In the Spotlight: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs from South Africa
#WomenInBusiness #SouthAfricaEntrepreneurs #SheLeadsSA #WomenEmpowerment #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #BreakingBarriers #SupportWomenOwned #AfricanEntrepreneurs #EconomicGrowth
South Africa, often referred to as the “Rainbow Nation” stands as a beacon of multicultural diversity and resilience. Beyond its rich cultural heritage, the nation has made significant strides in empowering women entrepreneurs, and establishing itself as a leader in supporting women-owned businesses. With the second-highest proportion of women entrepreneurs in Africa, South Africa’s dynamic business landscape is shaped by government support, increased access to education, and a growing movement for economic inclusion.
Women Entrepreneurs Changing the Game
Despite challenges such as gender gaps in entrepreneurial activity, South African women continue to break barriers and redefine industries. From biotechnology to fashion, wine to technology, they are at the forefront of innovation, job creation, and economic transformation.
As we celebrate their achievements, it’s clear that the rise of women entrepreneurs is not just an economic imperative but a movement reshaping the future of South Africa’s business ecosystem.
Let us now delve into the stories of some enterprising women entrepreneurs from the “RAINBOW Nation”.
> Arlene Mulder, Co-Founder, WeThinkCode
Arlene Mulder co-founded the not-for-profit organisation WeThinkCode, backed by a working experience in finance for seven years. At the starting point, she was driven by the unique mission to unlock African youth potential and nurture top tech talent in order to meet the growing demand for digital skills that the education system was failing to keep up to date with. Her mission is centred around democratising education and advancing Africa’s digital problem-solving capabilities.
Accolades have come her way too. She was the winner of the Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award in 2019 and she also served as a global ambassador for start-up competition She Loves Tech.
More recently, she also established BiB – Africa’s first audio library app available on App Store and Google Play. Through this new venture Africa’s rich storytelling heritage can be kept alive while creating jobs for artists using technology as a platform.
> Dineo Lioma, Co-Founder, Deep Medical Therapeutics, CapeBio Technologies & Incitech
As the Co-Founder of three biotechnology companies, Dineo Lioma operates within the commercial side of science, trying to advance it. Deep Medical Therapeutics for instance is a medical technology company that uses artificial intelligence to optimise healthcare in Africa; CapeBio Technologies develops molecular biology enzymes, and her third venture, Incitech generates rapid diagnostics solutions, including at-home HIV testing.
More recently, the scientist also co-created a COVID-19 diagnostic kit – to assist the government by not having to rely on imported kits. As a result of her innovative products within the healthcare sphere, she was nominated as one of Forbes Woman Africa’s Top 20 Wealth Creators.
> Nneile Nkholise, Founder & Director of iMED Tech
Nneile Nkholise is the Founder and Director of iMED Tech, a company that produced medical prostheses and bio-implants. Thus she was able to provide innovative medical solutions to improve the lives of people who have lost precious body parts due to accidents, cancer and diseases.
In 2018, she founded 3DIMO to improve the traceability of livestock based on her prior experience in cattle breeding. Highly adaptable, over the course of her career, she shifted from mechanical engineering to biotechnology and then animal husbandry. The World Economic Forum named her the Top Female Innovator in Africa in 2016 and in 2018, she also made it onto the Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 list among other awards.
> Ntsiki Biyela, Director of Aslina Wines
South Africa’s first black female winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela is the Director of Aslina Wines, which she established in 2016. The name of her company actually pays tribute to her grandmother. Her premium wines are globally distributed and carry forward her vision – to create a world-class brand.
She has earned her recognition too in the industry. While her experiences as a pioneer in South Africa’s wine industry haven’t been without challenges, her desire to succeed helped her to forge ahead, earning her the Wine Harvest Commemorative Event Diversity and Transformation Award in 2021. She has also been celebrated globally for her wines. Winning at the Sakura Awards in Japan and at South Africa’s Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards are a testament to her perseverance and drive.
> Sarah Collins, CEO & Founder of Wonderbag
Sarah Collins, CEO and Founder of Wonderbag, is really on a mission – to reduce carbon emissions and make meal preparation safer, cleaner and more affordable for women. As an entrepreneur and a social activist, she designed an empowering and sustainable solution for rural African communities – with her award-winning non-electric heat-retention cooker.
With a background in social development and ecotourism, she launched the company in 2008 when an electricity shortage prompted her to recall her grandmother using cushions to retain the heat in food.
As the fastest-growing carbon offset project in Africa, the entrepreneur won the Climate Change Leadership Award, and Wonderbag was also recognised as Time’s 50 Most Genius Companies in 2018.
> Jeanne Groenewald, Chief Executive, Elgin Free Range Chickens
A firm believer that business success stems from investing in your employees and maintaining your integrity, Jeanne Groenewald’s journey began with raising free-range chickens. This was prior to establishing the company in 2002, which has become South Africa’s biggest independent free-range-chicken operation. However, at the time, ethical free-range farming was scarce and the industry was largely male-dominated.
Today, Groenewald’s business is regarded as the nation’s most-trusted free-range chicken producer, ensuring that her birds have a good quality of life too.
She has earned a slew of awards too. As a pioneer in South Africa’s agricultural sector, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including – Female Farmer of the Year (in 2006, 2014 and 2018), the 2010 CEO Most Influential Women In Business Award and Enterprising Women of the Year in 2019. Her business also scooped the 2014 Business of the Year Award.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
Poonam Sinha
