Wednesday 26 February 2014

African Entrepreneurs Making Waves In Business




How do I start the intro to an article that highlights Africa is just not blue skies and starving kids with flies on their faces? That the so-called-Dark-continent or some the motherland - has hidden jewels, has people making money. We hardly read about Africans earning their worth not through sport or music, but through smart thinking, blood, sweat and tears. Thanks to Mfonobong Nsehe, ladies and gents - get inspired

Senai Wolderufael, Ethiopian
Founder, Feed Green Ethiopia Exports Company
The 27 year-old Ethiopian entrepreneur is the founder of Feed Green Ethiopia Exports Company, an Addis Ababa-based outfit that produces and exports popular Ethiopian spice blends such as Shiro, Mitmita, Korarima and Berbere. Wolderufael founded the company in 2012 primarily to serve the needs of the Ethiopian diaspora in the United States and Europe, but as demand for Ethiopian spices increased significantly, Feed Green began exporting to new markets within Africa. The company employs only women.
Eric Kinoti, Kenyan
Founder, Shades System East Africa
The 29 year-old Kenyan is the founder of Shades System East Africa, a $1 million (annual sales) company that manufactures military and relief tents, branded gazebos, restaurant canopies, car parking shades, marquees, luxury tents, wedding party tents canvas seats and bouncing castles across the region.  The company’s biggest clients are non-governmental and humanitarian organizations. Based in Nairobi, Shades System exports its products to Somalia, Congo and Rwanda. The company says it is profitable and has 18 full-time employees.
Nick Kaoma, South African
Founder, Head Honcho Clothing
South Africa’s own Daymond John in the making, Nick Kaoma is building an urban legend. The 28 year-old Cape Town native is the founder and creative director of Head Honcho clothing, a prominent South African lifestyle brand that designs, manufactures and markets streetwear clothing that is hugely popular among South Africa’s young urban dwellers. The company’s product line includes t-shirts and caps to cardigans, varsity jackets, hoodies, tank tops and female dresses.
Ronak Shah, Kenyan
Founder, Kronex Chemicals Ltd
Shah, a 26 year old Asian-Kenyan, is the founder of Kronex Chemicals Ltd, a fast-growing manufacturer of low-cost household cleaning products.  Shah founded Kronex in January 2013 and the company has two products- a dishwashing liquid and a multi-purpose detergent, both of which are gaining market share amongst Kenya’s lower middle-class.
Issam Chleuh, Malian
Founder, Africa Impact Group
Issam Chleuh, a 27 year-old Malian national and former Ernst & Young Senior Associate, is the founder of the Africa Impact Group, an international organization focused on directing investment to socially and environmentally beneficial ventures, an asset class called Impact Investing. The company’s services include data & research, news, advisory services, and start-up incubation. Africa Impact Group’s clients include impact investors, private equity firms, family offices, leading African corporations, governments and nonprofits.
Patrick Ngowi, Tanzanian
Founder, Helvetic Group
Patrick Ngowi, 29 is the founder of Helvetic Group, a company that pioneered the supply, installation and maintenance of solar systems in Tanzania’s Northern Circuit. Helvetic Solar Contractors continues to grow. Helvetic did more than $5 million in revenues in 2013 and KPMG East Africa recently valued the company at $15 million. Helvetic is also expanding into the South African region and Ngowi is gearing up to take the company to Dar es Salaam’s capital markets.
Heshan de Silva, Kenyan
Founder, DSGVenCap
After dropping out from school in the United States, Heshan de Silva, 25, worked briefly for a tea exporting company owned by his parents before breaking out to start VenCap, a business that sold travel insurance bundled into long distance bus tickets. The company became profitable very quickly, grossing over $1 million in revenues within its first year and setting the pace for travel insurance for bus commuters in Kenya. He is now a venture capitalist and the founder of DSGVenCap, a company that makes seed investments in the tech, media, agribusiness and consumer industries in Kenya.
Julie Alexander Fourie, South African
Founder, iFix
At 26, Julie Alexander Fourie runs a company that employs 40 people and services more than 4,000 clients a month. Fourie is the founder of iFix, which repairs and services all Apple products and Samsung Smartphones. iFix has branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Fourie started the company in 2006 from his dorm room at the University of Stellenbosch, helping colleagues and friends repaid broken and faulty iPods and computers. Satisfied friends subsequently referred other Apple product owners in search of repairs and Fourie’s business took off.
Sangu Delle, Ghanaian
Founder, Golden Palm Investments
Delle, 27 is a co-founder of Golden Palm Investments, a holding company that invests in early stage venture and growth financing across Africa with a strong bias for Real Estate, healthcare, agribusiness and technology. GPI has backed startups such as Solo Mobile in Nigeria, mPharma in Ghana and Zamsolar in Zambia. He is also the co-founder of cleanacwa, a non-profit working to provide access to clean water in Ghana’s underdeveloped regions. Sangu, who previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Valiant Capital Partners, is currently an MBA candidate at Harvard.
Uche Pedro, Nigerian
Founder, BellaNaija
The 29 year-old Nigerian media entrepreneur is the founder of  BellaNaija, a thriving new media company that develops online media content for African (primarily Nigerian) audiences. BellaNaija.com is Nigeria’s premier lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website, and garners an average of 10 million page views every month.
Tebogo Ditshego, South African
Founder, Ditshego Media
The 29 year-old South African public relations maverick is the founder of Ditshego Media, a leading PR firm specializing in Media Relations, Investor Relations, Reputation Management and Corporate Communications. Ditshego is also the Chairman of the South African Reading Foundation.
Bankole Cardoso, Nigerian
CEO, EasyTaxi Nigeria
Cardoso, 25, is the founder of the Nigerian operations of EasyTaxi, a taxi mobile App that was founded in Brazil in 2012 by German technology startup incubator, Rocket Internet GmBH. EasyTaxi serves to connect cab drivers and would-be passengers. Through the App, passengers can confirm their pickup point and then order a cab at the click of a button. EasyTaxi sends the passenger a confirmation of the name and phone number of your driver and gives passengers the option of tracking their driver and the vehicle in real-time. Before setting up EasyTaxi in Nigeria, Cardoso worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Carlyle Group in New York.
Isaac Oboth, Ugandan
Founder, Media256
Isaac Oboth, 24, is the founder and CEO of Media 256 LTD, a film and television production company in East Africa. Media 256 was founded in 2011 and has a client list that includes Coca Cola, UNDP, USAID, the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange, Marie Stopes International, the African Leadership Network, and the African Leadership Academy. The company says it is profitable and employs 7 full-time videographers and editors. Isaac is also an Anzisha Prize Fellow, a pan-African award that celebrates innovative young African entrepreneurs.
Barclay Paul, Kenyan
Founder/CEO Impact Africa Industries
The 22 year-old Kenyan is the founder of Impact Africa Industries, a company that produces low cost sanitary pads for poor women in informal settlements Kenya three years ago and he now sells the pads to as far as Uganda and South Sudan. The company is located in Kitale, a small town in Western Kenya and has 23 employees, 15 of whom are women who help in production and distribution of the sanitary pads. Paul was an Anzisha Prize Fellow in 2013.
Seth Akumani, Ghanaian
Co-founder and CEO, ClaimSync
Akumani, 30 is a co-founder of ClaimSync, an end-to-end claims processing software that enables hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities all over the world to automate patients’ medical records and to process records electronically. Claimsync’s solution allows these healthcare providers to easily prepare medical claims and send electronically to health insurance companies. In 2013 ClaimSync was the sole African company to participate in the high-profile, IBM, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline backed Accelerator program HealthXL in Dublin. ClaimSync was recently acquired by GenKey, a Dutch-based biometrics company.
Jonathan Liebmann, South African
Real Estate developer, CEO of Propertuity
The 29 year-old South African visionary is the Managing Director of Propertuity, a South African Real Estate development company and the brains behind the construction of the Maboneng Precinct, a thriving cultural district in the east side of Johannesburg’s CBD. Once a neglected and deteriorating neighborhood housing abandoned industrial complexes, Liebmann transformed Maboneng into a vibrant urban mixed-use community complete with Art galleries, artist studios, retail spaces, offices and artist studios.
Tunde Kehinde, Nigerian
Co-founder, Jumia Nigeria
The 30 year-old Harvard MBA grad recently stepped down as co-founder of Jumia Nigeria, the country’s largest online retailer. Kehinde founded Kasuwa, a Nigerian online retailer in 2012. Within days of its founding, Kasuwa received seed funding from German online startup incubator and the company’s name was changed to Jumia. Kehinde resigned in January to start a logistics company.
Adii Pienaar, South African
Founder, Woothemes
Adii Pienaar, 28, is the founder of Woothemes, a company that designs and develops customizable commercial themes and plugins for WordPress. Adii built the business with a bootstrap budget, and the company today generates over $3 million in annual revenues from the sale of its themes. Woothemes also develops and sells themes for other content management systems, including Tumblr. Pienaar also runs PublicBeta, a service that allows successful entrepreneurs to transfer knowledge to new startups.
Zaheer Cassim, South African
Founder, One Way Up Productions
29 year-old South African media entrepreneur Zaheer Cassim graduated from Columbia’s Journalism school and returned home to South Africa to found One Way Up Productions, a television production outfit with a client list that includes Ogilvy South Africa, Hollard Insurance, the African Leadership Academy and Hackett.
Mike Muthiga, Kenyan
Founder, Fatboy Animation
Muthiga, 26, is the founder of Fatboy Animation, a Nairobi-based animation company that produces 3 and 2 dimensional animation for both film and commercial use. FatBoy Animations has produced several viral animated commercials for Kenyan blue chips like brands such as Safaricom, Telkom Orange, Barclays Bank and Jamii Telecommunications (JTL).
Danson Muchemi, Kenyan
Founder, WebTribe
Muchemi, 29, is the founder of WebTribe Kenya, a leading IT company in Kenya with operations in online payment systems, web applications and network security. Webtribe’s flagship company, Jambopay provides e-payments services for e-commerce players as well as e-ticketing services and electronic cash disbursement services. Jambopay is a recipient of the Google Innovation Awards in Financial Services for 2013.
Kunmi Otitoju, Nigerian
Founder, Minku Design 
Kunmi, a 30 year-old Nigerian fashion entrepreneur is the founder of Minku Design, a company that makes leather bags for men and women by subtly blending Aso-oke fabric (a hand loomed cloth woven by Nigeria’s Yoruba people), into contemporary leather bag designs. Minku also makes Yoruba-themed leather purses and jewelry. All Minku Design’s products are hand-made at a workshop in Barcelona, Spain, but they are sold at high-end stores in Nigeria and on the company’s website.
Mazen Helmy, Egyptian
Founder, The District
27 year-old Mazen Helmy is the founder of The District, one of the first co-working spaces in Egypt and one of the few in the region.  The District provides an inspiring workspace (sitting on a total area of almost 1000 square meters) for entrepreneurs and freelancers. Helmy founded the company in 2011.
Khaled Shady, Egyptian
Founder, Mubser
The 22 year-old Egyptian entrepreneur is the founder of Mubser, a new assistive tool for blind people. Mubser, which will be launched officially in March 2014, is a wearable belt with a Bluetooth-connected headset that leverages RGB imaging and infrared dept data captured by a 3D depth camera that allows blind and visually impaired people to navigate around in a safe and easy way. The device recognizes object and obstacles such as staircases and chairs.
Joel Mwale, Kenyan
Founder, Skydrop Enterprises
Mwale who is now 21 years old founded SkyDrop Enterprises, a rainwater filtration and bottling company which produces low-cost purified drinking water, milk and other dairy products in Kenya. In 2012, Mwale sold a 60% stake in Skydrop to an Israeli firm for $500,000. Next stop: Education. Last year Mwale founded Gigavia, an educational social networking website.
Lorna Rutto, Kenyan
Founder, Ecopost Kenya
In 2010, Lorna Rutto, 28, founded Ecopost, a Kenyan company that collects consumer plastic waste such as polypropylene and polyethylene and converts them into durable, easy to use and environmentally friendly plastic lumber, an eco-friendly alternative to timber which is used to manufacture fencing posts.
Ashley Uys, South African
Founder, Medical Diagnostech
Ashley Uys, 30, founded Medical Diagnostech which develops and markets affordable and reliable medical test kits for malaria, pregnancy, syphilis, malaria, HIV/ Aids for South Africa’s rural poor. Uys is a recipient of the South African Breweries $100,000 Annual Social Innovation Awards.
Kimiti Wanjaria, Kenyan
Founders, Serene Valley Properties
Kimiti Wanjaria, 30, is a co-founder of Serene Valley Properties (SVP), a Real Estate development company in Nairobi that constructs and sells residential properties to Kenya’s ever-growing middle class. SVP is behind the development of Sigona Valley project, a $4 million gated residential community outside Nairobi.
Arthur Zang, Cameroonian
Founder, Cardiopad
Zang,  a 26 year-old Cameroonian Engineer is the inventor of the Cardiopad, a touch screen medical tablet that enables heart examinations such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) to be performed at remote, rural locations while the results of the test are transferred wirelessly to specialists who can interpret them. The device spares African patients living in remote areas the trouble of having to travel to urban centers to seek medical examinations. Zang is the founder of Himore Medical Equipments, the company that owns the rights to the Cardiopad.

Friday 21 February 2014

50 Cent Goes Indie


50 Cent has announced that he has signed an exclusive worldwide distribution and services agreement with Caroline/Capitol/UMG. Fif's first album under the new agreement will be Animal Ambition, scheduled for release on June 3rd.  Album pre-orders will begin on March 18th and fans will immediately receive two instant gratification tracks and the corresponding videos will premiere online. An additional song and video will launch each week leading up to the album's release.
According to Caroline President Dominic Pandiscia, "We are thrilled to welcome 50 Cent and G-Unit to our family.  50 is simply one of the most accomplished and creative artists and his plans for the future are as exciting and innovative as you can imagine. I deeply thank him for his belief in our team and what we can do to help support his creative vision in the years to come. I'd also like to thank everyone at Shady/Aftermath and Interscope, particularly Eminem and Dr. Dre, for offering their endorsement and support of our involvement with 50 Cent and G-Unit. They've done an incredible job these past 12 years, and we've got a great legacy of label partnership to build on."
50 Cent commented, "I have had great success to date with Shady/Aftermath/Interscope and I'd like to thank Eminem and Dr. Dre for giving me an incredible opportunity. I've learned so much from them through the years. I am excited to enter this new era where I can carry out my creative vision."
Caroline is the Independent Services division of Capitol Music Group, providing a full range of label services and revenue streams for Caroline's artists, releases and label associations on a worldwide basis, including Marketing, Promotion, Commercial Development, Branding, Synch & Licensing, Lifestyle Marketing, Business Affairs and Finance.

Thursday 20 February 2014

EveryDay Hustlers Ep3 Out Now



DEDEL’IGAZI is a t-shirt brand started and founded by Bongani Jobe Sithole (31 August 2013). The brand was inspired by the phrase itself, which means relax / don't stress or be yourself / be free. We have a variety of tshirts (Vests, Long sleeves, Short sleeves round necks)

dedeligazibrand.wozaonline.co.za
Dedel'igazi brand
Bongani Jobe Sithole
EMAIL: bs.maphitha@gmail.com
WEB: dedeligazibrand.wozaonline.co.za
CELL: 0766191571
Dedeligazibrand Eyethu Sonke!!!


Droping Tomorrow 21/02/2014


DEDEL’IGAZI is a t-shirt brand started and founded by Bongani Jobe Sithole (31 August 2013). The brand was inspired by the phrase itself, which means relax / don't stress or be yourself / be free. We have a variety of tshirts (Vests, Long sleeves, Short sleeves round necks)


Thursday 13 February 2014

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Young C Facebook Selfmade SA records


YOUNG C
Facebook Selfmade SA records
Facebook Kagiso selfmade member
641 nomwa street dobsonvile
Twitter @selfmadesa
Email Selfmadeent1@gmail.com

http://hustleb.blogspot.com

Everyday Hustlers Ep3


Bongani Jobe Sithole Coming Soon!!!!  Dedeligazibrand Eyethu Sonke!!!



Wednesday 5 February 2014

Revenge of the Dreamers




Entertainment Economy Under The Spotlight


MUSIC EXCHANGE – South Africa’s premier music, film and entertainment programme returns to Cape Town City Hall   four years running this time between the 7th and  8th March 2014.
Cape Town's historic City Hall will host patrons, investors, musicians, students and peers for the fourth annual gathering of music, film and entertainment industry heavyweights.

MUSIC EXCHANGE promises forty-eight hours filled with cutting edge keynote addresses, lectures, collaborative breakout sessions, live events and provides the perfect platform for all participants to network and engage in global industry issues.

#MEX14

World renowned Tim Renner will present the keynote address. Awarded the World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow recipient Renner’s address promises to offer global insight on the latest economic trends in music markets.  As Managing Director of Motor Music Renner has developed global iconic artists  like Philip Boa, Tocotronic, Absolute Beginner, as well as Portishead, 2Pac, A*Teens, The Cardigans and German super group Rammstein. Besides selling a total of more than 15 millions albums the latter’s Sehnsucht album remains the most successful German language album to sell more than 500 000 copies. His radio-station, Motor FM, launched in 2004 is the second strongest German rock/alternative/indie/crossover website and the radio-station website.

No stranger to MUSIC EXCHANGE after wooing audiences at last year’s conference is International film composer Dr Trevor Jones and returns this time as a Board member to share even more of his wisdom and knowledge. Jones has composed over 120 projects for film and television. These include Excalibur, The Dark Crystal, Notting Hill, Runaway Train, Angel Heart, The Last of the Mohicans amongst many more Hollywood Blockbuster movies.

What delegates can look forward to at Music Exchange 2014

·         Global insights on the latest economic trends in music markets in Europe by Tim Renner who was  Awarded the World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow
·         The inclusion of the film industry in the programme as part of our mission which is to build African and global partnerships across creative industries for the collective good of all players.
·         A ground breaking addition to this year’s programme is the launch of the new Mechanical Rights Society CAPASSO
·         The launch of the remix of Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse song “Jive Soweto recorded nearly30 Years ago by International Electronic Dance Music (EDM) UK pioneer Charles Webster


The MUSIC EXCHANGE Program is designed to assist artists in fast tracking their professional careers in facilitating engagement that offers a platform to stimulate co-action, exposure and recognition.

Some of our key success stories come from collaboration opportunities that have been initiated through the MUSIC EXCHANGE programme.

Examples include:

·         The new SABC Generations theme song, launched in September 2013, was composed by International Film Composer Dr Trevor Jones and featuring Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse on saxophone.
·         Charles Webster, the International EDM music producer, remixed and remade material he heard at MUSIC EXCHANGE.
·         3I publishers identifying space for two more music publications after attending the conference.
·          R J Benjamin secured the 2013 keynote speaker to mentor the Idols Top 8.
·          Evolver One and 7th Son met industry professionals at MUSIC EXCHANGE who went on to work both band’s product International.

Two days, jam-packed with the most committed and talented people in the entertainment industry today, MUSIC EXCHANGE is passion personified on a multitude of levels.
 
MUSIC EXCHANGE 2014 participants will include:

·         An international record-label managing director.
·         An International key Note Speaker named by the World Economic Forum as the Global Leader for    Tomorrow.
·         A top international electronic dance music executive.
·         An international key note speakers who have worked and collaborated with the likes of U2 /  Eminem Shania Twain and Rammstein, David Bowie, Sting, SinĂ©ad O'Connor, Charlotte Church, Britney Spears and Elvis Costello.
·         An Internationally awarded Hollywood film composer.
·         An international board member of MUSIC EXCHANGE who has been a jury member for BAFTA, the UK Mercury Music Prize and the International Film Festival of Flanders, Ghent and is Chair of Music at the NFTS. He has given lectures and master classes at the South African College of Music, Royal College of Music, The Film Music Conference at the National Film & Television Museum, The National Film Theatre, The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, The Soncinemad International Festival of Film Music, The Arts Council of Spain in Barcelona, The National Film & Television School, The Hay Festival, and the School of Sound Symposium in London.
·         An international board member of MUSIC EXCHANGE who is a professor of history and politics at Oxford, the CEO of the Rhodes Trust , Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities developing with African colleagues the US$8 billion programme, Renewing the African University, Founder of Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF)  together with Professor Jakes Gerwel.

·         Film Studios.
·         National and Regional Radio Industry representatives.
·         Top producers and songwriters of commercial music.
·         Top performing South African and international artists.
·         Top South African and international artist managers.
·         Licensing and collecting agents.
·         Various revenue streams’ hosts and agents.
·         Top music advocates and lawyers.
·         Top executives involved in digital distribution.
·         Physical distribution specialists.
·         Publications and media executives.
·         Sound engineering academies.
·         Concert promoters and festival organisers.
·         Live Music venues managers and owners.
·         Touring – current acts touring South Africa and globally.
·         Recording studio owners and managers.
·         Top brand executives.
·         International record label executives.
·         Top image consultants.
·         Top South African retailers.
·         Key print and online media specialists.

If you are serious about your creative career come to MUSIC EXCHANGE, diarise 7 and 8 March 2014 at Cape Town City Hall.

Tickets are available through Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers outlets countrywide, online at www.computicket.com, or by calling 0861 915 8000. R 220.00 per day or R 400.00 for two days.