There’s a widespread belief that African countries are not a favorable environment for female entrepreneurs. Still, statistics show that women in North Africa are 60% more likely to offer new services and products than male entrepreneurs. They are ready to lead by example and bring necessary changes into African entrepreneurship. These six female entrepreneurs decided to take matters into their own hands and create business opportunities.

Teta Isibo

Teta Isibo returned to Africa after studying urban planning in the UK to create her jewelry and accessories brand in Rwanda. She had no education in design, fashion, or business, and jewelry was only a hobby at first. In 2010, she decided to dig deeper and promote her brand on social media. Her Inzuki Design brand put her among the 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in Africa in 2017.

Thabiso Mahlape

African authors need someone to help get their voices heard, and Thabiso decided to do just that. She founded Blackbird Books in 2015 that focuses on publishing stories written by black authors. Malhape is bringing a necessary change into the South African book publishing industry. Thabiso is looking to expand her book publishing business to other African countries and keep supporting black authors.

Lorna Rutto

Thanks to Lorna, Kenya might improve its recycling strategies. She founded EcoPost, a social enterprise that collects and recycles plastic waste. Her business received a Cartier Women’s Initiative Award in 2011 and the International Energy Globe Award in 2012. So far, EcoPost has removed over 1 million kilograms of plastic waste from the environment.

Summary

Female entrepreneurs in Africa can be found in almost all industries. While fashion and jewelry can be considered simpler business endeavors than IT solutions, one thing is certain—these women worked hard to build their businesses. Many had completely different educational backgrounds but wanted to change the African business world and show the true power of female entrepreneurship.