Tshepo Mohlala (Founder, Tshepo Jeans) Growing up in a rough township outside Johannesburg (South Africa), Tshepo Mohlala was laughed at for wearing skinny jeans before they were popular. But more than 10 years later, tables have turned, as 32-year-old Tshepo has become a favourite amongst celebrities the world over, for his inimitable tailor-made jeans targeted at African women who struggled to find a perfect fit. Counting Beyonce and Meghan Markle as clients, Teshepo comfortably says: “The township was never ready for my sense of style! A whole lot of African women have a tiny waist and big booties and big…
Author: Admin
These 36 ladies from the Milliners Association of Nigeria are set to attend the game-changing Bank & Entrepreneur masterclass, anchored by #KillerPitchMaster Precious L. Williams, and taking place virtually on February 29, 2024. Post-masterclass, and armed to the teeth with tips from Precious, the ladies will have the opportunity to produce masterpieces, which will be presented by Bank & Entrepreneur at a private sale/ auction, open to guests globally, and led by an experienced international auctioneer. From theory straight to practical earning. There is no time to waste time! It will be a thoroughly exciting time to discover what kinds…
Chef Adejoke Bakare (Founder, Chishuru Restaurant) 📸@Chishuru Chef Adejoke Bakare’s restaurant Chishuru (which, in Nigeria’s Hausa language translates to “the silence that descends at the table when enjoying a meal”) has just been awarded a Michelin star, giving her the priceless status of being the first Black female chef in the UK to earn the privilege. A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking, taking into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across…
Emmanuel Eyo (Co-Founder &CEO, Iko Africa) Five African startups are among the final 10 selected for the global Startup Boost project run by Sweden-based tech consulting firm tretton37 to provide pro bono support to startups whose objectives are to impact and change the world. From the approximately 50 companies that applied to Startup Boost, just 10 were selected. Five are from Africa: Digital product marketplace Ahiyoyo and farm produce platform Aliments (Benin Republic). Ugandan therapist-matching service Iguru Therapies Nigerian social literary and self-publishing platform Iko Africa, and Legal-tech platform originating from Ghana, Zupoto. The other five beneficiaries include companies from Sweden, Macedonia, the…
📸 The TonyElumeluFoundation As a part of the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s commitment to foster innovation and economic growth across the African continent, the following training and mentorship opportunities are currently running and available to young entrepreneurs across Africa on TEFConnect in 2024: 2024 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, open from January 1 – March 1 Women Entrepreneurship For Africa (WE4A), open from January 1 – March 1 TEFConnect is the Foundation’s proprietary digital platform that provides capacity-building support, advisory and market linkages to over 1.5million Africans and counting. The platform’s unique training curriculum covered insightful topics including Starting Your Business, Business Management & Fundamentals, Leadership…
Mr. Eazi (Founder, Banku Music) Nigerian singer, songwriter, music executive and founder of Banku Music record label, Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known in the entertainment industry as Mr. Eazi, has won the Young Entrepreneur Award at the 2024 African Prosperity Champions Award held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra (Ghana). The award recognises Mr. Eazi’s drive in setting up businesses on the continent and projecting Africa positively as a destination for foreign investors. Giving credit to his alma mater, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he started his entrepreneurial journey, Mr. Eazi said: “… that…
Nadine Umutomi (Founder, Neza Coffee) The non-profit Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society has announced the second iteration of its Black Pitch Contest, where Black entrepreneurs pitch their business idea for a chance to take home $25,000. Jackee Kasandy (CEO and co-founder of the Society). expalins: “This can be crucial getting a small business off the ground. It could be a game-changer to get the $25,000.” Immigrant from Rwanda, Nadine Umutoni, is one of those entering the Black Pitch Contest this year. Nadine says: “I moved to Canada 17 years ago. I’ve always wanted to start a coffee company, and…
Neo Hutiri (Founder, Pelebox) Neo Hutiri, the South African entrepreneur who created Pelebox (a smart locker dispensing system that enables people living with illnesses, like HIV or AIDS, to collect their repeat chronic medication in under 30 minutes – instead of waiting hours in queues at healthcare facilities) has won a major award for African engineering. After pitching to a group of six judges at a Royal Academy of Engineering ceremony in central London, Hutiri was awarded ÂŁ50,000 ($63,000) by the Academy , as well as a medal, which was presented by King Charles III’s sister Princess Anne during a…
Benita Obasuyi (Founder, Benny’s Beading) Founder of Benny’s Beading, Benita Obasuyi, used to play with African beads in Nigeria when she was a teenager. As she got older, the 23-year-old noticed how her skin would negatively react to certain jewelry metals, convincing her that beads, with their uniqueness, durability, comfort and extraordinary colour range, were a better jewelry option. Two years after moving to Indianapolis to be closer to her family, Benita made a bracelet for a friend, whose friends in turn requested to purchase the same bracelet. That was all the motivation she needed, and in early 2022, Ms.…
Olamide Olowe (Founder & CEO of Topicals) Nigerian-American entrepreneur Olamide Olowe has turned the beauty industry on its head in just four short years and even made history in 2022 as the youngest Black woman to raise $10 million in funding. After spending much of her childhood coping with chronic skin conditions like hyperpigmentation, Olamide founded the groundbreaking dermal company Topicals in August 2020 to offer safe, effective products for all skin types. But her early entrepreneurial journey started in 2015 when she co-founded the beauty brand SheaGIRL in partnership with SheaMoisture, which was later acquired by Unilever in 2017. Esthetician-approved Topicals has…