15 FAMOUS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN AFRICA
Over the recent years, there's been a paradigm shift in business ownership in Africa. Africa has witnessed more women-owned businesses in every industry. The gender stereotype that had plagued the African woman for generations in the past has finally been broken. And today, we see many bold female entrepreneurs who are helping shape the African entrepreneurial world. Below are 15 famous faces of the female world of entrepreneurs in Africa

#1. Folorunsho Alakija
Folorunsho Alakija is one of the leading African billionaire female entrepreneurs, born in Nigeria. Folorunsho is involved in several industries such as oil and gas, real estate, fashion, and many others. She once worked as a banker before venturing into business full-time where she has distinguished herself as an exceptional entrepreneur. She's the group managing director of The Rose of Sharon Group, under which we have The Rose of Sharon Prints & Promotions Limited and Digital Reality Prints Limited. She's also currently the executive vice-chairman of Famfa Oil Limited. She's also a philanthropist, founder of The Rose of Sharon Foundation.

#2.Khanyi Dhlomo
Khanyi Dhlomo is a South African journalist who became the editor of True Love magazine at the age of 22. Under her leadership, she grew the business to the extent that the magazine became the most widely read women's magazine within a year. Khanyi Dhlomo is the founder and chief executive officer of Ndalo Media, Ndalo Luxury Ventures, Destiny Connect, and Destiny Magazine. She's a brand to reckon with in media publishing and entrepreneurship.

#3. Divine Ndhlukula
Divine Ndhlukula is a Zimbabwean businesswoman. She's the founder and managing director of DDNS Security Operations Limited, the holding company for SECURICO Security Services. Divine started so humbly in 1999 when she founded SECURICO Security Services and built it to become one of the most respected companies in the security industry in Zimbabwe. She once worked in the corporate organization for companies such as Old Mutual and Intermarket Life Assurance Company before pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams of founding her corporate organization. She encourages young people especially women who are business-minded to be optimistic and pursue their entrepreneurial talents.

#4. Mosunmola Abudu
Mosunmola Abudu is the founder of EbonyLife TV, a global pan-African television network. She's a reputable entrepreneur who has worked with several corporate bodies before resigning to live her entrepreneurial dream. She's passionate about bettering the living conditions of poor and middle-class African. She believes in the African story and works toward making the African voice heard globally.

#5. Bethlemen Tilahun Alemu
SoleRebel footwear brand founder, Bethlemen Tilahun Alemu grew from one of the humblest beginnings in Ethiopia to become one of the most reputable African businesswomen to reckon with. Founded SoleRebel, she's created world-class jobs and empower her country while she presents a brilliant face of our creativity in Africa to the world. SoleRebels is Africa's fastest-growing African footwear brand with stores in many countries and continents.

#6. Carmen Tal
Carmen Tal is a businesswoman renowned for her multi-million beauty company. She's the founder of the famous Morrocanoil. She started by collaborating with her hairdresser to just open a single hair salon. Her entrepreneurial spirit paved the way for her even without any experience in the beauty care industry.

#7. Njeri Rionge
Njeri Rionge is one of Africa’s leading businesswomen and one of the few women pioneers in the information and communication technology industry in Africa. She's the co-founder of Wananchi Group Holdings, one of the lead providers of pay-tv, broadband internet, and voice-over-internet protocol services in East Africa. She's established lots of other successful businesses which include Ignite Consulting, a business consultancy; Ignite Lifestyle, a healthcare consultancy; Business Lounge, a start-up incubator; and Insite, a digital marketing agency.

#8. Adenike Ogunlesi
Ruff 'n' Tumble founder, Adenike Ogunlesi is one of Africa's famous female entrepreneurs. She founded the children's clothing line, Ruff 'n' Tumble in Nigeria in 1996 in a small shop, working alongside her mother for her newly created business. She turned the business into a renowned brand with a reputation as one of the best children's clothing manufacturers in Nigeria. From that very small business in 1996 with only 2 workers, Adenike's clothing line now has 13 branches across the country and a distribution line across West Africa. Her business also employs over 150 people.

#9. Isabel Dos Santos
Angolan businesswoman and daughter of Angola's former president, Isabel Dos Santos is one of Africa's famous female entrepreneurs. She’s got investments in oil, diamonds, and also in the communication and banking industries. She founded a nightclub in Luanda, Angola, and a trucking company that helps other businesses with supplies logistics. Also, Isabel presently has lots of issues with her investments due to political affiliation with her father's government, yet she's still in the line of Africa’s famous businesswomen.

#10. Saran Kaba Jones
Saran Jones is the founder and chief executive officer of FACE Africa, an organization that works to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. She founded and launched FACE in 2009. Ever since, her organization has raised thousands of dollars to build over 50 water, sanitation and hygiene projects and reached over 25,000 people in the rural communities of Liberia. She also co-founded the Empire group, a Monrovia-based company that is into creating and sustaining small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture, hospitality, and manufacturing industries.

#11. Julian Adyeri Omalla
As one of Uganda's finest entrepreneurs, Julian Adveri Omalla is the founder, chair, and managing director of Delight Uganda Limited, a company that produces the country’s most popular fruit drink. Aside from Delight Uganda Limited, Julian is involved in several other business activities such as agriculture and real estate. She employs over a thousand Ugandans. She's also into the exportation of her companies’ products to countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and others. She's a leading member of the advocacy of the rights and economic development of women. No doubt, Julian is one of the most famous female entrepreneurs in Africa.

#12. Sibongile Sambo
Sibongile Sambo's story is an interesting one. She faced several rejections applying to serve as a flight attendant with South African Airways but she never gave up. She later founded SRS Aviation which was the first company to be owned by a female entrepreneur in the aviation industry in South Africa. From applying as an attendant to being an airline executive, Sibongile is one of the famous female entrepreneurs in Africa to be reckoned with.

#13. Salwa Akhannouch
Salwa Akhannouch is one of the most powerful female entrepreneurs in Morocco and North Africa at large. She's the founder and chief executive officer of Aksal Group, a leading company in luxury goods, department stores, and shopping malls. The company is also the sole franchise to companies such as Fendi, Gucci, Zara, and many more. Although Salwa inherited some wealth from her grandfather and she's also the wife of a wealthy Moroccan, she's a famous face when it concerns female entrepreneurs in Africa.

#14. Tabitha Karanja Keroche
Tabitha Karanja founded Keroche Breweries in 1997 in Kenya. Competing against the giant international company, East African Breweries Limited (EABL), which has been around for more than 90 years, yet Tabitha’s resilience and fortitude have enabled her to enjoy continued growth. Her beer has been embraced by the Kenyan market.

#15. Bridgette Radebe
Bridgette Radebe started as a miner working in large mining corporations. In the 1980s, she founded and started her mining firm, Mmakau Mining, a mining firm that now has holdings in other mines that excavate gold, platinum, chrome, and coal. She’s one of the reputable female entrepreneurs in Africa.

Conclusion
These female faces of the African continent are not just representing the African story at home but they stand peer to peer against other female entrepreneurs from other continents. African Women are no longer sitting at home wives and mothers, they're contributing their due share to the economic development of the continent.



References
AnswerAfrica, Africa’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs
https://answersafrica.com/africas-leading-women-entrepreneurs.html


Startup.Info, Top 10 Successful Female Entrepreneurs in Africa
https://startup.info/top-10-successful-female-entrepreneurs-in-africa/



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