African Women Entrepreneurs on the Rise: Leaning Into Opportunity

“The only constant in life is change”, a famous quote by Heraclitus the Greek Philosopher. With change comes unprecedented challenges or unexpected opportunities. Often, the difference between the two outcomes is your worldview and perspective.

COVID changed how the world works and does business for good. Entrepreneurs who were able to spot growth opportunities in the midst of the crisis are now experiencing unexpected success.

Two AWEC alumnae embody this ability to lean into opportunities that can sometimes be disguised as challenges. With the right counsel and self-confidence, you can achieve anything.

When They Zig, You Zag

Kundai Moyo joined AWEC Cohort 1 when her business was in its infancy. She had registered with the Malawian government but was still waiting on approval from the medical council, and APEX Medical Laboratories did not officially launch until July 2019 – four months into Kundai’s AWEC journey. 

“I went into AWEC with my business skills at zero, and AWEC gave me the platform to understand all of the components.”

Three years later, APEX Medical Laboratories works with a network of clinics and hospitals throughout Lilongwe [Malawi’s capital city] and now employs 5 people with an annual revenue of $57,000, which has tripled each year since its 2018 launch. As of April 2021, APEX had already exceeded its 2020 annual revenue and is currently on track to achieve 300% growth again this year. 

APEX’s growth and success throughout the pandemic can be attributed to Kundai’s strong leadership. At the start of the pandemic, a mentor told her not to put APEX in survival mode, but instead, growth mode and look at how to create opportunity from the situation. Kundai took this to heart and secured funding through Growth Africa to purchase biosafety equipment, PPE, and additional testing supplies that allowed APEX to continue their services and support COVID-related testing needs.

“Each component of AWEC helps me in the day-to-day running of the business, especially giving me the confidence to be a business leader. I wasn’t ready for the growth that came this year, but I was able to articulate the challenges, break them down, and handle each of them to make sure the organization continues to grow.”

Going forward, Kundai believes there is still a great opportunity for APEX to grow. She is working on adding additional tests and expanding to another city in Malawi, both based on the use of her product metrics and client feedback to understand what services have the biggest margins and where there is the greatest need for additional testing services. 

Your Reputation and Passion Will Open Doors for You

Freda Muyambo, a certified project finance professional, is a Kenyan-based published author with expertise in African cuisine. She is the writer and cook behind her blog and YouTube channel, both called My Burnt Orange. Her curiosity about African food culture and history has turned her blog into an online resource for all things African-cuisine. Her work is published in Amex Essentials, The Spruce.com, Radiant Health Magazine, and others. She is noted for her inspired creativity in African Cuisine on CNN and has featured in The African Economist, Guardian UK, and on the BBC. 

When Freda Joined AWEC Cohort 2, all she wanted was to grow her blog readership. However, going through the program challenged her to expand her vision and ambition. She spotted an opportunity to position herself as the leading voice in Africa’s culinary history. In addition to growing her own blog, she actively started writing for other publications 

When COVID hit, Freda resolved to take advantage of the increased online activity to focus on her YouTube channel. Her commitment and consistency paid off, with her subscribers increasing from 700 to 2000 organically and starting to generate ad revenue.  But that was just the beginning. The best part of her story came unexpectedly. 

In the wake of the June 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the USA, media houses and publications began seeking diverse voices to work with or feature in their content. The increased interest led Freda to receive opportunities on her doorstep and writing fees that she had not managed to secure before. 

“The Black Lives Matter protests of 2020  drew people’s attention to the ongoing injustices affecting the lives of Black people and the need for more support. As a result of this I was offered many more writing opportunities. Well-paid writing opportunities! When I started writing a few years ago, I’d get $70 - $75 for an article. In 2019 it increased to  $100. Last year [2020] I stepped into $300 per article and towards $1,500 for a project!”

Freda shared that the pandemic was actually a huge step-change for her. Overwhelmed by the pressures of homeschooling her four children during the lockdowns, ‘putting herself out there’ for her business was no longer her top priority. But when opportunities came knocking, she said yes and it led to unexpected wins. 

Soon, a mutual friend in her foodie network introduced her to Bryant Terry,  NAACP Image Award-winning chef, educator and author who was looking for a writer with deep knowledge of food history in Africa. Together with Bryant, Frida got to work on the ‘Black Food Book’ project; a groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world in 2020. 

The recent feature in the August 2021 edition of the prestigious food magazine, Bon Appetit, came as a complete surprise to Freda.  She is thrilled to see the support that the book is receiving and hopes to write books of her own as well. For now, Freda plans to ride the publicity wave and continue sharing her love of African food through her blog and YouTube channel, My Burnt Orange. 

Find the Silver Lining and Use It

These two phenomenal women are great examples of how to turn challenges of a pandemic into  milestones for your business. Continue to think big, say yes to opportunities, consult mentors and keep learning! The skills and knowledge you gain  will come in handy for your personal and business growth. 

“You need a different type of skillset to navigate where you are at every stage of your business. Some of what I learned at AWEC didn’t make sense at the time, some made sense one year later, and others make sense now. I keep going back to my notes at each new stage of my business,” Kundai Moyo,

When you stay prepared, you don’t have to get prepared when opportunities come knocking.