10 young women who will lead African business in future

Nour Drissi (Founder, Loue1voiture.com)

A graduate of a French business school, she has four years work experience in management and marketing (especially in the car hire sector). She is launching Loue1voiture.com, the first car hire booking platform to book a car from local & international car hire companies in Morocco. Last May, this project won the first prize of MIT pan Arab startup competition.

“I hope yo take away feedback and advice on my business and extend my network,” she said.

 Anike Lawal (founder, Mamalette.com)

As a mother of one boisterous toddler and also an expecting mum, Anike Lawal decided to start Mamalette.com when she was unable to find answers to her most pressing pregnancy and parenting questions.

From pre-pregnancy to parenthood, Mamalette.com is the place for mothers and mothers-to-be to learn, chat, seek advice, solve problems, share experiences and relax through the website and social networking platforms.

Anike has a degree in Business Studies and French from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland and an M.Sc. in Law and Accounting from the London School of Economics in England. She worked for a couple of years as a Management Consultant at KPMG Nigeria.

“What I hope to take away from this experience is the knowledge and belief that I can achieve the business goals I have set for myself. The skills taught and support given by She Leads Africa should help me properly structure and scale my business.

Taffi Woolward (founder, Thando’s)

Woolward is the co-founder and CEO of Thando’s and a Guyanese-American living in Lagos, Nigeria for the past year. She and her fiancee, Jibolu “JG” Ayodele, started Thando’s in 2012 while they were MBA students at New York University. As an entrepreneur, she is constantly on the go. Her hectic schedule and high heels often meant very sore soles. JG is a practical art-enthusiast with an equally-keen finance acumen and eye for fashionable footwear. Our love for each other, love for Africa and love for art, inspired us to create an innovative footwear line that facilitates a modern woman’s busy lifestyle. Thando’s shoes are African designed foldable ballerina flats, giving women a compact and comfortable shoe option that they can easily take with them on the go.

I’m an overachiever so I hope to take away the 1st place cash prize. More important than winning is the feedback and mentorship we are receiving through the process of refining our pitches and preparing for the competition. I look forward to forming relationships with the judges, panelists and other finalists. A strong network is extremely invaluable to an entrepreneur.”

Kega-Florence Mukwevho (founder, MKP Fast foods (Pty) Ltd)

Mukwecho is a 21-year-old, aspiring CA(SA) and final year B Com Accounting student from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She is passionate about Education, Youth empowerment and Entrepreneurship (EYE). As an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Candidate Fellow, she strives to embody the values of high-impact responsible leadership and entrepreneurship. Her company focuses on solving two problems, mainly the chronic youth unemployment situation in SA and expensive franchising in the chicken fast food industry.

MKP Fast Foods is a low-cost, scalable, mobile kitchen that supports the growth of a chicken brand, Galito’s. It’s mobile kitchen has employed six full-time employees. It is fully equipped with all that a normal restaurant would have, but on a smaller scale. It is placed in areas where it is not feasible to operate a full store.

“I had initially thought She Leads Africa was just another Pitch contest. However, during this entire experience, I have become attuned with the vision of She Leads Africa which goes far beyond the monetary funding possibilities,” she said.

“I am looking to leave more empowered as a female entrepreneur, with not only business skills but personal growth so that I can be able to make a more meaningful impact and motivate more women back in SA and Africa to rise up and take that first step to making their dreams a reality. I believe that I will be inspired to be more confident and courageous as a young entrepreneur by interacting with like-minded women from across Africa. Being associated with some of the best woman entrepreneurs has been humbling.” 

Cherae Robinson (founder, Rare Customs)

Originally from Brentwood, NY, she has built a career raising visibility and support for international nonprofit organisations. A self-described “passport stamp collector”, she has travelled to nearly 30 countries, 10 of them in Africa. She has had the pleasure of meeting dynamic people who turn the world’s perception of Africa on its head. Her experiences in the places she has visited were unlike anything she could have imagined.

She decided to create Rare Customs to bring the world to “aspirational Africa” and be a game-changer in a tourism industry that too often gives the continent the short end of the stick. Rare Customs is focused on disrupting the entire tourism value chain on the continent by providing services that make the sector modern and sustainable. Its first product, Tastemakers Africa, is a mobile app and website that allows users to pre-purchase curated experiences in Africa a la carte. It speaks directly to travellers who want to travel Africa and skip the mediocre. From boutique hotels, to exclusive restaurants, to nightclubs and unlisted excursions, Tastemakers Africa helps trips go from zero to epic. Unlike other travel apps, Tastemakers Africa is the only global solution that caters to modern jetsetters.

” The Rare Customs team has been energised by the outpouring of support we’ve received as finalists in She Leads Africa. We plan to leave the competition and build, build, build. We are ready to get the mobile app launched and in the hands of users. We will take a large chunk of the money and put it into the technical development of the app,” hs e said.

“We will utilise any remaining funds to support a regional tour on the continent where we can spend time building partnerships with businesses that fit our brand and our users. Having strong ties on the continent is critical to our growth and success. Beyond the takeaways for our business, I look forward to building a strong network of women committed to affecting positive change on the African continent through entrepreneurship.”

Jade Mann (founder, Night Bus) 

Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mann has a corporate law and operations background and has worked for some of the top corporate law firms in South Africa. She also ran national retail operations for a well-known local fashion label for almost two years and on the transportation side operated a successful business in the event transport space.

Night Bus is a dedicated fixed line bus service that runs between nightlife hubs in Joburg, throughout the night. The buses are kitted out and offer an engaging on-board experience that offers relevant content and entertainment, making transport part of the overall party experience. The service will launch in Joburg, with plans to roll out to other cities in South Africa and in developing markets as well.

“Even just being a finalist in this competition means that I get the chance to get my business in front of top-tier investors and entrepreneurs and to get their input and advice, which to me is invaluable. It’s also a chance to engage with and learn other inspiring female entrepreneurs, including not only the finalists amazing founders of She Leads Africa the other contestants.