Gone are those days when most people believed women’s education ended in the kitchen. Women are now making waves as entrepreneurs, which has been amazing. You might be interested to know that private capital investment is currently on the rise in Africa, and investors around the world are realizing the continent’s potential for growth and development. Today’s bright side is that female entrepreneurs are shaping Africa’s future for good.
Despite the numerous investment opportunities, women remain inadequately represented in this industry, with merely a sprinkle of female executives and investors at the top of the entrepreneurship pyramid. Like in tech and many other sectors, Africa’s venture capital industry has quite a noticeable gender imbalance.
This shouldn’t be so in the world today, right? However, this disparity can be associated with several factors, including a strong history of inadequate representation of women, built-in biases, and some other socio-economic challenges. Nonetheless, there’s an increasing need for gender diversity in this field and other sectors.
Here are some of the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s Future despite the barriers encountered on this journey.
Female Entrepreneurs Shaping Africa’s Future: Celebrating the Achievements of Women Breaking Barriers
1. Biola Alabi
Biola Alabi is a significant figure in the landscape of Africa’s investment. She is a notable venture Capitalist at Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund (CASF) and has an outstanding background in automotive, startups, and media. She couples her angel investing role with extensive experience, properly managing deal origination, portfolio, and investor relations.
Her impactful commitment to initiatives has been observed in the Funding of Grooming for Greatness (G4G), a mentorship program aimed at promoting leadership skills. Biola Alabi is also the CEO of Biola Alabi Media, known for producing films and captivating television content.
Her strategic approach to investments does not exclude tech startups. Biola’s investment in tech includes startups like Trove Technologies and Chekkit, where she showcased her influence as an advisor and board member who can be trusted and as one of the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future and overall media ecosystem.
2. Polo Leteka
Polo Leteka is a very experienced entrepreneur and a known private equity investor. She is the founder of IDF Capital, an entrepreneurial financer and advisory firm based in South Africa. Polo has strategically used IDF to contribute towards Women-owned Small and medium-sized enterprises across South Africa. Polo Leteka co-founded Alitheia IDF in 2015 to keep on in her investment with businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa that are mostly owned and led by women. It is impressive to see female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future in such a beautiful way, giving females the hope to rise above limitations of all sorts.
3. Yemi Keri
Yemi Keri is the known CEO of a Digital Transformation Company named Heckerbella Limited, she is a prominent figure In the Nigerian Technology Landscape with more than two decades of experience that interestingly sweeps over the world of technology leadership and investment.
Aside from her technological fearlessness, Yemi is also a co-founder of Rising Tide Africa. This platform aims to enhance women’s participation in angel investment while providing collaboration and mentorship for them. This has significantly shaped Africa’s future through women’s empowerment and technology investment, among other things.
4. Eunice Ajim
Eunice Ajim is a renowned entrepreneur and investment partner who has always been passionate about the creative and innovative world of technology. Fascinatingly, she is also one of the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future. Eunice is the founding partner of an early-stage fund that aims at startups in Africa named Ajim Capital. Her never-dying goal is to re-invest in African entrepreneurs and greatly enhance Africa’s tech industry’s growth. Some of the startups Ajim has invested in are Spleet, Raenest, Daba Finance, and TruQ.
5. Odunayo Eweniyi
Odunayo Eweniyi is one of the co-founders and COO of Piggyvest, an exceptional Digital Investment Platform in Nigeria. She is experienced in Business Analysis and Operations for more than 7 years. Odunayo also co-founded an African job site known as pushcv.com, thereby promoting an extensive database for Job seekers in Africa, making her one of the numerous female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future to a reasonable height.
6. Folorunsho Alakija
FolorunshoAlakija is one of the female entrepreneurs who saw her future as an entrepreneur despite starting her career as a secretary for one of the Merchants Bank of Nigeria. She had to leave her job to pursue Fashion Design in England. She came back to her country a few years later to set up her brand, Supreme Stitches, a fashion line specifically crafted for Nigerian women. She has been among the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future from way back.
In 2016, the 65-year-old was recorded as Africa’s second wealthiest woman and was estimated by Forbes to be worth $2.1 billion. She didn’t make all that money from her fashion business, but a huge portion of Folorunsho’s fortune from her oil exploration company named Famfa Oil. She also invested in real estate and printing.
7. Divine Ndhlukula
Divine Ndhlukula is definitely among the list of the top female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future.
Divine Ndhlukula is a distinguished entrepreneur with a specialty in the security business. She started her security outfit, Securico, in 1998 with a team of only four employees. It was not just a regular enterprise, but she ran it with the vision to give women the opportunity to pursue their dreams and never let them go. In August 2018, Divine hit a milestone when she was listed among the top 10 CEOs in Africa, and she was also named by Forbes as one of the most successful African women.
She was able to empower up to a billion women in 2020, courtesy of her women empowerment vision.
8. Mosunmola Abudu
Mosunmola Abudu is one of the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future. She has successfully carved an outstanding name for herself in the media industry and, at age 19, became the brand ambassador for the African Branch of AVON cosmetics.
The media mogul founded EbonyLife TV in 2013, the first global pan-African television network. Mosunmola worked for several reputable firms. In 2013, Forbes Africa recognized her as the first African Woman to own a pan-African television network.
She was also appointed director in the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Emmy Awards. Mo (as she is popularly known) was appointed chair of the 47th International Emmy Awards Gala in New York on Monday, November 25, 2019.
9. Sibongile Sambo
Sibongile Sambo is among the top female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future, especially in the aviation industry. She founded the South African Airlines SRS Aviation after she was rejected by most Airlines in South Africa because she didn’t meet the height requirement. At the time, Sibongile did everything beyond doubt to raise her startup capital and realize her dream. She was listed in the Black Women in Business Awards (BIBA) in 2006 and the Impumeloelo top Female Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), amongst other awards.
Sibongile was also featured in the World Bank’s report and named a ‘’leader of tomorrow’’ by Fortune magazine.
10. Bethlehem Alemu
Bethlehem Alemu is an Ethiopian entrepreneur known for her specialty in the footwear industry. Her enterprise, soleRebels, was established in 2004 when she decided to make it happen despite the challenges. Her community was known for exquisite artisan skills.
She has received numerous awards around the globe due to her youth empowerment scheme; some of these awards include World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes, and Young Global Leaders by World Economic Forum. Beyond every iota of doubt, she is one of the most successful female Entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future with no plans to let go.
The Bottom Line
The society we live in will always try to place limitations on women and keep their backs against the walls, but women today have learned to give up their dreams of making a global impact in diverse industries. I hope this article has been able to bring to your knowledge the female entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future and why you should never think your aspirations aren’t valid.
Be reminded that results from hard work produce success. Get up and keep moving, girl!
