African entrepreneurs Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

1Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Business, South Africa News, Startups

Attendees at the Oppenheimers’ South African Future Trust 2024 Summit Can Take Our Country Forward

The country’s premiere entrepreneurial showcase, the South African Future Trust Summit returns to the Sandton Convention Centre on 24 and 25 October – with more speakers, more stages, more opportunities - and a R500 000 investment prize for one stellar delegate. Headlining the event are African Leadership Academy founder Fred Swaniker; Founder & CEO of the Rehumanize Institute and co-founder & previous CEO of SingularityU Nordic, Laila Pawlak; Tasha’s Group CEO & Founder Natasha Sideris; South African songstress and motivational speaker Lira; financial journalist, speaker and author Bruce Whitfield and Veldskoen co-founder & CEO Nick Dreyer – with many more big-name presenters yet to be announced. The presenters and panellists will share their unique insights into how best...

3Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Startups

Embracing the entrepreneurial mindset: Lessons from the trenches

By Daniel Levy, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Flow In the business world, nothing stays the same for long. This makes an entrepreneurial mindset not just helpful, but essential. So what does it take? How can eager entrepreneurs tackle the complexities of the modern market and come out stronger? Having walked this path myself, I know the road to success is rocky and rarely straightforward. But I’ve found it's this unpredictability that best hones the skills and fuels ambition. Here are five learnings that have shaped my experience and continue to drive my leadership at Flow into new territories. 1. Blind luck might open a door, but it’s grit that turns luck into success Luck, they say, favours the prepared mind. In my experience, luck is just the spark – grit is the fuel that keeps the fire ...

5Aug

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Startups

The Top Seven selected start-ups for the Irish Tech Challenge

Innovative entrepreneurs advance with €10,000 in funding and a curated networking tour to Ireland The Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, in partnership with Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Dogpatch Labs Ireland are delighted to announce the selection of seven tech start-ups for the prestigious Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2024. Now in its third successive year, the collaboration aims to forge mutually beneficial partnerships between South African entrepreneurs and Irish technology expertise, leveraging Ireland’s global tech hub status. This year’s Challenge saw more than 350 entries from South African-owned, growth-stage tech start-ups focused on fulfilling ...

5Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Becoming a Professional Chameleon

By Mandisa Ntloko-Peterson, Founding Member of Wired4Women at BCX. For many, entering the world of work can be difficult. Even as a professional, being able to thrive when you don’t understand the workplace culture is challenging, this is because the world in which we are raised and the one of work are different. It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur or a mother, if you’re from a big city or grew up in a less urbanised area, different worlds have different cultures and, at times, the things that are acceptable in the working world are not acceptable in the world in which we’re raised. So where does ‘chameleonship’ comes in? Personal mastery Similar to a chameleon that changes colours for protection but keeps its authenticity, one of the ways women can bring their true selves to th...

20Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

AFAWA’s Ambassadors: Shaping the conversation around the financing gap that women face in Africa

Written by AFAWA’s Ambassadors From finance to business, to music and non-profit work, together, our combined experience spans a dazzling array of sectors. But there is a common thread that weaves together all our professional lives: a passion for empowering women in Africa to realise their potential. We know what women can do when given the opportunity. But we also know that all too often, women are held back. One way that African women are stifled is by the lack of financing for their businesses. There is, in other words, a glaring disparity between the funding that women have access to and the funding they need to sustain and grow their business operations. In total, that disparity – the so-called “finance gap” – is $42 billion. That’s why we have joined forces to advocate for the “...

29Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Backing SA entrepreneurs is the first step to job creation

58 entrepreneurs from the SAB Tholoana Enterprise Programme created 237 new jobs and sustained 435 jobs during the pandemic and post-pandemic period By Fundiswa Nkwanyana Small businesses are playing a vital role in creating jobs despite their challenges. The past two years have been difficult for entrepreneurs. because they had to overcome challenges caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, looting and flooding in various parts of the country, loadshedding and tough economic times. Despite these challenges, entrepreneurs that received business growth support from the SAB Tholoana Enterprise Programme created jobs, and their businesses experienced a phenomenal 73% increase in turnover which equates to an overall increase of R11 040 420 million. Together, 58 entrepreneurs created 237 new...

45 entrepreneurs from Africa attended the sixth edition of the SIBC

19Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Events, Startups

45 entrepreneurs from Africa attended the sixth edition of the SIBC

From November 23 to 29, 2022, 45 entrepreneurs from 18 African countries met in Marseille for the 6th edition of the Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) - an acceleration programme for African social and inclusive businesses. After three months of online training and mentoring, the winning entrepreneurs took part in an intensive week-long bootcamp with training modules, personalised coaching and networking opportunities, finishing with pitch sessions in front of key financial stakeholders in Africa during the EMERGING Valley Summit. THE SIBC - A PROGRAMME TO ACCELERATE SOCIAL AND INCLUSIVE COMPANIES IN AFRICA The Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) is an acceleration programme that has been supporting African social and inclusive businesses that are looking to scale up fo...

10 Top Lessons From Leading Entrepreneurs

9Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

10 Top Lessons From Leading Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur is no easy feat, but with a clear plan, passion and hard work – a lot is possible. As we enter Entrepreneurship Month, we speak to entrepreneurs from different fields and industries about their success and ask them their key tips on achieving greatness! From Ignite Fitness’ CEO, Schalk Hugo and internationally acclaimed Interior Designer Tammy Holmes to the Founding Owner of Just Breethe, Marc Barnfather as well as the innovative Founder of Sloom, Rudo Kemp – you are sure to walk away feeling inspired! Schalk Hugo is the Founder and CEO of Ignite Fitness and his main entrepreneurial mantra is “to get more time on the clock than others. Schalk says “hereby meaning that typically I'll start at 3am and finish at 8/9pm daily 5 days a week. All that this means is; ...

22Dec

By Catherine WijnbergNo Comments

South Africa News, Startups

Why the sector is fertile ground for South African entrepreneurs

By Catherine Wijnberg, CEO of Fetola South Africa needs entrepreneurs to reverse our shrinking economy and high unemployment rate. And while they face numerous barriers in almost every sector, there is one industry that offers them the key to success: The circular economy. Only about 1% of micro-enterprises[1] in South Africa, starting with one to five employees, will grow to employ more than 10 people. This means most entrepreneurs will face so many barriers they will make little meaningful difference to unemployment in the county. But this is not the case within the circular economy. The circular economy consists of businesses that focus on eliminating waste. Circular thinking goes beyond the reduce, reuse and recycle focus in the green sector to design out waste altogether. It promo...

9Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Somalia News

Salaam Somali Bank to distribute $4million to Somalia’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs

Salaam Somali Bank has announced that $4 million has been earmarked for Somali entrepreneurs between 2022 and 2024 to ‘kick-start’ economic growth in the Somalia economy at this year’s Mogadishu Tech Summit The Salaam Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF) aims to cultivate young Somali business people and support existing Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the wake of Covid-19 Over $1million has already been loaned from the SEF since 2019 to 1,035 entrepreneurs, 43% of whom are female Mogadishu – Today, Salaam Somali Bank announced plans to inject $4million into the Somalia economy between 2022 and 2024 through specialist, zero-interest micro-loans to Somalia’s best and brightest entrepreneurs. The announcement, delivered at the annual Mogadishu Tech Summit – sponsored ...