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In Inspiration August 22, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Phumzile Mthembu, South African Entrepreneur and Founder of A Natural Baby Skin Care Brand

From newborns to infants to pre-schoolers, skin irritations are a norm. This fragile and immature skin has the most incredible cell potential that must be protected. As the skin is still in the development phase, it is very sensitive and tends to react quickly to environmental factors (such as temperature changes, wind, sweat etc.), chemical stresses (dyes, detergents, hot water etc.), and friction(from diapers or clothes). These eventually cause skin irritations such as ringworm, cracking, flaking, nappy-rash, dermatitis, sores, eczema, etc.

Inspired by her son who was diagnosed with eczema as a baby, South African entrepreneur Phumzile Mthembu created a natural baby skincare brand, PureB Baby Care, providing a solution to her own family and many others too. Today, her company Ingcweti (Pty) Ltd, trading as PureB Baby Care, is a wholly black-owned manufacturing company that specializes in producing coconut oil based baby ointments that are 100% natural and without harmful chemicals.

PureB Baby Care is a specially formulated hypoallergenic product that helps repair and protect the skin at cellular level is needed to solve these issues. Fragrance-free, naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal formula, PureB is such a product. It is gentle enough for newborns and provides immediate relief to skin irritations. It softens, hydrates and soothes skin. PureB is not only about repairing damaged skin. They educate their clients – new parents, nurses and owners of childcare facilities – on skin conditions and how to better take care of a child’s skin.

Phumzile describes her entrepreneurial journey as an interesting from which she has learnt to network and practically learnt collaboration as one of the most powerful keys to success. She also learnt the importance of collaboration as entrepreneurs to keep the business going.

Phumzile describes her satisfaction as an entrepreneur with these words “receiving feedback from a client with pictures of their child being helped by the product. It gives me satisfaction as a business owner, but also as a mum myself as well, that I have managed to help other women.”

Phumzile is currently studying entrepreneurship at the University of Johannesburg. She has been recognized as one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of 2019 and has since bring able to supply at least three South African pharmacies with her ointments.

In Inspiration August 17, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Didintle Leatile Moreki, An Entrepreneur Producing Natural Skincare Products With Indigenous Botswanan Plants

If there is one thing we collectively hate, it is that ugly face-ruining spot on our face that calls itself acne. The glaring reality is that people battle acne in their youth and throughout their lives, and it can be challenging to find a solution that is both effective and natural. This was a challenge that entrepreneur Didintle Leatile Moreki, founder of Organic Natural Skincare in Botswana successfully took up in starting her business.

Organic Natural Skincare manufactures skincare products with the use of indigenous plants found in Botswana and Africa as a whole.

Organic Natural Skincare was born after she had a persistent skin acne that would not heal. After years of trying what the market offered, at the age of 18 she finally decided to try an organic alternative.

Unfortunately at that time, the market could not offer this, as a result she decided to opt for what she consumed as food.

This revelation simply came out of her need to say: “Beauty should not be harmful or toxic and so long as l can eat it l can use it on my skin!”

Years later, as the vision became clearer, and she came to understand that the cause of her low self-confidence is skin acne.

As a result Didintle knew that whatever she was formulating had to boost the confidence of the African Woman or empower her to be confident in her skin.

Didintle’s entrepreneurial journey started when at age 10. She sold watermelons and maize from her parents’ farm. This grew with her when her mother started her poultry farm and even at her tender age, her mother would send her to negotiate with suppliers and clients.

This is a clear indication that she was not a newbie when she chose to birth Organic Natural Skincare.

By profession, Didintle is an accountant, currently pursing her certification as a Financial Analyst. For her Under-graduate degree, she had an honour of studying an Entrepreneurial Module in her last year of University.

In 2019, Didintle was one of the 50 entrepreneurs chosen from the 500 applicants for the DeBeers Stanford Go to Market Programme.

Her word to aspiring women entrepreneur is simple, “Girl, you too can do hard things!”

In Inspiration August 16, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Metsana Kojane, A Bee Farmer From South Africa Is Contributing To Women Empowerment Through Beekeeping

Regardless of the kind of agriculture you practice, it is undeniable that the agribusiness is a lucrative business. Either as a fish farmer, a poultry farmer or you supply processed agricultural products, you are guaranteed a source of livelihood as an agripreneur.

Metsana Kojane, founder of Eden Roots PTY Ltd, is putting bees at the heart of her business. Her production of pure, natural honey has not only created local agri-processing jobs for women in her community, but also the creation of a natural skincare brand using the wax, propolis and royal jelly from her raw honey hives.

Metsana is a mother, a community leader, environmental activist and role model to many young women and girls in her village. She is also a Brand Builder and a graduate of VEGA.
She believes her business is a special one because it embraces their cultural heritage passed on by their foremothers who had unique ways of keeping bees and they used indigenous herbs for healing and staying healthy.

Eden roots pride themselves as being the custodians of the most important creature on planet earth that is also an endangered species. Without bees there will be no food and without bees there will be no life on earth.

Metsana describes her entrepreneurial life as a secondary pursuit and gives credit to passion as her force and motivation to do what she does. In her words, “I love and enjoy my work so much that I could work around the clock without even realising it. I tried a few business ideas previously but this one is more than just a business… It is my calling!’

With her business, Metsana plans to show Africa that our indigenous African beehive can yield good harvest of honey and other by-products. She also aspires to use the healing secrets of the hive to provide the world with unique natural products. She would also like to groom as many beekeepers as possible because the African eco system needs bees.

Metsana encourages women everywhere in the world to open their eyes to see the opportunities around them. She says “There are so many problems to solve out there in the world and for each problem a woman must rise to find solutions. Behind every solution, lies an opportunity to make money. You have all it takes because you are a woman!”

Eden Roots is an agribusiness with a presence in horticulture, beekeeping and agro processing.

The company was registered in 2015 but the business existed informally prior to that for 5 years. Beside producing natural honey, they also economically empower groups of women and girls with beekeeping skills.

In fashion&style August 12, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Angella Manda, A Malawian Entrepreneur Who Making A Clothing Business Out Of Crocheting

For many, crocheting is a hobby. Something they do to pass time and clear their mind. But with time, crocheting has proven to be an art and craft that has grown to be lucrative to the point that it becomes a business, a stream of income for a lot of people.

Malawians are taught the art of crocheting at an early age and Angella Manda has decided to stand out from the rest by turning her craft into a clothing business. She is the founder of Angelos Crochet and today, her growing customer base are in constant demand for her beautifully crafted crochet garments and accessories.

Angella was born in the Central part of Malawi, in Lilongwe. She graduated from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College. In the fourth year of her studies in college, she started crocheting as a small business and upon graduating, she took it on as a serious business. Angella has been crocheting for about 15 years in total. Long enough for anyone to become a professional!

Angella started crocheting because of her deep love for creating that she has developed as a child. This love for creating something was what drove her to start her business. Another inspiration to start her business was the lack of existing suppliers of crochet products because at the time she started her business, there were not a lot of people doing it. So the fact that people wanted crocheted products but had limited options from where to buy, was also a source of inspiration to start the crocheting business.

Angella believes her business is special because it is a representation of a childhood source of joy. Since she had the best time crocheting as a child, she ensures her pieces have that same childlike authenticity and innocence to it.

Concerning her journey as an entrepreneur, Angella did not come from an entrepreneurial background. Being an entrepreneur was never something she envisioned. Her course of study was even far from business.
She transitioned into a business woman as soon as people started showing a lot of respect and love for her products.
According to her, “there would be times I’d think, this will probably not last that long in the early days of my business. But turns out, the support was always growing and now I have come to accept and believe that this is what I was meant to be doing. And my effort into it has also just automatically grown.”

Satisfying her customers and getting positive feedback is her greatest source of fulfilment as an entrepreneur. Satisfying their orders is a source of joy on her end.
“It is also satisfying knowing that you’re doing something you truly love. Every day when I’m doing it, even times when it’s not easy, I am satisfied already.” Says Angella.

Angella’s biggest advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is for them to believe in their work and talents. “You have to have so much trust and belief in your own talent that even on those hard or bad days you know you are great, and you’ll be able to get through this. That way no matter what hurdles you face along the way that try to stop your business goals; they are nothing compared to the belief you have in yourself. It is also important to celebrate others along the way and be open to collaboration.”

Angelos Crochet, designs and crochets all sorts of products – fashion items and accessories, ranging from dresses, skirts, suits, trousers, tops, hats and bags, all produced using quality yarns.

In Editor's Choice August 12, 2021 By Women of Rubies

#GetTalkingWithEsther| Kemi Oyesola: My Domestic Violence Experience

On the 8th of August, 2021 and to mark the one year anniversary of the tweet chat #GetTalkingWithEsther, hosted by Esther Ijewere, Kemi Oyesola, a coach, director of How2think Global Consultancy, and survivor of domestic violence was invited to speak on the topic “Leave to live: My Domestic Violence Experience.”

It was a moment of real truth and baring her journey, her mistakes and most importantly, her recovery and rebirth process.

Kemi Oyesola, our guest at the popular tweet chat dropped a lot of nuggets that had attendees reacting in awe.

Here are excerpts from the conversation and how it all went down.

This tweet chat was a moment of learning and unlearning and one thing that was constant in our guest’s response is the God-factor and how much role your thoughts play in shaping your life.

Those who attended the tweet chat testified to how much they learned when the Host asked them to mention what stood out for them. Here’s what they have to say about it.

Coach Kemi Oyesola is a living proof that you can rise from any hopeless situation. As long as you can find the strength, courage and determination to do so.

Find out more about the rest of this insightful tweet chat via the Twitter handle of the host or simply follow the hash tag #GetTalkingWithEsther on Twitter for updates on the next one.

In Inspiration August 8, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Edna Reis And Sandra Pimentel, Angolan Wellness Entrepreneurs Passionate About Workplace Wellness

The strength of every organization and company lie in the wellbeing of its staff and employees. Companies who know this ensure they pay attention to the wholeness and wellbeing of their staff as it is directly proportional to their success as a company. Helping employees avoid burnout and providing maximum support to help them manage their physical, mental and emotional balance is key. This is why Edna Reis, the founder of Active Wellness in Angola created her business to help meet the demand for better health and total wellbeing in the workplace.

Edna Reis launched Active Wellness in 2017 and her partner, Sandra Pimentel joined in 2019. They are both psychologists with great management skills, motivation and experience in this field.

Active Wellness is a Start-up focusing on Mental Health and Organizational Well-Being Consultancy, with a diversity of services that meet the growing national and international health demand in the corporate environment.

Active Wellness works towards the perfect mental health and well-being of organizations by proposing solutions that help reduce the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders through specific psychotherapeutic interventions inside and outside the work environment.

Their services include: Mental health consultancy; Quality of life research at work; Individual and group psychotherapeutic interventions to better manage traumatic events with a high probability of triggering anxiety, stress, burnout; Employee wellbeing programs; Mindfulness classes; Mind and Body Balance interventions; Workshops and lectures.

Both Edna and Sandra had no entrepreneurial background prior to Active Wellness but Edna’s strong believe that each of us has a vision about how we would like to position ourselves in the professional world drove her into entrepreneurship as her own means of making meaningful contribution with her work.

She is happy being an entrepreneur and she describes her fulfilment as an entrepreneur using these words, “The possibility of helping to de-stigmatize mental health, contribute to the country’s growth, development and people’s health is undoubtedly a great satisfaction.”

Be willing to learn every day, nothing is given, have the courage to create the future you want, without neglecting the challenges that are typical of the trajectory. Edna says to women who want to start or create anything new.

In Inspiration August 6, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Mary Nyaga, A Florist Making A Difference in the Floral Business in Kenya

Flowers are beautiful. Everybody loves flowers because of the freshness and aesthetics they add to homes, offices and exterior spaces. Mary Nyaga, a Kenyan florist and founder of LorMar Florium is on a mission to adding joy and beauty to people’s lives through flowers.

Mary is harnessing the power of technology to do this through a subscription-based flower business using an App called Flowerhood that creates virtual floral arrangements and messages for customers to send to their family and friends.

Mary Nyaga is a co-founder of LorMar Florium, a business launched in 2019. She started the flower subscription company using the highest quality Silk artificial flowers.
Not willing to shut down business as a result of covid, she decided to take the business to another level by giving people an opportunity to create their own flower designs and personalize them with messages through their App called Flowerhood.
Mary describes herself as having an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative, having tried a few businesses. Taking women through a Leadership program where they have to draw their goals really motivated her to capture her dreams in her own form and drawing.

LorMar Florium, is a flower subscription company with different arms and product/service offerings. They have a flower studio with amazing flower delectables, creating a setting for brides or other people to come choose the array of colourful silk flowers. They also do flower design training and photography at our studio. And their App, Flowerhood, now on Google Play store allows customers to create virtual arrangements that they can send to their dear ones near and far, giving the gift of thoughtfulness to dear ones. Mary sees the flower industry as a great opportunity to bring connectivity to others.

Mary has been a jack of all trades, living in other countries and just picking up on what could come in as an extra income, and the good thing about this kind of lifestyle is that it has a way of leading you straight to where you want to be.
She had a school that she founded In Uganda which she had to let go after moving back to Kenya. On the side, she had a jewellery and shoe shop selling high end and unique products, and at one time she also ran a clinic. This also enabled her to network unconsciously back then. Moving back to Kenya accelerated her leadership journey and yet it was her entrepreneurial spirit which led to starting up her flower business, LorMar. Mary’s background of entrepreneurship sure contributed to her path as her grandfather was an entrepreneur and some of her family members too. Her mother has a streak of entrepreneurship in her as well.

Mary is pleased with being an entrepreneur because of the motivation and other benefits that come with it. For her, she loves the work-life balance that comes with entrepreneur. She enjoys the freedom to think, explore ideas and grow her business whenever she likes. She enjoys the freedom to also engage in other activities that gives her a boost mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. For her, her greatest pleasure of being an entrepreneur is the flexibility of time to engage in other things.

Her advice to going women who are seeking to start up is this, “Ladies, women, young and mature, I would just say start. Write down the areas you are interested in, see how best you can do in your different business ideas, single out them out. Do your research, network, get a mentor, be confident in yourself, and do not be afraid to speak up. For me, not speaking out cost me. Now I know better and I can say look at me now. Be proud of yourself and note down every little success. Those little successes put together are key milestones.”

In Career Gems August 5, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Blessing Oborududu Won Nigeria’s First Ever Wrestling Medal At The Olympics

The first ever silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games is here, thanks to Blessing Oborududu. This is coming after Ese Brume’s bronze win earlier today. Blessing lost the 68kg final match to USA’s Tamyra Mensah-Stock 1 – 4.

This win makes Blessing the first Nigerian wrestler to win an Olympic medal. Blessing is the first Nigerian wrestler ever to win a silver medal at the Games.

Congratulations, Blessing.

Go win some more

In Food August 5, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Aasiyah Ravate, A Mozambican Food Entrepreneur And Founder Of Home Cooking With Love

For a lot of people, cooking is a chore while for others, it is their love language and a thoughtful expression of their love. For Mozambican entrepreneur, Aasiyah Ravate, cooking is a passion turned business venture. Founder of Home Cooking With Love, every meal she makes are a delicious hit made with lots of love for her customers.

Aasiyah Ravate is a 22-year-old CEO and founder of Home Cooking With Love. She is also a year 4 student of dentistry. She has a great passion for cooking, and during the pandemic she reinvented herself and created her business, Home Cooking With Love. During the past six months, she has been serving her snacks to agencies, banks, and thousands of people in her city.

Aasiyah’s business celebrates the concept of homemade food, which makes people travel for flavors without leaving home and without needing a visa. Her business specializes in traditional Indian food, Italian food, fast food and desserts.

Aasiyah was inspired to start her business by her mother who was both a fighter and a warrior and taught her to fight for her dreams. “I have a passion for cooking. I am still struggling to achieve my dream of opening a restaurant. I was also inspired to start my business to help my mother because she was always a mother and father to me and my brother, she deserves the best.”

On her entrepreneurial journey, Aasiyah confirms that at first it was very difficult, because she had no idea how to own and run a business. Her mother helped her invest, and with time she gained experience. These experiences have in the long run, taught her to be a better entrepreneur.

Her biggest satisfaction as a food entrepreneur is her client’s happiness when they taste her food, and the thoughtful feedback she gets from her customers.

She advises young women to trust in themselves, be faithful, believe in their dreams, and fight for them no matter your age. In her words, “be strong and fight for your business, do not let anyone put you down. Believe in your potential and in the potential of your company. Hear the voice of your heart and make your way from it. I am sure that in the future, you will have the professional satisfaction you deserve!”

In Career Gems August 5, 2021 By Women of Rubies

Meet Elohor Aiboni, The First-ever Female MD Of A Shell Company In Nigeria

For the first time in Shell Nigeria’s over 60-year history, a woman has taken over the reins of leadership of one of its companies.

The appointment of Elohor Aiboni as the first female managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) is another classic example in the oil and gas sector.

Alboni was unveiled as the successor to Bayo Ojulari with effect from August 1

The oil and gas industry has been traditionally male-dominated, with few women ascending to top management positions. But Aiboni, a “self-motivated person with a strong sense of business priorities,” is one of few women to change the narrative, becoming leader of the multinational oil company Shell’s offshore business in Nigeria.

SNEPCo, a wholly-owned Shell company, has interests in four deep-water blocks; two of which it operates. The company develops and deploys the latest deep-water drilling techniques to reduce drilling times, cut costs and increase production, according to

It pioneered Nigeria’s deep-water oil and gas production at the Bonga field, a project that increased Nigeria’s oil capacity by 10 percent when output began in 2005.

Here is Aiboni’s life up till her appointment as SNEPCo MD.

AIBONI: A WOMAN OF MANY FIRSTS

Aiboni has many firsts to her credit — from being the first female asset operations manager in SNEPCo to being the company’s first female MD.

As asset operations manager, Aiboni was responsible for providing leadership in health, safety and environment (HSE), operational excellence and overall asset management of the Bonga deepwater floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel operated by Shell in Nigeria.

The Bonga FPSO vessel has a total production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day and 150 standard cubic feet of gas export per day.

The height of a 12-storey building, and spanning an area the size of three football fields, the FPSO explores for and extracts oil from more than 1,000 metres below sea level.

TRAINEE TURNED MANAGING DIRECTOR

She has 19 years of working experience in Shell. Aiboni joined the oil company as a trainee production engineer and gradually rose through the ranks over the years.

“Immediately after I completed the compulsory national youths service, there came the opportunity to sit the Shell Intensive Training Programme examination. I made it, and that’s how I got into the prestigious SITP school. After a year of hard work and successful interviews, I transitioned to an employee as a Trainee Production Engineer about 19 years ago,” Aiboni disclosed in an interview with DMG events – a global energy show, in March.

Within the 19-year period, she served as business adviser to the executive vice president, and also managed third-party interface across several Shell assets in Nigeria and Kazakhstan.

Afterwards, she became a senior PtA engineer, then a manager at different tiers and transitioned to asset operations manager of Bonga, and presently SNEPCo boss.

The managing director holds a Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin, Nigeria, and a Master’s degree in Integrated Environmental Management from the University of Bath, UK.

‘A PRODUCT OF DILIGENCE, COMMITMENT TO SHELL’S VALUES’

Under her leadership, the Bonga asset received numerous awards, including the CEO HSSE Awards, Upstream Impact Award, and the Asset of the Year Runner up in 2019, in the Shell Group.

“Elohor’s appointment is a product of diligence, competence and commitment to the Shell ideals and core values, amidst our strong focus on diversity and inclusion,” Bamidele Odugbesan, media relations manager of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), quoted Marno de Jong, Shell’s senior vice president for Nigeria, as saying.

“We take pride in our intention of being one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world, and focus on further improving inclusion and representation in critical areas, including gender.”

‘SELF MOTIVATED WITH STRONG SENSE OF BUSINESS PRIORITIES’

In her LinkedIn profile, Aiboni describes herself as “self-motivated with great ability to work easily without supervision. Result-oriented showing a sense of urgency and can challenge positively. Very good communicator with strong sense of business priorities.”

According to the profile, she is experienced in project to asset handover, operations of oil and gas facilities with HSE, cross-discipline, cross-functional units and multi-operating unit exposure with great interpersonal skills.

She is a certified quality management system (QMS) auditor, trained health, safety, security & environment (HSSE) & control framework auditor.

Source: The Cable