those who are growing mushrooms have made a lot of money, to the extent that they have created savings, and are able to buy equipment.”



A further beneficiary of the NGO’s diversified offering is the Wolfgang Football Academy in the rural district of Masaka, about 80 miles southwest of Kampala. Its founder, qualified coach Rodin Joseph Bugembe, says that 30 boys now live onsite, with a further 20 traveling from other communities to take part in daily training. The academy has integrated Art of a Child’s literacy and leadership programs to build an environment which nurtures every aspect of the children’s development.



“We try to create three pillars: education, character, and football,” he says, as a thrilling, full-blooded tournament throttles past him on a dusty pitch; one boy hits a volley so fearsome it knocks the entire goal frame off its moorings (Bugembe says the academy is always in need of new footballs, more coaches to accelerate the boys’ training, and robust and reliable healthcare provision).



“Character means what you are, and what you do,” he says. “So here, these boys gain confidence and self-esteem, and are able to express themselves in public. We need everyone to work together with us, and Art of a Child, to find for the boys a good life.”

Susan Tusabe; image supplied

How This Ugandan Social Entrepreneur Is Liberating Communities With Literacy

One of South Africa’s most recognized voices with over 12 years in the music industry, 35-year-old multi-award winning singer and songwriter, Bulelwa Mkutukana, also known as Zahara, passed away on Monday.



Zizi Kodwa, the country’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, confirmed the heartbreaking news about Mkutukana on X (formerly Twitter) following multiple reports of her passing.



“My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry,” Kodwa said. “The government has been with the family for some time now. Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music.”



Mkutukana’s family released a statement saying that she was a beacon of hope, a gift, and a blessing to them and countless people around the world.&nbsp;



“She was a pure light, and an even purer heart,” the statement read. “A legendary figure in the world of music, Zahara remarkably touched millions of people&#8217;s lives with her extraordinary gift and passion for music. She leaves behind an indelible mark on the music industry and a legacy that will forever resonate in our hearts and souls.”



At the end of November, her family released a statement that Mkutukana had been admitted into hospital following complaints about “physical pains”.&nbsp;



Just days ago, political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Member of Parliament, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi wrote on X: “South Africa, Africa let&#8217;s pray for Zahara. My sister Zahara, our prayers are with you. Please fight sisi… fight, fight and fight hard. We are all with you.”



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My sister Zahara, our prayers are with you 😔🙏🏾🙏🏾😔❤️❤️🖤🖤 <a href="https://t.co/nXRnsbCr5X">pic.twitter.com/nXRnsbCr5X</a>&mdash; Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MbuyiseniNdlozi/status/1732164988448494068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Born in Phumlani, an informal settlement in East London in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, Mkutukana rose to fame after her debut album Loliwe went double platinum and saw her win multiple South African Music Awards (SAMAs) such as Best Newcomer of the Year, Best Smooth Urban Music Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Best Selling Album of the Year and Album of The Year, all in 2012.



Some in the industry remember her fondly not only for her talent but also for the person she was.



“I’ve known Zahara since 2011,” Jennifer Su, TV host and entertainment reporter, tells FORBES AFRICA. “We met at the South African Music Awards — that year, I was one of the presenters at the SAMAs, and had the opportunity to chat with Zahara on our SAMAs red carpet special on 5FM, when I used to work with Gareth Cliff on The Hollywood Report. Zahara wore the most exquisite red lace long evening dress, and she was feeling a bit shy about having her hair and makeup done, with lashes. She quickly got over her shyness, and poured her heart out on stage. The audience was dead silent listening intently as Zahara sang Loliwe, and then erupted into huge applause.”



“My fondest memory of Zahara was when I was younger,” says South African singer and songwriter Yamikani Janet Banda, professionally known as Lady Zamar. “I heard Loliwe for the first time with my friends. We’d sing her songs and sometimes for fun change the lyrics but we loved it… I found out later that year that she had released an album full of great African pop hits. I think I abused the whole project and knew almost all her songs by heart. After Brenda Fassie, there hadn’t been a voice quite as moving and quite as powerful as hers.”



In a statement, Warner Music Africa said Mkutukana “leaves a lasting legacy marked by the hauntingly soulful and profoundly emotive tones of her voice”.



“Zahara was a true music icon, a force whose soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics resonated deeply with fans across South Africa and beyond,” said Temi Adeniji, Managing Director at Warner Music Africa. “Her impact on the music industry is immeasurable, and her legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of those who found solace and joy in her music. As we mourn the loss of this extraordinary talent, let us remember Zahara for the indelible mark she left on the world through her artistry and the enduring beauty of her music.”



Both Banda and Su concur that Mkutukana was a star, a monumental figure in the music industry who captivated everyone with her “raw, intense emotion and those deep, resonant vocals”.



“Hearing about her struggles has been hard for most artists,” Banda adds. “A lot of us looked up to her, especially as women, at least I did. Her success was so inspiring. We admired her talent and grace in the face of so many challenges. It was sad, shattering to hear last night that she had passed on. So young and full of fire, so vibrant as an entertainer&#8230; She will always be iconic and she will always be a light that shone bright enough to guide many artists into music.”

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‘She Poured Her Heart Out On Stage’: South Africa’s Entertainment Industry Reflects On Singer-Songwriter Zahara’s Passing And Lasting Legacy

When Kate Kallot turned on her microphone and boldly asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) for climate action should not be confined to the Global North, the room began to shift. Hers was a demonstration of a new form of activism and actionism deeply rooted in the ownership of homegrown solutions, as exemplified by her organization, Amini Corp. With a description of Amini’s mandate to fill data gaps in Africa and incorporate indigenous practices into that data — projecting to enhance cocoa sustainability in Ghana and crop yields in South Africa — Kallot’s speech received a standing ovation. An unapologetic advocate for the emergence of Africa’s women and youth, I chose to interpret this roar of applause as a signal of the broader acceptance that indeed Africa&#8217;s time has come to adjust its seating position from the back of the room to the center of the global decision-making table. Kallot, an exemplar of Africa leveraging innovation to take ownership of its challenges, represented the constituency of African women and youth whose mission to redefine the continent’s narrative on self-help, self-empowerment, and self-elevation was both seen and felt at the COP28 conference in Dubai.



To establish why it was crucial to see and hear Africa&#8217;s women and youth in action at COP28, it’s imperative to establish the stark reality driving their presence. Africa grapples with a perilous triple threat: the relentless impact of climate change, heightened vulnerability, and a distressing lack of preparedness — an uncomfortable truth we must confront. In 2023 alone, devastating floods wreaked havoc in the Libyan port city of Derna, an earthquake struck Morocco, wildfires swept across Algeria, and Cyclone Freddy triggered landslides in Malawi – the epicenter of the disaster – killing thousands. Simultaneously, severe floods caused chaos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.



The escalating drought conditions in the Horn of Africa pushed parts of Somalia to the brink of famine, leaving more than 23 million people across the region facing severe hunger, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. As if that wasn&#8217;t devastating enough, when the long-awaited rains arrived in Somalia, they were so intense that livestock, homes, and farmlands were washed away, while schools and health facilities were forced to close their doors. Why is this so distressing? Because countries like Somalia, contributing only 0.03% of total global emissions, are disproportionately affected by climate change. The most vulnerable, especially women and children, bear the brunt of these disasters.



While moderating the High-Level Event on Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action, hosted by the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism in collaboration with the COP28 UAE Presidency, I observed Africa&#8217;s proactive efforts in developing customized approaches to climate action. Instances such as Senegal&#8217;s 2020-2025 strategy, which strives for &#8220;digital for all&#8221; to bridge digital divides, especially for populations most vulnerable to climate change, and GIZ&#8217;s project in Kenya using AI for forest protection and crop yield predictions, showcased the continent&#8217;s commitment to innovation.



As these advancements unfolded on one side of the expansive COP28 landscape, other Africa-focused initiatives, including the African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP) initiated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Kenya&#8217;s African Women Studies Centre (AWSC) dedicated to integrating women into climate action as part of Kenya&#8217;s journey to Gender-responsive climate justice, highlighted the importance of women leading interventions that directly impact their livelihoods.



Perhaps even more exciting was the presence of youth leaders like Ugandan climate change advocate, Vanessa Nakate and Ghanaian Climate Reality Leader, Maxwell Beganim, whose audacious emphasis on the urgent need for sustainable action and their impassioned calls for climate justice reverberated throughout COP28, ensuring that the voices of Africa&#8217;s youth were not only heard but profoundly felt in shaping the collective discourse on climate change and its impact on the continent&#8217;s future.



My celebration of Africa’s women and youth at COP28 does not exist in isolation. It represents the growing hope for an intersectionality between Africa&#8217;s stark reality on climate change, the continent&#8217;s burgeoning surge of solution-providing innovations for climate action, and the collective efforts aimed at addressing and mitigating the profound challenges that the continent faces.

COP28 UNFCCC Climate Conference: Day Eleven

Africa-Focused Initiatives At COP28 Amplifying The Voices Of Women And Youth

Former legal professional Kemi Lewis stepped into the unknown with a belief in herself and her vision. She tells FORBES AFRICA about her journey to becoming a beauty entrepreneur.



It’s been around a decade since Kemi Lewis traded a thriving career in law to live out her childhood dream of making natural hair a norm for Lagosians, and she has never looked back. The success of her business, and the strength of her determination, has seen her go from two members of staff to 30 in three locations.



As she speaks from her first location in Dolphin Estate in the wealthy suburb of Ikoyi in Lagos, Lewis is still amazed at how far her dream has come. Growing up as the first and only girl out of four children, Lewis felt she had a responsibility to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, who was a judge at the time.



“Law was intense in terms of the sheer amount of stuff you needed to learn to understand the cases. I did not absolutely love all aspects of the law but being the first-born child and a girl, you just get on with it and I thought I was going to give it my best. So, I studied it at the University of Lagos and went to law school in Abuja, and then got a Masters in International Business at the University of Dundee (in the United Kingdom),” says Lewis.



She was determined to take her legal career as far as she could but after securing a role with a public-private partnership company in Lagos as a legal advisor, she began to have second thoughts about her future.



“Back in 2013, I had a glowing feeling in my heart and I knew that I wanted to do something for myself. My heart kept saying something in the beauty and health sector but I was not sure what I wanted to do. A good friend of mine had opened a salon so I asked her for advice.”



“We had gone to college together so I’ve known her since I was 10 years old and she said to me, ‘you have always known how to do hair and right now, I’ve opened a salon and a lot of girls want to go with their natural hair’, so she said if you open a salon specializing in natural hair, it will do well. And it ignited something in me and the feeling in me was this is it, this is what I want to do,” says Lewis.



Her initial vision was to create a safe space where people who had natural hair would come and take care of their tresses. And this is how KLS Natural Beauty Bar was born.



“I wanted to create a space where when you come with your natural hair, you would be welcomed and your hair would be treated with the necessary care and respect, and you won’t be told to go and relax your hair. You would have the right products for your hair and, most importantly, you will have your hair styled according to your specific needs,” she says.



Until her eureka moment, natural hair in Nigeria was a hugely underserved demographic in the beauty industry which meant that Lewis had to overcome several obstacles to ensure her success.



“The initial reaction when I told immediate family was shock, horror and dismay. The question was, ‘what are you going to do with your law degree?’ Hair dressing was seen as a derogatory profession and for people who did not go to school. So, it did not have the prestige that my legal degree had and a lot of people thought I was making the wrong decision.”



The next challenge was getting the right space and, most importantly, convincing her stylists about her vision of working with natural hair. This is also why education and training is a big focus for her.



Lewis believed so much in her vision that she liquidated her life insurance policy and scraped together enough money to make her dream the success it is today. Ten years on and her lesson for entrepreneurs is rooted in what she learned in the early days of her business.



“Even if there are no laid-down steps to follow, if you want to do something, you just need to create your own steps and create your own market. Secondly, not everybody will believe in you and even if they don’t, as long as you have conviction in what you want to do and you believe in yourself, just give it 150%,” says Lewis.

Kemi Lewis image supplied

The Tress Test: How This Nigerian Entrepreneur Went From Law To Labor Of Love

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The World’s Most Powerful Women

This New York City store has been preserving traditional Moroccan handicrafts for nearly 25 years. After the recent devastating earthquake in Morocco, they hope to do everything possible to bring the country back on its feet.



It’s not every day that Moroccans see a devastating earthquake crush their homes into rubble and leave them searching for missing family members. The earthquake in September was the strongest in more than a century, severely damaging towns and villages near the base of the Atlas mountains and ripping through the suburbs of Marrakesh.


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One community severely affected was women weavers. Known for its decorative rugs and handmade artifacts, Morocco’s weaving tradition dates back hundreds of years. The craft is passed down from generation to generation, and every rug has a unique story behind it: each rug symbolizes the weaver’s family. But the earthquake has made the future of this dying practice even more uncertain.



Communities from all across the globe came forward to help Morocco get back on its feet. One such group was the workers at ‘Imports from Marrakesh’, a store specializing in handcrafted Moroccan tiles, carpets, lighting and accessories in Manhattan, New York City.



“These weavers lost everything,” Stephanie Rudloe, a stylist and decorator, who oversees merchandising at the store, tells FORBES AFRICA. “It will take time for aid to reach them, and we need to do all we can to help them. We’re doing a fundraiser in the coming months with the rugs we previously bought from them.”



Working with the founder, Mohamed Elmaarouf, Rudloe opened the store nearly 25 years ago. Sharing their combined interest in Moroccan handicrafts, the duo made the store a pioneer in Chelsea Market when it first opened, and it continues to welcome new and old customers.



“We want people to have a special in-store experience,” Rudloe says. “It should feel like they’re in Morocco. The store is more like a museum designed as a shop. We want to support the work of local Moroccan artisans and have their pieces displayed with pride.”



‘Imports from Marrakesh’ keeps a selection of handicrafts anywhere between $20 and $5,000. Rudloe believes that the wide range makes the store accessible to everyone.



“Even if people don’t buy anything, we want to give them a cultural experience,” Rudloe says. “We have Moroccan music playing in the store, which adds to the atmosphere. Customers can feel like they’re in Morocco without having to travel.”



Rudloe feels that Moroccan rugs and furniture are special as they fit well with different kinds of interiors from all across the globe. People can be their own decorators and also have a collection of handmade things that have a spirit and character attached to them.



In the wake of the earthquake, Rudloe wishes that when people visit the store, they see the beauty of Morocco for themselves and are encouraged to provide aid to the country.



“I really hope that the store will make people go to Morocco, too,” Rudloe says. “The people there need our help right now. I hope our fundraisers will help them during this time and preserve a traditional culture that’s quickly becoming a dying art.”

Stephanie Rudloe, co-founder of Imports from Marrakesh; image supplied

How A Moroccan Store In New York Is Helping Weavers Back Home

Lawyer and Founder of Law City, Dorothy Adu-Mfum tells FORBES AFRICA about what it means to her to be able to help others gain access into what is widely seen as an incredibly exclusive industry. 



There’s an informal but rather well-known term given to the top five prestigious law firms in the United Kingdom (UK). It’s called the Magic Circle. These firms, which all specialize in corporate law, are seen as exemplary, based on their outstanding and distinguished results. Securing a seat at the table with the best of the best would certainly be a tall order. However, Ghanaian-born Dorothy Adu-Mfum has done just that.



She is one of a few black women, bucking a trend in the UK of a white and male-dominated legal sector. As a training solicitor with one of the Magic Circle firms – namely Allen &amp; Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter and May – Adu-Mfum has managed to carve out a niche that many from her background have found impossible to achieve.



The services provided by these legal firms at the highest levels have created a social divide between those privileged enough to attend the best universities and those from low-income backgrounds. This makes the journey towards becoming a lawyer for black Britons extremely difficult.



Not only do you need to get the right A-levels, attend the right universities – which the top law firms recruit from – and secure a first-class degree, you also need to have vacation schemes and internships in order to achieve a training contract with a firm, before finally qualifying as a lawyer. A seemingly arduous task for anybody from a disadvantaged economic background to achieve, this is what led Adu-Mfum to create Law City.



“In Ghana, I came from a middle-class background so everything was provided for me and I had all the opportunities. Then I came to London and realized that I was from a working-class background. I had to work from the age of 16 which meant I couldn’t go for various internships or vacation schemes or insight days. Although I graduated with a first class, I found it difficult to transfer the theory aspect into the practicality needed for applying to law firms,” says Adu-Mfum.



Despite the fact that she got the first-class degree, Adu-Mfum faced all the disadvantages her socio-economic background presented her. She did not attend the prestigious universities that law firms recruited from and her need to work two jobs to make ends meet meant that she did not have the practical experience that law firms were looking for.



“I decided to no longer focus on law and went into banking for about three years, and I got promoted to the lending services department. So, what I was doing was reviewing mortgage documents and business loans and I found out that I was still interested in law because I spent more time reviewing the legal elements instead of the financial elements,” says Adu-Mfum.



In order to qualify to receive a training contract, one has to first complete a Legal Practice Course (LPC). An LPC is a postgraduate course and the final educational stage for becoming a solicitor. You can only get it in one of two ways – either a law firm recruits you and pays for the program, or you self-fund it.



Adu-Mfum decided to do the latter after a discussion with her father who advocated that she return to her first love, which was law.



“While I was doing my LPC, I was also volunteering in the community. I had a lot of young people coming to me saying I am interested in law and I don’t know how to gain access or I have never been to a law firm before. So, I thought I should build a community of people who also want to gain access and together, we try and gain access.”



“My reason for that was I didn’t really want to go to an event by myself but if I had a group of people who wanted to gain access and were uninformed, and from similar backgrounds, it would be easier for us to achieve what we wanted to achieve together. That is where Law City came from,” recalls Adu-Mfum.



Law City aims to connect aspiring lawyers from low-income socio-economic backgrounds to the legal sector in London. Currently, the platform has over 3,000 aspiring lawyers and legal professionals with over 80% of its network from the aforementioned backgrounds.



Adu-Mfum’s first event was created at a law firm in London and was a resounding success. Two of the attendants secured an internship with a law firm and Adu-Mfum, through that experience, began to bolster her CV. Very soon, with the help of a legal mentor, she managed to improve her application and secure a training contract with a Magic Circle firm.



“I had a black boy who came to me and said, ‘I didn’t think this type of community existed and I didn’t think a legal career was possible for me until today’. We had people who were saying this is the first time they had been to a law firm. Our head of events has secured a training contract with a law firm. Before I started, I wasn’t a lawyer, I was an aspiring lawyer and I am now about to qualify as a lawyer with a Magic Circle firm,” says Adu-Mfum, regarding the milestones of herself and her online legal community.



Through Law City, Adu-Mfum is hoping to continue to create advantages for people from low-income backgrounds, which will hopefully reduce the barriers to entry in the legal profession in the UK.



The platform has expanded globally, due to the pandemic and the increase of virtual events, to include South Africa and Dubai.



Despite breaking numerous glass ceilings and paving the way for others, Adu-Mfum remains resolute in her quest to make it to the top of her profession, and to inspire the Law City community in spite of the insurmountable odds they may face.

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Access Granted: The Legal Professional Cementing Her Place In London

Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of South Africa&#8217;s first democratically-elected President Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie Mandela, passed away on Monday evening after a long battle with cancer.



The family released a statement saying she was surrounded by friends and family and that “recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs as well as several emboli”.



The author and global activist had always been open about her illness and treatment on social media (specifically on Instagram).



In a feature for FORBES WOMAN AFRICA in 2014, Mandela spoke about her string of personal tragedies and her thoughts when she received news of her diagnosis: “My father’s older sister had died from breast cancer. So I thought I was going to die.” Undergoing reconstructive surgery, she said she considered her scars “battle wounds”.



On September 5 this year, she celebrated her “last day of chemo” in an Instagram post. “[I am] finally back home…” she said.



The Nelson Mandela Foundation also released a statement mourning the loss of a “beloved grandchild of Mum Winnie and Madiba”.



“When her inspiring memoir When Hope Whispers was published, she graciously signed copies for all our staff and ran a leadership session for the staff around the book,” the foundation said on Tuesday.



“Zoleka was a tireless activist for healthcare and justice. Her work in raising awareness about cancer prevention and her unwavering commitment to breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease will continue to inspire us all.”



The feature in the October/November 2014 issue of FORBES WOMAN AFRICA aptly captured her sparkling personality and indomitable strength.



#RestInPower!

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Zoleka Mandela, Activist And Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter, Passes Away Aged 43

Cloud-literate employees are increasingly needed across every industry. In an exclusive interview, Amazon Web Services’ commercial sales lead for sub-Saharan Africa tells us how they want to fast-track this objective. And the one area the company is focused on is startups. 



Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s cloud computing platform, has its eye on Africa. The company recently opened its first international skills center in Cape Town in a strategic move to upskill local cloud talent. Cape Town is not only AWS’ third skill center but the first to be built outside of North America.



“South Africa is a country close and dear to our hearts. It’s where we started our engineering center back in 2004 and our region investments – it has always been our first entry into Africa,” says Amrote Abdella, AWS’ sub-Saharan Africa’s commercial sales lead, in an exclusive interview with FORBES AFRICA.



In 2020, AWS launched the Cape Town region with three local availability zones. “This was when we started to really look at how we could fast-track this cloud transformation that was starting to take off across sub-Saharan Africa,” she says. “In September 2022, we launched our AWS Nigeria local presence… Nigeria now has the largest GDP in Africa and you have to look at the cloud adoption rate and other investments being made into the market. We see an opportunity to not just be a partner, but lead the way in how we’re driving investments into the market.”



The one area AWS is focused on is startups. Africa is home to many thriving fintech startups and the company is looking to grow that number exponentially, recently launching its first, equity-free accelerator. The initial cohort includes startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Egypt and South Africa.



“Innovation is something that despite of the challenges that we’ve had, we’ve had to accelerate on. If you think about fintech and mobile payments and where we are now (and where we have been), the African startups that are really getting traction are the ones addressing real challenges,” she says. About trying to force solutions that work in the western world into African, she adds: “Our realities are different.”



Build locally, export globally



For Abdella, the idea of creating African solutions for African problems works, but it is only the first step. “How about we build locally and export globally?” she asks. “We’re now seeing customers that are not only building solutions with a multicultural presence in Africa, but globally as well.



“By investing in infrastructure, we are making sure we create the platform for innovators and developers to start building. The AWS Skills Centre is the beginning of what it means to be able to provide these tools and services so as Africans, we can start competing but also have access to the opportunities.”



In 2020, Amazon shared the goal that they would help 29 million people worldwide grow their tech skills with free cloud computing skills training by 2025. Since 2017, the cloud giant has trained over 100,000 people in South Africa and are hoping the new skills center will remove barriers to access by offering free and interacting training.



“As an African working in Africa, it’s our responsibility. If not me, it’s you. If not you, then who?” asks Abdella. “If we want to really be able to deliver on Africa’s potential, we have to start with our people. We have to start building capabilities and we have to be able to get to a point, from a competitiveness perspective, deliver African world-class solutions.”

Amrote Abdella; photo by Tiana Cline

‘Deliver African World-Class Solutions’: Amazon’s Cloud Computing Platform On Plans For Continent

Opportunity abounds for retailers giving used clothing a second lease on life, but while some are reveling in the country’s current economic climate and contributing to the circular economy, the high-end designers are finding it difficult to compete and cope.



In an open-air market in Yaba, Lagos, Tobi Iddrisu, is getting ready to open her boutique and welcome the day’s first customers. She opened the store almost a decade ago with the goal of selling second-hand clothes from China.



Since that time, the store, as well as Iddrisu, have gone through several iterations. For the former, life began as a second-hand children clothing store before moving to incorporate toys and finally transitioning to focus on second-hand fast fashion goods for Gen Z and millennial women.



These days, her suppliers come from places like London, Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but China still leads the pack. Lately, her brother in Germany has begun sending her some electronic devices like old iPads, laptops and LED television sets which, according to Iddrisu, are beginning to sell rapidly.



For Iddrisu, the shift from her nine-to-five job as a customer service clerk at First Bank Nigeria to a second-hand market trader, has proven to be one of the best decisions of her life, for a number of reasons.



In those days, she took home a meager N250,000 ($330) and struggled to make that stretch to cover her monthly expenses, which included fending for her two boys.



Today, her sons are in one of the top private schools in Lagos and Iddrisu has also ventured into the real estate market with two rental units in her name. Moreover, she is now able to provide employment opportunities to five disadvantaged individuals who Iddrisu employs as sales assistants.



“Things were very good when we started but now there is a lot of competition. Those who supply quality second-hand goods are still thriving because the economy is very difficult,” says Iddrisu.



For her and many other second-hand merchants, business is booming. Cash-strapped Nigerians who cannot pay the prices in high-end retail outlets are flooding to markets in Yaba, Katangua and Asuwani to make their naira stretch as far as possible.



“We sell goods at least 200% or cheaper than those sold in boutiques on the island and for people who are already struggling to make ends meet, how can they buy brand-new items? This goes for all items like hair, cosmetics and electronics. It is simply not affordable buying these things brand new,” says Iddrisu.



The World Poverty Clock, a tool which provides up-to-the-minute poverty data across the world, puts Nigeria as the country with the second highest level of poor people at 71 million after India.



These are people who live below the poverty line of $2. The problem is further exacerbated when you consider the rate of inflation which, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), stood at an all-time high of 22.41% in May 2023.



This report also estimates that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of the monthly changes in the price of goods and services paid by Nigerians, rose to 24.82% in May. The NBS further cites that about 133 million Nigerians are living in multi-dimensional poverty.



From a lack of forex which has brought trade to almost a complete standstill since the beginning of the year, a devaluation of the naira coupled with challenges in swapping old naira notes for new ones, to the recent fuel subsidy crisis, the country’s economic woes seem far from over.



The report by the NBS shows that the inflationary rise was attributed to food and non-beverage products, electricity, gas and other fuel as well as clothing and footwear. Several initiatives that should have offered advantages to Africa’s largest economy, have also, unfortunately, been met with barriers to entry by Nigeria.



The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), for example, was supposed to provide regional integration of goods and services between African countries. However, Nigeria’s food import substitution policy is not favorable with the goals of the AfCFTA, according to a report by the World Bank.



This was further buttressed when, in August 2019, Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, closed Nigeria’s borders, effectively blocking trade between the country and its neighbors for about a year. The move was an attempt to stop neighboring Benin from re-exporting rice to Nigeria for a significantly higher margin, thereby reducing dumping of the product.



That closure has also led to an increase in the prices of clothes in the second-hand market.



“We get some items from neighboring countries like Benin and Ghana, and when the government shut down the border, a lot of vendors who were relying on their supply from these countries were affected. The lack of supply has increased the cost of some items in the second-hand market and they keep rising even today,” says Iddrisu.



According to American news platform, CBS, the global second-hand market is estimated to hit $350 billion by 2025 and for personal shopper, Bobby Smith, the surge in demand for second-hand products is great for business.



“I usually deal with high-end clients who want exclusive designer wear at affordable prices. For example, most of my clients are interested in second-hand exclusive designer bags which tend to have amazing resale value. I have seen a trend in clients opting for quality, used designer items instead of those brand-new ones from stores because they want to be economical with their spending, given the current economic climate,” says Smith.



The current economic state has actually led to sales orders from individuals with a higher disposable income opting for fairly-used designer items than brand-new ones.



“I am a club promoter in Ikoyi and that means I have to look my best every night. Most of my business comes from meeting [with] new venues and offering my services to the owners, which includes bringing in a crowd that would patronize their goods and keep the club buzzing. My appearance is extremely important so I need to keep up with the trends. I shop second-hand designer wear because there is a lot of originality especially if you know the right stores, because most designers never repeat their styles so you get one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Tola T.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



But not everyone is happy about the boom in second-hand clothing. For Lola Amusan, a fashion designer in Lagos, who makes her money designing customized, ready-to-wear clothes, it is a major issue.



“We actually create bespoke clothes for our customers and so the current state of the economy is having a big impact on our bottom line. You cannot comfortably cost how much an item is because every day you go to the market, fabric prices are changing. The unstable power supply means I am running my business on [a] generator 24/7, which means I am spending a lot of money on fuel,” she says.



About 25% of the Nigerian population are considered to be Gen Z and have an insatiable appetite for fashion pieces, according to Iddrisu.



“The young ladies of today want trendy items that no one has and they want items that are not too expensive so they can change them regularly without breaking the bank. Some of our tops sell for as low as N2,000 ($2) to N5,000 ($6),” she says.



Another contributing factor to the growth in the second-hand market relates to the volume of charitable clothing donations from the West. There are various news articles on how Africa has become fast fashion’s dumping ground, a trend which is leading to significant climate change issues for the continent.



As much as the second-hand market is great for cash-strapped Nigerians, there is also a detrimental effect on the local textile and garment industries.



“We simply cannot compete with the second-hand market and I feel the current state of the economy is going to drive a lot of designers, like myself, out of business. Something has to be done,” says Amusan.



One solution that has been suggested by experts is to perhaps transform the fashion economy into a circular one. A circular economy is one where waste is minimized by reusing and upcycling as well as leasing garments. Some have also advocated for an import ban of used clothing into Africa.



But the problem with that is it leaves millions of impoverished people in Africa’s most populous economy without the means to purchase affordable clothing. As it stands, Nigeria’s inflationary problems seem to have a long way to go before subsiding and the current President Bola Tinubu has his work cut out for him.



For people like Iddrisu, times are great and the boom in second-hand clothing is now birthing yet a new opportunity for her in the consumer electronics sector, in which she has opened a brand-new store in Ikeja, as well as provided employment to a further 10 individuals. It’s just another way that she has used the current economic climate to give herself and her employees a second chance at happiness and fulfilment.

Woman Goes Clothing Shopping

Less Is More: Nigeria’s Second-Hand Fashion Market Booms As Inflation Soars

Kenyan fashion entrepreneur Ruth Abade uses upcycled materials to create vibrant clothes and accessories with sustainability sewn into them.



&#8220;It was something I’ve never seen. I was like, ‘maybe this is what they mean by the end of the world?’ The sky looked orange. And then it just went really, really dark.”



In June, the New York skies were flooded with apocalyptic color, as Canadian wildfires moved south and the smoke transformed the global center of fashion into a burned sienna hellscape.



Kenyan fashion entrepreneur Ruth Abade is in the city for trade shows, describing by video call this ominous reminder of the consequences of unfettered consumption: the world’s most charismatic metropolis reduced in minutes to incandescent shadows.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59362" style="width:388px;height:291px" width="388" height="291" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000315-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos by Lars Johansson</figcaption></figure></div>


She is the owner of Blackfly Designs, an apparel, jewelry and textile company with practical sustainability embedded in its seams.



Abade and her dozen-strong team, based in Kibera’s Toi Market in Nairobi, use upcycled materials to create one-of-a-kind clothes and accessories buzzing with quirky innovation.



Blackfly’s bomber jackets pop with the vibrancy of re-purposed Indian saris; its shoulder bags are clever, jazzy patchworks of African fabric off-cuts, finished with expertly curated scraps of leather and salvaged metal fittings. The jewelry pieces are geometric alignments of the rough and the smooth, metallic juxtapositions of the polished and the well-traveled.



An industrial designer by training, Abade spent a year in Florence learning leather bag design before her skills coalesced into a business in 2012.



“So I took my industrial know-how into fashion, because I needed to survive! And then when your clientele grows, you harness all these scrap pieces as off-cuts, so I needed to develop another prototype. You have to embody the whole thing as one 



item. So we decided that if you’re going to use scrap pieces, you’re going to use them all the way. You have to always be diverse when it comes to creation, because it never stops.”



The brand grew so fast that the company began buying off-cuts from other tailors, generating a business model that initially presented challenges in how it would grow and become accessible to a wider market.



“When you’re doing one-offs, it’s difficult to sell to big retailers,” Abade says. “It’s also very difficult to sell to small stores, because they need to make a mark-up. And I wanted to create a product anybody can afford. So I had to make a decision. Either I build my own store – or people just come to the workshop.”



The brand now sells directly to its Nairobi base and from its website; it eschews the influencer and social- media-driven demand for the latest must-have, a wasteful production cycle which floods the market with cheap copycats that often end their short lives in African landfill.



“It doesn’t matter to me whether the business expands tremendously or not,” she says. “You have to stay true to the reason why you do it. We started this because of the overflow we had, but it’s also the joy of working with the suppliers who have always had our back, where the person is willing to sacrifice anything for you – because you’ve been with them for 10 years, and never gone away.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59363" style="width:534px;height:401px" width="534" height="401" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/P1000384-Photo-credit-Lars-Johansson-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos by Lars Johansson</figcaption></figure></div>


Abade has also been careful to shun the economic thirst-trap of the easy business loan, and has instead instituted a solidarity fund within the company to allow employees to contribute to a monthly kitty accessible when any of the team need to borrow without risk. Staff are able to access these contributions when they leave, a structure that encourages an understanding of fiscal responsibility based on mutuality and trust.



“You have to sit down with your people and be candid,” she says. “I run my business like a family, so they see the struggles.



When you have a conversation like that with people, they understand where you’re coming from.”



Mindful of the steady international growth in upcycling, and the resultant price increase in scrap material and off-cuts, Abade is now gradually shifting her focus towards printed textile production, using quality cotton fabric made by women and sourced from Tanzania. She believes her prints will open up a new niche demand for a local twist on an African fashion stalwart, with Blackfly aiming to become the leading Kenyan producer of the traditional Indonesian batik prints embraced with such joyful ubiquity in the west of the continent.



“I have a big responsibility to produce a technique that when seen anywhere in the world, people will say, ‘This is Kenyan batik, without a doubt’. Because you can’t train people if you don’t have a specific technique,” she explains.



“I’m experimenting in order to find something uniquely Kenyan – painting more than stamping; using pastel and muted colors, but in very strong combinations. I think the market is hungry for something new. And big brands are starting to really think about organic cottons, so everybody’s giving themselves a timeline to work with. We have to be ready for that timeline.”



As the North American skies clear, Abade looks ahead with hope, the creative fire still burning in her belly. “I have to remember that regardless, I’m an artist, before a businessperson. And working with artists, I think, is a nightmare,” she laughs. “But as long as it feels good – that’s what we’re going to do.”

P1000559 Photo credit Lars Johansson

Upcycling On The Fly: Fashion Forward In Kenya

Earning the support and trust of the community surrounding the Malaika school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was vital in its early days, and still is today, says the non-profit’s founder and philanthropist, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka.



In the heart of Kalebuka – a village in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – the Malaika school, which opened its doors in 2011, has just celebrated its first graduation.



Empowering girls through education has been a key focus of the grassroots non-profit organization and founder, model and philanthropist, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka tells FORBES AFRICA that having the support structure that she has, has been vital.



“It has been challenging to help the community recognize the value of girls’ education when it has been a part of their culture to prioritize boys’ education and expect girls to do domestic duties only.



“When we gather the community to play sports we teach them about equality, social cohesion and the value of education. This has helped them to recognize why girls should be educated and to be supportive of this,” she says.



The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimated that the out-of-school population in sub-Saharan Africa reached 98 million in 2021.



However, the organization noted that “important data gaps have been filled in countries that have large out of school numbers but where no administrative data of good quality has been available for over a decade”. This included the DRC (5.9 million).


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ROB3606-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59153" style="width:662px;height:440px" width="662" height="440" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ROB3606-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ROB3606-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ROB3606-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ROB3606.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Noëlla and a student. Image Supplied. </figcaption></figure></div>


Since its establishment, Malaika has developed into a primary and secondary school, and a community center and organic farm has been added, along with the refurbishment of 30 wells in the area.



“It has been extremely important to earn the trust and support of the community. Our mission is to empower girls and their communities and if community members were not interested in taking part then our work would have had minimal impact,” Musunka says.



“Our school, and our community center that provides vocational education and training to youth and adults, have been better because of the community’s help and support.&nbsp;Having their buy-in with our community center where they come to play sport and learning together has been wonderful to see and when whole families come and benefit from education, the girls at our school benefit even more.”



She also emphasizes that the support of the community was vital in getting the girls to school in the early days, and that many have been volunteers and helped to maintain the premises and land over the years.&nbsp;



Students at the school receive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and can learn concepts like VPL, Blockly and Scratch languages as well as other basic and advanced computer skills.



Along with this, the school teaches sustainable farming practices and ensures that the community has access to basic needs, like clean drinking water, all of which can give the community what it needs to uplift itself in the long-term.



“I would like to see more investment in education and community development. Malaika is a sustainable ecosystem that can be duplicated in any context and we have created a toolkit in order to support others to create a similar provision in their communities.



“I would also love to see more focus on sustainable development. There also needs to be a holistic emphasis, including focus on infrastructure and health needs. There needs to be provision that can empower a community with lasting change,” says Musunka, who lives in the United Kingdom with her husband and children, and was named one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential &amp; Inspirational Women in 2017.



As a mom, a feminist, and a believer in the right to access to education, health, and opportunity, her advice to young girls and women on the continent is to bet on yourself and aim high.



“Keep working hard and don’t give up even if things don’t seem to be going your way, just keep following your passion.”

_ROB7761

Pushing For Change In The DRC: School-Founder On The Challenges And Rewards Of Prioritizing Girls’ Education

Entrepreneurship is a risky game. Ask these women who have had to create their own rules and lead with hustle and heart. They entered the game at different times but have one thing in common – their focus on the finish line. They are in it to win it, come what may. A Women’s Month special.



It has been 67 years since the trailblazing Women’s March in South Africa. The country will never forget the fire and fortitude of the 20,000 women of all races, classes and creed who on August 9, 1956, marched up the steps of the Union Buildings, the seat of the apartheid government in capital city Pretoria, to deliver a petition to then Prime Minister J.G Strijdom against the introduction of pass laws. The march was led by struggle stalwarts Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu, Sophia Williams-De Bruyn and Rahima Moosa.



In the annals of history, iconic events have always further defined the women’s liberation movement, and Covid-19 was no less a landmark in reaffirming the resilience of the female workforce, in both Africa Inc. and across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 



The pandemic saw resourceful survivalist entrepreneurs emerge in Africa and champion their cause with talent and tenacity. According to the 2022 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs in South Africa are making progress, with a strong will and determination to make sure their businesses survive. In South Africa, women account for just 19.4% of business owners but there have been important gains in recent years in terms of entrepreneurial traction.



But even as business booms, we must contend with the dismal numbers on the ground. According to the World Bank, women represent a majority of the poor in most regions of Africa and the gap may widen further. According to recent analysis by the United Nations, an estimated 121 women per 100 men will be living in extreme poverty by 2030 (living on $1.90 a day or less).



Lizz Welch, the CEO of International Development Enterprises (iDE), says investing heavily in female entrepreneurs is the key to alleviating poverty. “From my point of view, women entrepreneurs invest more heavily in hiring women… helping with gender parity, and also, often, they have a much more successful business model, they’re more profitable, and [put] more investments back into the community. 



So when women lead and women-owned businesses really take off, you see a much bigger multiplier effect that occurs within the community.” The iDE has spent $137 million in the past five years powering entrepreneurs to end poverty across the developing world. In an article written by Stephanie McKinney, CEO and Founder of River VC (a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in women entrepreneurs), she says female-led businesses or startups tend to struggle to find funding. 



Studies show that male and female entrepreneurs are often evaluated differently by investors, the latter more likely to be perceived as “risky” investments. This bias can derail female- led businesses to secure the funding they need to grow and scale. But they continue to be undaunted, as this small cross-section of female change- makers on these pages illustrate.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-luyanda-lwandle-duma-founder-alchemy-lab-dumisa-kamvenya-and-shop-she-who-dreams">Luyanda Lwandle Duma Founder, Alchemy Lab, Dumisa KaMvenya and Shop She Who Dreams</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-836x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59130" style="width:344px;height:422px" width="344" height="422" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-836x1024.jpg 836w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-245x300.jpg 245w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-768x941.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-1253x1536.jpg 1253w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3B4A7825-3-1-1671x2048.jpg 1671w" sizes="(max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px" /></figure></div>


Duma runs not one but three businesses –Alchemy Lab Talent Management, which is focused on identifying and crafting authentic brands; Dumisa KaMvenya, which provides human capital solutions to small and medium enterprises; and Shop She Who Dreams, which retails personal organizational stationery and productivity resources. We ask:



What inspired your businesses?



My father has always been an entrepreneur and growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, I was introduced to it, especially as a sustainable profession.



What were some of the challenges you experienced?



The beauty of entrepreneurship is that no one day is the same. Not all deals pull through but with every step of the journey, there is also a hidden lesson that makes you better and teaches what you need for the next level. Finding a business model that works has been the most challenging for me, but also cash flow for certain projects, and then, finding capital.



South Africa is one of only 12 economies where women’s entrepreneurial activity rates increased, with 11.1% of working-age women engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activities. What would you want female entrepreneurship to look like in South Africa? 



As South Africa strives to foster economic growth and equality, it is essential to envision a future where female entrepreneurship flourishes. Building on the progress made thus far, the future of female entrepreneurship in South Africa should be characterized by inclusivity, equal opportunities, and supportive ecosystems. This vision not only benefits women but also contributes to the overall economic advancement and social wellbeing of the nation. We envision a South Africa where female entrepreneurs have equal access to capital. Financial institutions, government agencies, and private investors must actively support female-led ventures by providing tailored financial solutions, grants, and low-interest loans. Additionally, initiatives to bridge the gender financing gap and educate women about funding options should be prioritized, empowering them to scale their businesses.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-olwethu-mhlana-founder-afristem">Olwethu Mhlana Founder, AfriSTEM</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-682x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-59128" style="width:290px;height:435px" width="290" height="435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-682x1024.png 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-200x300.png 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-768x1154.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-1023x1536.png 1023w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Olwethu-Profile-1-1363x2048.png 1363w" sizes="(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px" /></figure></div>


As the technology industry continues to rapidly grow, there are still billions of people around the world, particularly women, without access to that technology.



This is what motivated Mhlana to start her business.



“As the daughter of activist parents who spent their lives fighting for freedom and equality, I have always been driven by the need to create spaces where inclusion and democratization were the mission and not a by-product,” she says.



Having been part of startups that have built and taught coding and robotics, the disparity that Mhlana saw in the types of communities that benefited from that education drove her vision.



“This is how AfriSTEM began as a way to provide STEM education to underserved communities.”



Mhlana hopes the tech space can be reimagined by providing opportunities for more people, and also encourage them to pioneer innovative solutions that would advance their communities and South Africa at large.



According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the South African ICT Market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.3% for the forecast period. “South Africa is one of Africa&#8217;s biggest marketplaces for information and communications technology (ICT). It demonstrates technological leadership in the areas of mobile software, security software, and online banking services,” the report reads.



Mhlana wants to see more inclusion, especially for women in the tech space.



“We need to transform and completely reimagine the foundation of what inclusion looks like. We need to take into account that marginalized groups have even less access to business opportunities, and then we can start to discuss how to break down the exclusionary nature of entrepreneurship.”



For her, this could also be the solution to getting more investments into female businesses but the change needs to start from the top.



“I want to see more women in policy-maker roles, more women handling funding portfolios, more women teaching business skills, and more women creating their own tables. Men are often at the helm of all these roles, and the more women are at the helm, the more women will be encouraged to leap into entrepreneurship.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Tania Theron Co-founder and Head of Wealth, GraySwan</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/karinhaasbroek.com_GraySwan_20230126_Corporate-6LR-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59126" style="width:332px;height:465px" width="332" height="465" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/karinhaasbroek.com_GraySwan_20230126_Corporate-6LR-1.jpg 714w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/karinhaasbroek.com_GraySwan_20230126_Corporate-6LR-1-214x300.jpg 214w" sizes="(max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px" /></figure></div>


According to a report by Investment Week, asset management and investment teams are still dominated by men. Overall, the study found the average investment team&#8217;s gender split is 78% male and 22% female. Part of that small percentage is Theron, who, with her husband, started a boutique wealth management firm in 2010. As Head of Wealth, her role is to oversee client portfolios and build a lasting relationship with them, at the same time ensuring all transactions are executed effortlessly.



How did you start your business?



Before starting our business, my husband and I had worked in the investment industry. Our 12 years of constructing purpose-led long-term investment solutions stem from the story of a family that, being passionate about investments, decided to not only live well, but also help others implement and manage long-term investment strategies.



What were some of the highlights and challenges you experienced as a female entrepreneur?



The finance and investments industry is male-dominated and it has taken a while to build my reputation but I was fortunate enough to have been surrounded by supportive family and friends. I recall when I matriculated, I [enrolled for] a physiotherapy degree. Two weeks in, I realized I had made the wrong decision. Perhaps it was that a part of me had doubted whether I could succeed in this industry as a female. I later attended RAU (now the University of Johannesburg), where I met a professor who took me through a few career [options]. Having always enjoyed maths and accounting, I was intrigued when he told me I should become a chartered accountant. Since choosing this path, I have never once looked back.



What would you want female entrepreneurship to look like in South Africa?



The future really holds great promise for women entrepreneurs in our country. As a society, we have become more aware of the untapped potential and value that women bring to the business landscape, so I anticipate a significant shift towards a more inclusive and supportive environment. In the coming years, I hope to see more representation of women in entrepreneurship across various sectors. There should be greater access to funding opportunities specifically targeted towards women-owned businesses, enabling them to scale and thrive. 



What do you think needs to happen to get more investors interested in female businesses and startups?



To achieve this, one would have to change the current perspectives of female-led businesses and startups. The reality is there are already quite a few female businesses that have secured investments; these are the women who should be providing mentorship, training and networking opportunities specifically for women entrepreneurs, which can help enhance their skills and confidence. We need to stand together and support each other as much as we can. Because if we don’t believe in each other, we can’t expect others to believe in us and change the way they think.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-sinovuyo-mondliwa-founder-lovekinks">Sinovuyo Mondliwa Founder, LoveKinks</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-59125" style="width:305px;height:457px" width="305" height="457" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/1K7A6-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px" /></figure></div>


This story started with five sisters who bonded doing each other’s hair.



“This made me appreciate how much a woman&#8217;s hair is tied to her innate identity,” Mondliwa says of her childhood. “My haircare business was inspired by wanting to help my audience care for their hair in the most simple, practical, and accessible way possible.”



She started her business on Instagram showing her audience it is possible for “natural hair to look fashionable, professional, and socially acceptable”.



Studies have shown how using platforms like Instagram can help business. According to EmbedSocial, there are over 200,000 million businesses that use the app for this purpose.



“This allowed my audience to add natural hair to their hairstyle options,” Mondliwa explains. She also turned to YouTube. “My YouTube was more helpful via tutorials. Then, my audience had another challenge; YouTube tutorials could only take them so far – most people do not have the time or desire to go through the whole upskilling process. So that was how LoveKinks was born.”



It’s a haircare business that offers accessories and products focused on improving the relationship women have with their tresses and ultimately themselves.



“A highlight [for me] has been seeing something that was a thought come to life and grow [from a turnover of] R1 million to R5 million ($55,000-$275,000).”



[Pullquote]: What would you want female entrepreneurship to look like in South Africa? “I would like females in business to speak to each other more and not compete so that information can be shared. Through collaborations, we can find possible economies of scale… There is so much room for information-sharing that would help grow our businesses.”

Quote Boards (Twitter Post) (2)

Women’s Month Special: Survivors And Thrivers In South Africa

Dr Preeti Aghalayam, the first woman to lead an IIT, hopes to operate at a scale that is impactful and leverages scientific strengths.



The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India’s top-ranked engineering and technology university, is set to open its first international campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in October, bringing to the African continent its prestigious, world-renowned legacy and expertise headed by Dr Preeti Aghalayam, also the first woman to lead an IIT.



“We&#8217;ve been looking at what makes sense for us [as an institution] because we are nationally ranked number one [in India], and what are the places where our kind of education and research will find value,” says Aghalayam, the Dean of School of Science &amp; Engineering and Director-in-charge of IITM’s Zanzibar campus, to FORBES AFRICA. “Also, which nation, or which region would find useful what we bring to the table, which is quite different than other institutions, say in the West, or even in India.”



The Zanzibar campus is expected to onboard 50 undergraduate and 20 post-graduate students in October for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in data science and AI. The academic offerings are expected to be expanded in 2024.



After over two years in the Office of Global Engagement at IITM and an over 10-year career teaching at IIT Bombay (in Mumbai, Maharashtra) and IITM (in Chennai, Tamil Nadu), where she was a professor of chemical engineering, Aghalayam was hand-picked to lead the campus, as part of a partnership with the Government of Tanzania. Aghalayam is also a former IITM student and pursued her post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.



“This whole relationship is at the level of the education ministries of [India and Tanzania] and IIT Madras is a designate of the Government of India,” she adds of the new partnership.



“I believe that Tanzania is also very keen on this, especially in the Zanzibar region, because they are looking to expand their education offerings. Apart from being a tourist destination, they are looking if it can also become an educational destination.”



With a challenging and aggressive timeline to open the campus and build the same institutional reputation, infrastructure, and ecosystem in a new part of the world, Aghalayam is tasked with a difficult feat, but one she is embracing as a seasoned academic and researcher. With scientific rigor and research at the core of her ambitions, she hopes to propel the campus to be both inclusive with more diversity than India sees, but also competitive in nature.



“[We] will offer the type of academic programs that are needed by the young people, not only in Tanzania, but also the larger East African region, at the level of quality that is the IIT hallmark,” says Aghalayam.



“It&#8217;s important for us to operate at a scale that is impactful, makes a difference, leverages our scientific strengths etc., because it helps solve global challenges.”

Category: Woman