FEBRUARY 2021 - MADE IN AFRICA ISSUE

www.sme360.ng
FEBRUARY
2 0 2 1
STRATEGIES ON
SCALING YOUR
MANUFACTURING
BUSINESS IN
AFRICA
PG. 32
PRACTICAL TIPS
ON BRANDING
YOUR MADE IN
AFRICA
PRODUCTS
PG. 15
PROMOTING
YOUR
PRODUCTS
THROUGH
AFFILIATE
MARKETING
PG. 6
BECOMING A
DIGITAL
ENTERPRISE:
THE 9 REVENUE
MODEL
PG. 30
MEET
Adebola Ataiyero-Adefila
The Profitable Manufacturer
A MAKEHAVEN PUBLICATION

Editor’s Note
LET’S TALK ABOUT MADE IN AFRICA BRANDS
I'm so excited to introduce this edition to you.
What better time to celebrate Made in Africa brands than now?
In this edition, we had the opportunity to hear from Adebola
Ataiyero-Adefila, the Chief Operating Officer at Bantu Rolls Nigeria Limited.
She shared some insights that would be useful to any Made in Africa brand.
Also in this edition, we looked at some tips and strategies to help you move
your African brands forward.
Don't just read this edition alone, be sure to share with a friend.
I hope you enjoy this edition!
We would also love to hear from you and keep you updated. Connect with us
on all social media channels with the handle "@sme360nigeria" or you can
send us an email via contact@sme360.ng. Also, do not forget to subscribe to
our magazine by visiting www.sme360.ng/subscribe.
Till our next issue, remember to stay safe.
Ayishat Olanrewaju
MANAGING EDITOR
SME360 Magazine
Published By:
Publisher
Folashade Adeyemo
Managing Editor
Creative Director
Design
Writers
Ayishat Olanrewaju
Oladele Olanrewaju
DRO Design Studio
Shannon Okubor
Associate Editor
Torinmo Salau
Digital Marketing
Executive
Boluwatife Okeowo
Staff Writers
Samuel Moore
Folarin Emmanuel
Rejoice Obike
Alara Charis
Linda Egbuna
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CONTRIBUTORS
DR. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI
Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician & Advocate. She is a
dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post-Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’
experience as a practicing Physician.
She is a trained and certified Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist from Albert Ellis Institute, New York, USA. She is also a certified
Trauma Counsellor and Neurofeedback Practitioner.
She is the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Nigeria’s leading and foremost Psychology and Mental health clinic
prominent in the application of innovative clinical approaches in the management/treatment of a wide range of psychological, emotional, and
behavioral related disorders.
She is the only Nigerian with the 11Ps.....Physician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Practitioner (NLP, BFB, NFB), Public Speaker, Publisher,
Producer (movies), Parent, People oriented and Passionate about God and life.
ABIMBOLA OLIGBINDE
Abimbola Oligbinde is an Entrepreneur and Business Coach with over 12 years experience in Media/Communications and SME Development
She is the Founder, Youthpreneur Business Development Network (YBDN), a Social Enterprise established to empower youth-owned businesses with
skills development, mentoring and connection to funding opportunities.
YBDN was borne out of her passion to empower small and medium businesses for growth. The network, through its various programmes, has
empowered about 3000 businesses since it was founded in 2015.
Abimbola has coached and mentored many small/medium business owners to success.
LAWRETTA EGBA
Lawretta Egba is a professional writer and financial analyst. She is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bsc in Accounting as well as a masters in media
and communication with Pan Atlantic University, in view.
She has years of experience in investment banking, private equity, and ghostwriting, and has written for myriad of platforms in Nigeria and the diaspora
including Future Africa Forum, Nairametrics, The Guardian, Premium Times, and more.
Through her company, Cyno Group, she has also written for organizations like Quantum Zenith, Yochaa, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning &
Budget, FITC, etc. She is also a Toastmaster (Competent Communicator) and a blue belt Karateka.
CHIMA EZEOKOYE
Chima Ezeokoye is a co-founder of WeMove Technologies Ltd. - a technology company with vested interest in transportation and tourism. There he
oversees Corporate, business development, and partnerships.
He was formerly the Head of Corporate Communications at VConnect Global Services. He is passionate about travel, tech, and human psychology.
KEMI OGUNKOYA
KEMI OGUNKOYA FIMC, CMC is a renowned Leadership Development Strategist, Author and Management consultant. For close to a decade, she has
conducted and facilitated high impact leadership development workshops across; Africa, North America and Asia.
Kemi prides herself in the ability to help corporate organisations enjoy seamless leadership transitions and executive onboarding to eliminate
deficiencies which invariably minimise their costs and let them focus on growth.
For close to a decade, she has helped individuals and organisations nationally and internationally create amazing results equipping businesses with the
appropriate technology driven leadership skills to effectively perform on their jobs and Businesses.
SEUN ODEGBAMI
Seun Odegbami is an experienced brand and marketing professional driven by passion to see businesses get actionable results using available
resources, he takes pride in providing his best version as dutifully as possible. As a marketing professional some of his primary goals include helping
business grow their brand and content marketing strategy having done this with several startups.
Some of his contents have received recognition by one of the leading telecoms brand in Nigeria.
DAVID LANRE MESSAN
David Lanre Messan is a multiple award-winning entrepreneur, idea strategist and investor with key interest in entrepreneurship and technology and
highly skilled in idea development, disruptive strategy, business analysis, fundraising, startup development and business management. DLM is
committed to raising digital enterprise disruptors to create wealth and jobs through entrepreneurship and incubation programs. He has developed over
250 thriving business ideas for clients in Nigeria and has raised over $10 million investment for small businesses.

CONTENT
19
SME360 INTERVIEW
Meet Adebola Adefila
The Profitable Manufacturer
24
WHY SMALL BUSINESS LEADERS
MUST PRIORITIZE THEIR MENTAL
HEALTH
26
5 KEY QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR
MARKET RESEARCH
27
9 APPS THAT CAN IMPROVE
YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS
30
BECOMING A DIGITAL ENTERPRISE:
THE 9 REVENUE MODEL
32
STRATEGIES ON SCALING YOUR
MANUFACTURING BUSINESS IN AFRICA
6
PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCTS
THROUGH AFFILIATE MARKETING
8
CREATING MULTIPLE REVENUE
CHANNELS FOR BUSINESS SURVIVAL
9
CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH
MANUFACTURING IN AFRICA
12
HOW AFRICAN MANUFACTURING
COMPANIES CAN INCREASE
ONLINE SALES
14
MANUFACTURING OUTSOURCING
IN AFRICA:
BENEFITS AND EFFECTS
15
PRACTICAL TIPS ON BRANDING
YOUR MADE IN AFRICA PRODUCTS
18
SLEEP: A LOVE LANGUAGE
TO YOURSELF
21
TIPS TO CREATING AN ONLINE
PRESENCE FOR MADE IN AFRICA
PRODUCTS
34
MEET
SUSAN GRANGER
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NUBIAN QUEEN ON 101

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PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCTS
THROUGH AFFILIATE MARKETING
SEUN ODEGBAMI
here are many channels to
generate sales for your business
and affiliate marketing is a
means or method of generating sales
for your service by offering
commission on sales of your products
by 3rd parties such as influencers,
eCommerce sites or affiliate
marketing agents.
If you are scared, it is not a networking
pyramid scheme like MMM. It is also
cost-effective, and payments are
based on performance. It means you
don’t have to pay if there are no
results.
Affiliate marketing can help your
products reach a wider audience, and
more recent data on google trends
show a surge in the number of
individuals searching for answers to
affiliate programs.
HOW IT WORKS:
A merchant is a person who creates a
service offering or a product.
Sometimes it is just individuals who
are selling shoes, bags, clothing, online
courses and programs.
Next is the Affiliate: This the person
who shares your products to a larger
audience. Some companies run
affiliate programs; however, it is
common among individuals. This
industry generates thousands of
Nigerian naira yearly.
HOW DO THEY DO THIS:
The affiliate promotes your products
using their channels to convince target
markets to purchase your products.
They are achieved by running reviews
of products; similar to @misstechy on
her Instagram and her blog site.
Misstechy actually runs ads using her
account to convince people to
download applications and use certain
services and businesses she has
worked with have seen results in sales.
@Ogbenidipo on Twitter is also
another example of an affiliate
marketer, some corporate
organisations also ask him to put out
a review on information on their
products, and his followers engage
with the product.
The network is also part of the affiliate
marketing framework; it is an
intermediary between the affiliate
and the market. Some examples
include the popular amazon, but over
here, we have the likes of Jumia and
Konga who have several affiliate
programs on their eCommerce
platform where you can display your
products and services.
The fact that you have a relationship
with organisations like Jumia or
Konga who take care of delivery can
put more trust in your product
offering. This network is also an
opportunity to display your offering to
a wider audience.
BECOMING A MERCHANT:
First, you must have a product you

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want to sell, if you don’t, then start
looking to create products that you
can sell.
Next step is to have a product that
people “need” and would buy because
no one can sell a product that is not a
need. It’s a ship which is going to
capsize.
Last, find affiliate programs in Nigeria;
for example, Konga and Jumia has an
affiliate program which you can join
as merchants looking for customers.
Mode of Payments:
Per click: Only pay when people click
your link.
Per lead: Only pay when people sign
up for your program of enquiring.
Per sales: When a sale is made.
MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU:
1. Use coupons, discounts or
promotions.
As a business to generate more sales,
you can consider creating deals and
coupons for people who sign up or
want to buy products. It makes
people excited about your offering, for
people in industries like beauty, travel
and electronics. This would prove
helpful and help you track results.
2. Select the right Influencer.
Not every influencer may be right for
your product. For example, if you sell
clothes @misstechy might not be the
best to convert your products but if you
sell digital products or electronic
gadgets she might be the best option
for you.
Brands focus more on the number but
what you should be cracking down is
niche influencers who can effectively
convince their followers to purchase
your product or service. Depending on
the agreement some influencers
might offer to do exchanges as an
agreement; like a free sample of your
product, or a free ticket to a conference
if you are promoting a conference or
pay based on performance.
3. Build your own affiliate network.
By building your affiliate network, you
can ascertain how much revenue you
can generate. To make it easier, draw
up agreements including what you
would pay and how affiliates can
benefit from it.
You can create more affiliates by
offering further commissions to
current affiliates to bring in more
people to the network and create
more loyal followings by rewarding
long term affiliates.
4. Use several channels.
There are several affiliate promotional
programs; it only makes sense to be
strategic and select the option
generating more results.
a. Video reviews on YouTube: Popular
YouTubers can help you push sales
when they promote your product on
their YouTube channel.
b. Product reviews using blogs: Some
bloggers have high traffic on their
blog sites, a review by niche bloggers
can increase your sales.
c. Email marketing: Some Affiliate
marketers have a huge email list
where they can share your product to
services with their list and get people
to click and view your products.

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CREATING MULTIPLE REVENUE
CHANNELS FOR BUSINESS SURVIVAL
LAWRETTA EGBA
he survival of any business
revolves around a combination
of events. These events may be
as a result of external factors like the
state of the economy or internal
factors like the ability of the company
to deliver on its services. Considering
the way COVID-19 threatened many
business lines, there is a belief that
having only one revenue line is
tantamount to putting all your eggs in
one basket – anything can have it all
crashing down.
Creating multiple revenue streams is
a dream for just about any business
owner as it shifts the focus from just
battling with recurring expenses and
now gives room for building long term
solutions, while also leveraging
growth and revenue opportunities.
Every growth-minded entrepreneur
should be on the quest to discover
additional revenue sources for their
small businesses because every
business venture not making money
cannot thrive or grow. There is no
point limiting oneself to only one
source of income when there is an
opportunity to have several channels
to drive growth simultaneously.
Some of the ways a business can
create multiple revenue channels to
ensure its survival include the
following:
INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF YOUR
BUSINESS.
Having multiple channels of income
means getting paid from different
angles. Sometimes, it isn’t about
having multiple products but getting
paid from one product from a diverse
range of sources. Increasing business
visibility is the best way a business can
promote its growth and survival.
Where a business relies on only one
traditional way of connecting and
interfacing with its customers, it limits
its growth by failing to harness
additional growth opportunities which
could have been added to its
conventional mechanisms. The more
your clients or customers can reach
you, the more money you can get.
REPOSITIONING THE BRAND FOR
WIDER MARKETS
Every business owner can transform
their small business from being a local
brand to nationally recognised or a
global brand. Business models can be
revamped, and brands can be
repositioned to enter new markets,
new collaborations and partnerships
that can create outstanding
opportunities for growth and success.
Operating a brand at a national level
will generate more revenue than
selling locally, likewise selling at a
global level will generate more
revenue than selling nationally.
Today’s technology and its possibilities
create e-commerce and e-business
solutions, and many local brands have
experienced
tremendous
transformation and growth across the
globe from locally known and
celebrated brands to nationally
accepted brands and globally
competitive brands.
DEVELOP TRAINING OFFERS
An interesting source of revenue a
business can explore is training others
for a fee. A business that sells products
and services that will require
considerable time for achieving
operational knowledge for the
customers could create training
courses for its customer base in
addition to the primary products and
services that they already sell. Such
businesses can create two options for
their customers, providing them with
physical training or affordable virtual
training.
INCREASING CUSTOMER BASE
Growth in a company’s customers’
base will always positively impact the
revenue of a business. In many cases,
small businesses have already
achieved the highest revenue limits
from the existing customer base, and
this is the sign that they will need
more customers if they want to
continue to grow and thrive. The best
solution is to focus all efforts on
getting new customers that will
increase the current customer base.
Improving the ongoing marketing
efforts to reach more of the target
customers for their products and
services will create new revenue
streams for such businesses.
EMBRACE AUTOMATION
The effective management of revenue
streams is just as important as their
creation. If systems are not in place to
manage the influx of customer
interaction with the business, sales
and services, then the business will
inevitably struggle to achieve the
expected goals.
Multiple sources of income are a
brilliant source of income if business
processes are effectively automated.
Businesses can blossom by creating
good connect points, setting up
online marketing systems, revenue
collection and automated
bookkeeping, so a business can run
while the owner or employees are
asleep and the business doors are
closed.
Creating multiple streams of income
is an important way for a business
owner to both ensure the continued
growth of their businesses. Also raise
the necessary funds for their next
business venture, which may demand
more of their time, energy and active
involvement.

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CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH
MANUFACTURING IN AFRICA
ALARA CHARIS
s a continent, Africa has indeed
witnessed rapid growth and
brought wealth to several
countries as a result of its gross
domestic product (GDP) increase.
One would think access to so many
natural resources will significantly
improve the African economy, but
that is not the case. Some African
countries, despite this growth, have
not moved past the subsistence level.
The manufacturing sector is a crucial
one in Africa to both emerging and
already existing markets. This sector is
bound to experience growth over the
years and boost the African economy.
However, this growth cannot occur
without first addressing the
underlying issues standing as a
stumbling block.
Manufacturing companies have
battled various challenges in the past
years, and there are bound to be more
challenges in the future. However,
recognising and tackling these
challenges head-on is a great way to
bring about a positive change in the
manufacturing sector.
Here are some of the most common
challenges associated with
manufacturing in Africa.
INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE
One major setback associated with
manufacturing in Africa is inadequate
basic infrastructure. Although Africa
has a vast pool of affordable labour, the
efforts will be futile without the
necessary infrastructure in place. With
a shortage of infrastructure, there's
bound to be a rise in business costs.
Manufacturing requires a massive
quantity of water and power, which
some African countries don't have
access to as required. This inconsistent
and unreliable power and water
supply is a major stumbling block to
manufacturing in Africa. This problem
places a huge responsibility on the
potential investors as they have to set
up their infrastructure completely
outside what is available.
Apart from water and power shortage,
there is also the problem of logistics
and market connectivity. If a potential
investor realises how expensive it is to
carry out business in Africa, such an
investor might be discouraged to back
off. Low connectivity can affect the
time taken for manufactured goods to
arrive at the final destination.
SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOR
African has a large labour pool;
however, it takes more than this to run
a manufacturing industry. Beyond the
availability of labour, manufacturing
requires a fair amount of both skilled
and educated labour.
While this didn't matter so much in
the past, technology has taken over in
our present world. Manufacturing
industries are now automated, and it
takes skilled and educated workers to
maintain and operate the machines
effectively. Although specific
manufacturing tasks have been
automated, companies still require
workers who possess relevant tech
skill sets.
As a result of a lack of know-how and
skills, potential investors may have to
employ expensive expatriates'
services. In addition to the cost of
paying these experts, investors might
also have to build up training centres
to equip their future workforce.
Carrying out all of these requires a lot
of time and money, which, if not
provided, poses a massive problem to
the manufacturing industry in Africa.
POLITICAL INSTABILITY
Domestic and foreign investors have
pointed out political instability as a
reason for calling off major
investments in Africa's manufacturing

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sector. Africa has great potential
where the development of its
manufacturing sector is concerned.
However, it is paramount for political
leaders to have a clear vision for
developing those sectors with
competitive advantages.
Potential investors will not commit
themselves in the absence of a
conducive environment for economic
activities. It is common amongst
African political leaders to carry out
activities for the sole purpose of
winning elections and remaining in
power. This selfish attitude impedes
economic development and has a
direct impact on the manufacturing
sector.
ACCESS TO MARKET
Ready access to potential markets for
trading manufactured goods is
essential to the survival of any
manufacturing industry. While this is
true, African countries are not taking
enough advantage of the several
trade agreements reached with other
developed countries.
One purpose of this trade agreement
is to provide African countries with
market access for their manufactured
goods. This access can also help
attract investors in the manufacturing
industry, which can further lead to its
development.
Africa's regional market is quite
attractive for the manufacturing of
goods. However, this is hindered as
intra-African trade is relatively low. The
low turnout can be due to travel
restrictions within countries due to
visa requirements and the
government's tariff imposition on
goods from other countries.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Manufacturers need to get their
products out there in the market. For
this to happen, a tight, strict, and
relatively stressful timeline must
always be adhered to. The
manufacturing sector thrives when the
factors of time, cost, and quality are
considered. When manufacturers fail
to meet up with deadlines, they risk
losing millions of potential revenue
and profit.
This time constraint doesn't leave
room for manufacturing companies to
be flexible and make adjustments. A
lack of flexibility makes it difficult to
change as new data emerges, which
calls for a slight change.
For a manufacturing company that is
all out for quality, this poses a
considerable challenge as working
with fixed deadlines is restricting.
Manufacturing has a long and rich
standing as an integral part of Africa’s
economy. For this sector to thrive well,
it must first recognise these
challenges. Afterwards, tackling them
with the appropriate measures will
strengthen Africa's economy and aid
growth even through the turbulent
times.

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HOW AFRICAN
MANUFACTURING COMPANIES
CAN INCREASE ONLINE SALES
LINDA EGBUNA
he African market, despite the
political upheavals on the
continent, is one of the most
exciting and potentially dynamic
markets in the world. African
manufacturing companies are
increasingly capturing the attention
of the world’s largest businesses, and
the continent's e-commerce
landscape is booming. Every day,
more younger businesses enter the
continent's e-commerce industry, and
with all the impressive e-payment
innovations in our world today, it isn't
difficult to predict that the growth of
online shoppers in Africa will continue
for years to come.
Successful African companies
understand the need to increase their
online sales in today's digital age.
Increased online sales translate
directly to increased business cash
flow, and your company needs money
to pay its staff, its suppliers, buy stock
and re-invest for a brighter future. If
you’re hoping to increase sales, you’re
on the right track. Increasing sales is
the key to any successful business, not
just for the spike in revenue but also
because loyal shoppers are worth
more than five times the first time
shoppers.
It’s critical to learn all the little ways
you can boost your company's online
sales because it is only by improving
your sales channel that your business
can truly grow. Here are six ways you
can increase your company's online
sales today:
1. INCLUDE DETAILED CONTACT
INFORMATION
If you’re a founder of a manufacturing
company in Africa desirous of
increasing your online sales,
understand that the best tactic here
might be a simple strategy that you
would never have considered.
You might not realise this, but
customers find the absence of detailed
contact information on the websites
they shop highly frustrating. Even if
they don't make use of the information
provided; having the detailed contact
information on your website endears
your brand to your customers by
making them trust you more.
Have as much contact information as
you’re comfortable with or at the very
least, include a contact form that’s
easy to access. For even more sales,
consider including a phone number,
full mailing address, and email
address.
2. INCLUDE IMAGES WITH YOUR
TESTIMONIALS
More often than you realise, your
customers make purchasing
decisions based on what products
other customers like or what is
popular on your website. They want to
make sure that other people love the
product and give good reviews before
they buy and when you think about it,
this is quite natural.
If you already make use of
testimonials on your sales page, you
are on the right track but to take this
to the next level, include further
verification of your social proof or
testimonials. Also add pictures, social
media handles or any other
identifying information about the
people who have endorsed your
product or service. Images of these
people with their endorsements
captured are incredibly effective at
influencing more sales because it
proves that you haven’t made up the
testimonials.
When you provide some form of
contact information, potential
customers feel that they can reach
out and verify if the testimonials are
valid. You’re indicating that not only
are your testimonials real, but you are
happy to let curious visitors contact
the people who’ve endorsed your
product. For anyone still undecided
about your work, this can be an
incredibly powerful motivator to buy.

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3. OFFER A FULL REFUND
GUARANTEE
For new and old customers alike, it is
so necessary that you continually
update your refund policy to provide a
way to ensure that they end their
transactions on your company's sales
page as satisfied as possible.
One of the most effective ways to do
this is to offer a full refund guarantee,
promising that your company will
refund the purchase price in its
entirety if a set of conditions are not
fulfilled. Common conditions include
customer satisfaction with the
product, price match, or damaged
products. You don't have to make a
guarantee you can't deliver here but
the more firm the promise, the more
it will increase your online sales.
In addition to the aforementioned
benefits of such refund guarantee,
only a handful of your customers will
take advantage of it, even if they aren’t
satisfied with the product. Even
though it will make your customers
trust you more, most of them would
not have recourse to this guarantee
because it can be quite the hassle.
4. USE LIVE CHAT APPS TO ENGAGE
CUSTOMERS
Ideally, you (or your sales
representatives) should answer every
customer objection as quickly as they
are raised. Every customer has a
different question, and it's simply not
realistic to imagine that you can
continually answer all of them all the
time.
What’s the solution? Besides listing
the FQAs on your website, installing a
live chat app into your sales page is a
gamechanger. Most customers won’t
directly ask their questions through
email or other means; this is a great
way to increase conversions by
responding to their concerns and
needs.
A live chat app allows customers to
quickly interact with you and get an
answer to their burning questions. It is
a simple way to encourage discussion
without pushing a product. It will help
you drive more sales because it
answers any questions your customers
raise as soon as they ask it.
5. RETARGET YOUR ADVERTS TO GET
TO MORE CUSTOMERS
Retargeting is a paid advertising
strategy that involves putting your ads
in front of people who have visited
your website after they have already
left. It is advertising focused on people
who are already familiar with your
brand and have recently
demonstrated interest. This technique
is popular because a visitor's previous
visit to your site often makes them
more likely to convert faster than new
users than someone who hasn't been
to your sales page.
If you want to increase your online
sales, you need to retarget ads to your
site visitors as often as possible. If a
customer leaves your site, track them
very quickly by placing a retargeted ad
on the next website they visit. If they
abandoned their cart, retarget them
with the item that's still in there, giving
them a little nudge to remind them to
go back and complete their purchase.
Retargeting ads keep your brand in
front of visitors after they leave, giving
you a second, third, or even fourth
chance to bring them back after they
leave. It offers better opportunities to
convert website visitors, compared to
traditional display advertising
strategies. Hire an expert if you have
to, retargeted ads are well worth the
investment because they will drive a
crazy amount of sales to your page.
6. OFFER FREE SHIPPING
More shoppers than you realise
abandon their shopping carts if they
get to checkout and realise that free
shipping wasn’t included. If you’re
serious about increasing your online
sales, you need to figure out a way to
prevent customers from leaving due
to your shipping policy.
There are three main ways to
incorporate this into your business
model. For instance, you can cover the
shipping costs if the total order is over
a certain amount. You can discreetly
include the shipping costs in the sale
price, use the revenue to cover
shipping costs while the allure of free
shipping drives more traffic to your
sales page. If you can’t offer free
shipping, you could provide a flat-rate
option from time to time.
Finally, if you’re working to increase
online sales, you need to invest in a
well-designed website while trying
out some of these suggestions. You
need to continually think outside the
box because only then will you come
up with ideas your competitors
haven’t even thought. Ask your
customers for feedback and be
open-minded enough to try
something new. If it increases your
conversions, keep it! If it doesn’t, move
on to another way to boost the
revenue on your site.

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MANUFACTURING OUTSOURCING
IN AFRICA:
BENEFITS AND EFFECTS
SHANNON OKUNBOR
an manufacturing outsourcing
have positive effects on
business and development in
Africa? The Globalization of the world
today is as a result of alliances being
formed between countries.
Developed nations have sought to
expand by spreading their tentacles
towards developing nations like
Africa,
Outsourcing manufacturing as an
African manufacturer can help reduce
cost while allowing you to compete
with larger companies. Outsourcing
manufacturing also enables you to
free up resources and capital and
allows you to focus on core marketing
and business development areas of
your business.
Countries like China and India are
major outsourcing partners for
businesses in Africa. China believes
that its partnership with African firms
will increase the continent’s
self-sufficiency, ultimately alleviating
poverty. As an African manufacturer,
these are the processes you would
need to undertake when outsourcing
manufacturing. Let’s explore
1. It is important to set out objectives
for your outsourcing. If perhaps your
manufacturing process in the food
industry is labour-intensive, you
should choose an outsourcing partner
with low labour costs. If your objective
involves increasing your product
quality, you should choose an
outsourcing partner with a brilliant
reputation for quality.
2. Choose a region that falls in line
with your objective. African countries
are now rising as an alternative to
traditional outsourcing partners like
China and India. Access the economic
conditions of these countries.
3. Look out for companies that have a
reputation for quality and reliability.
Seek advice from local commerce
representatives and seek
recommendations for suitable
partners. You can also work with an
outsourcing procurement specialist to
get a shortlist of suitable partners you
can work with.
4. Scrutinise potential partners, check
for quality control processes and
details of their manufacturing
facilities. Look out for suppliers that
have an internationally recognised
standard such as International
organisation for standardisation (ISO)
5. Outsourcing helps reduce cost, but it
is important to look out for the
working conditions of potential
partners. Working with companies
that provide poor working conditions
can entirely ruin the reputation of your
business. Make sure to ask the
outsourcing company for details of its
sourcing practices for raw materials or
other components.
6. You should then discuss what your
manufacturing requires to potential
partners. Share details of your delivery
requirements with your supplier.
7. Negotiate contract terms with your
chosen supplier, consider short term
contracts if market conditions or
product conditions are likely to
change. Make sure the contract covers
manufacturing, logistics and quality.
8. Finally, you would need to appoint a
manager to supervise your
outsourcing partner, reviewing
progress and checking for standards in
the factory.
Outsourcing your manufacturing can
save your business costs as high as 15%.
The savings from outsourcing your
manufacturing can be invested in
different areas of your business, like
marketing or research. However, some
factors affect the outsourcing of
manufacturing. Some of which are
economic or political instabilities in
different regions. Keeping an eye on
the processes helps to maintain high
quality standards!
In conclusion, outsourcing your
manufacturing is one of the best
decisions you could make as it helps
you cut costs, focus on core areas of
your business and increase business
longevity!

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PRACTICAL TIPS ON BRANDING
YOUR MADE IN AFRICA PRODUCTS
SAMUEL MOORE
randing is one of the most
important aspects of the
manufacturing process. How
else can you explain how we have
come to know the top products in the
world? What makes consumers
anticipate products from companies
like Apple, Samsung, or Nike?
It isn’t just the idea of the products
that make us anticipate; it is the
brand image. Branding helps you
introduce your product to the market.
It also helps you to sell it as well. What
exactly is branding? How do you
brand your products? Why is branding
so important?
DEFINING BRANDING
Branding is a practice in marketing
that helps you to create a name,
design, and symbol that makes you
easy to identify (Smithson, 2015). It is
the marketing practice that helps
your business get beyond the clutter
to attract the customer’s attention
(deBara, 2019).
The quality of your branding will
determine how much of the market
share you will steal. This is why the
biggest companies in the world still
spend so much on building their
brands. It helps you to distinguish
your products from those of your
competitors. Here are a few practical
branding tips to help you out.
PRACTICAL BRANDING TIPS FOR
MADE IN AFRICA PRODUCTS
So many startups in Africa wonder
why their products aren’t doing well in
the market. The question here is, “how
much have you invested in your
branding?” Don’t forget, your product
design and your branding share a
robust connection (Lucidpress, 2020).
When next you are working on your
product design, be mindful of this.
What kind of brand do you want your
business to have? Check out the tips
below:
PREPARE YOUR STORY EARLY
It is always important to prepare your
brand story before you get too deep
with the product design. Without your
story, your business and products are
faceless. So the question you should
ask yourself is, what story do you want
to convey with your branding?
To answer this question, you need to
provide answers to a few others first.
They are:
1. What are your business objectives?
2. What is your unique selling point?
3. Where do you see your brand in the
next few years?
4. What solutions are your products
bringing to the customers?
Answer these questions, and you will
be almost done with your brand story.
This story will inform your choices on
the product and package design.
CREATE A PERSONA FOR YOUR
PRODUCT
Here’s a secret that most
manufacturers in Africa don’t know.
Your branding is not just a means of
delivering the product to the
customers. It is a vehicle that conveys
your brand identity and story as well.
Because of this, you must treat it as a
person.
This means that you need to create a
persona for your products. The
question that begs an answer here is,
“if that product was human, what
would be its personality?” Your answer
to this will define how you will design
the packaging.
The aim of doing this is so that when
people see the product, they find it
easy to relate to it. Isn’t that the whole
idea behind branding in the first
place? Prospects must notice the
authenticity of your product’s persona
so that they can gravitate towards it.
This is how they know that the
product was designed with them in
mind.
AVOID OVER-DESIGNING
Over-designing is a huge temptation
that many manufacturers succumb
to. It’s an African thing to be
overelaborate. We always want to
outdo ourselves and the competition
at the same time. Haven’t you noticed
that the biggest brands in the world
have the simplest brand design?
Exactly, less is always more, especially
in design. Instead of working with
over-embellishments, stick with clear
and simple concepts. The whole idea
behind branding is to make it easy for

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your target audience to relate to your
brand. Make your designs easy to
understand and relate with.
CONSISTENCY MATTERS
Brand consistency is essential but
ensuring that your packaging is
consistent with your values is more
important. Remember that you have a
brand story. This means that
everything you do concerning
packaging must reflect that story.
It is way beyond just slapping your
logo and brand name on every
product. You must be consistent with
other elements like colour, font,
quality, etc. The idea is that when
anyone sees your products from a
mile away, they should know the
manufacturer.
WHY INVEST IN GOOD BRANDING?
Branding makes a huge impact on the
image of your company, the sales of
your products, and your revenue. It
alters how your target audience views
and perceives your brand. Get it right,
and you are on your way to stealing
the market. Here are some reasons
why you need to invest in good
branding:
Attracts recognition
Why is it easy to recognise football club
jerseys? Branding. Wouldn’t you want
that sort of recognition for your brand?
One of the most important elements of
branding to invest in is your brand
logo. Do you have one yet? How
professional is it?
Increases your business value
When you have good branding in
place, your business gains more value
inevitably. This is because it is easier for
people to invest in a known brand.
Good branding ensures that your
business becomes established as a
force to reckon with on the market.
Attracts new customers
Want to attract new customers to your
business? Invest in good branding. This
will help you create a good impression
on your target audience. Once they are
familiar with your brand, it is only a
matter of time before they become
full-fledged customers.
Creates trust
This is one of the most important
reasons why you must invest in
branding. For prospects to invest in
your brand and purchase your
products, they must trust you. Good
branding gives the impression that you
are an authority in your niche. This
makes it easier to trust you.
Wrapping Up
Want to steal the market with your
new made in Africa products?
Achieving this aim is easy once you
invest in good branding. This will get
you the trust and recognition that you
need for your products. Use the
concepts above to build a strong
brand for your business.

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SLEEP: A LOVE LANGUAGE
TO YOURSELF
Dr Maymunah Kadiri
ll work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy; it is a
reference to the need and
importance of a work-life balance.
‘Play’ in this scenario refers to any
activity which allows you to wind
down, take a break, relax, and one of
such activities is sleep.
Getting enough sleep is essential for
helping a person maintain optimal
health and well-being. On average,
each adult should sleep for at least 7-9
hours for optimal rest. The intricacies
of our lives often make it difficult for
us to remember to rest. For many, the
burden of work obligations, family
pressures, life aspirations, amongst
other factors, implies that we have
very little time to consider self-care,
especially in the form of sleep.
Nevertheless, sleep is important for
the rest, repair & renewal of our
bodies. The human body requires
long periods of sleep to restore and
rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair
tissue, and synthesise hormones.
Sleep is vital for good mental health. A
decent night’s rest can make a
positive impact on your entire day.
The benefits of sleep are immense
and inexhaustible. They include
improved memory, stress reduction,
lowered blood pressure, keeping the
heart healthy and enhanced mood.
Good sleep helps improve
productivity and concentration
because by being well-rested, your
body systems have a chance to relax
and on waking, you have more energy
which ultimately improves
productivity. One of the vital roles of
sleep is to help us solidify and
consolidate memories. As we go
about our day, our brains take in an
enormous amount of information.
Fortunately, as we sleep, bits and
pieces of information are transferred
from our short-term memory to
stronger, long-term memory via a
process called "consolidation.".
There is evidence to show that after
people sleep, they tend to retain
information and perform better on
memory tasks. Likewise, good sleep
prevents the risk of heart disease and
stroke.
The effects of poor sleep are numerous
and paint a grim picture of our general
well-being and quality of life. Poor
sleep affects glucose metabolism and
increases the risk of diseases such as
diabetes. This happens because lack of
sleep changes the way the body
interprets hunger signals, leaving one
with cravings that can be hard to
control. The evidence shows that
individuals who sleep for five hours or
less at night are more likely to become
obese during the next decade.
Beyond physical ailments, poor sleep
can lead to mental health issues,
including sleeping disorders and
depression. Socially, poor sleep also
affects our ability to interact with
others as it impacts on our ability to
assess verbal and environmental cues
accurately. It is without saying that we
must learn to make sleep a priority.
You must schedule sleep like any other
daily activity, so put it on your "to-do
list" and cross it off every night. But
don’t make it the thing you do only
after everything else is done – stop
doing other things, so you get the
sleep you need.
There is a time for many words, and
there is also a time for sleep. Early to
bed and early to rise makes a man
healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Here are several tips on how to ensure
you have a good night’s rest:
In addition to the tips above, we
recommend relaxation techniques
such as breathing and meditation
exercises. If you find that you are
unable to shed the worries of the day,
you can journal and take stock of
what happened as a form of release.
Adequate sleep is not only based on
how long you sleep but how well. The
quality of your sleep matters and the
tips above help to improve the quality
greatly.
Nevertheless, the best sleep habits are
consistent, healthy routines that allow
all of us, regardless of our age, to meet
our sleep needs every night, and keep
on top of life's challenges every day.
Are you struggling to sleep or you are
dealing with any sleep-related issues?
You could consult a Therapist or a
Counselor, as this would help you find
out the reasons behind it and
together, you can file out a solution
that would facilitate the resuscitation
of a reliable sleeping routine.

Meet The Profitable
Manufacturer
This edition is all about Made in Africa brands and we had the
opportunity to speak with Adebola Ataiyero-Adefila, the Chief
Operating Officer at Bantu Rolls Nigeria Limited. Bantu Rolls Nigeria
Limited manufactures high-quality tissues and toilet rolls. Sit back
and enjoy this interview with her
1. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO US -
My name is ADEBOLA ATAIYERO-ADEFILA,
I am the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of
Banrut Rolls Nigeria where we manufacture
tissue papers.
2. YOU HAVE BEEN A MANUFACTURER FOR
13 YEARS, HOW HAS THE EXPERIENCE
BEEN LIKE? It’s been a mixed bag of
rewards, risk and challenges but wouldn’t
have wanted it any other way. I came into
the manufacturing industry knowing next to
nothing, but over the years I've come to
master the intricacies of the industry
whereby I'm able to guide new entrants. Not
withstanding I keep learning everyday,
learning is inevitable in this sector.

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3. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF
MANUFACTURING IN AFRICA AND
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO
OVERCOME THEM? First off,
infrastructure is a major challenge
coupled with unfavourable regulatory
policies. To overcome this, we’ve had
to become a government unto
ourselves particularly in the area of
infrastructure. Policy wise,
sometimes, we’ve had to bite the
bullets and other times, we’ve been
able to influence changes through a
class action approach in our
manufacturing associations.
4. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS
THE IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
SKILLS BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO
HAVE TO RUN SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESSES? Leadership is dynamic,
you need to evolve as you journey. It’s
pertinent to note that leadership is
mainly about managing people. The
skill that has majorly helped me has
been “developing people through
work” where there’s room for learning,
mistakes and growth. You know the
saying “people don’t leave bad
organisation, they leave bad leaders”
being a visionary and strategic leader
is just not enough, your people must
be willing to follow you and do the
needful even in your absence so having
the skill that influence followership is
key.
5. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE
TO SOMEONE STARTING A
MANUFACTURING BUSINESS? Start
small, do an extensive research on the
industry you’re venturing into. Be
conservative regarding your finances
and structure.
a) it's important to pay attention to
your supply chain, develop your
structure to be able to deal with
emergencies when the need arises.
b) Inventory management is critical: it
cost you money to have inventory
sitting in your warehouse for too long.
Know how to measure your re-order
points
c) invest in training your production
staff, the life of your machinery is
highly dependent on this.
d) Your product is not a product until it
is sold. Get adequate knowledge
regarding distribution for your goods
and keep a good relationship with your
value chain. You only get to smile to
the bank when you have succeeded in
sales.
6. WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY
STAND OUT FROM SIMILAR
COMPANIES IN NIGERIA? The quality
of our products and our service
delivery.
7. Can you tell us about your
signature program “The Profitable
Manufacturer”? TPM is my own way
of giving back to help start ups and
existing businesses to make sense of
their business in Nigeria and Africa as
a whole
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
BUSINESS PRINCIPLE? Diligence: I’m
a big believer of consistently being in
“the doing” of your business, that way
you give attention to the process of
what you are birthing.
9. MENTION SOMEONE YOU ADMIRE
IN YOUR INDUSTRY AND WHY? Mr.
Nari Gwalani, Chairman Poly Product,
he thought me the tenets of seeing
business as worship.
10. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNT OVER
THE YEARS AS A MANUFACTURER?
I’ve learnt to be resilient giving the
magnitude of challenges we face
daily. I’ve also learnt to see the good in
the bads.

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TIPS TO CREATING AN
ONLINE PRESENCE FOR
MADE IN AFRICA PRODUCTS
REJOICE OBIKE
he African continent has about
54 countries; this makes finding
new customers a
time-consuming process. But with
technology, you can market to an
array of buyer personas around the
world. Digital consumers spend an
average of just over 2 hours every day
on social media, and according to
statistics conducted by GWI Social,
over 94% use social media daily.
As a brand, your online presence is
basically what your potential and
existing clients see when you are not
there. Also, it is vital to have an online
presence because in a digital era,
almost everyone is tech-savvy, and
your brand is more likely to survive in
a competitive market when you have
an online presence.
However, above all, having an online
presence is a great way to leverage
made in Africa products globally,
increase credibility and attract
returning customers over Africa and
the world in general. Therefore, social
media is one of the best ways to
connect with people who already love
your brand. It’s also important for
reaching those who haven’t heard of
your business yet.
WHAT IS AN ONLINE PRESENCE?
An online presence can be defined by
how easy it is to find your brand or
business online. Online presence also
means anywhere online your business
can be searched for and found, so you
can build your brand reputation,
increase brand awareness and
visibility.
Elements of an Online Presence -
• Social media profile
• Professional directory listings
• Profile on a network like Linkedin
• Company website (static pages)
• Company blog (a regularly updated
page)
• Guest post on someone else’s blog
• Domain name
• A branded email address
• A landing page or sales page
• An online shop
Here are tips for creating an online
presence for your business:
CREATE RICH AND COMPELLING
CONTENT:
The power of compelling content has
been underestimated many times. But
the more content you produce, the
more opportunities you have to show
up online either on search engines,
Youtube or social media. Before you
start producing content, have a
strategy and map out content that’s
generally specific to your target
audience. Also, strategise on the places
you want your brand or business to
show up online. Do you want to be on
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube,
Twitter, Pinterest, Etsy, Poshmark,
Goodreads, or Amazon? Next is to
prioritise the sites your customers are
more active, which should be based
on customer research.
DIVE INTO EMAIL MARKETING:
Email is one of the most effective
channels for acquiring new customers
and building new customers. An
email list lets you connect with your
customers, whether new or existing,
on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. To
grow your email list, you can create
gated content that users have to
sign-up to receive. Additionally, you
can use a call-to-action (CTA) on your
website and social media pages to
promote your email newsletter. With
a newsletter, you're able to collect
leads' emails -- additionally, it shows
your leads and customers are
interested in your content.
LEVERAGE ON SEO:
SEO also known as search engine
optimisation, the art of ranking higher
on search engines with a specific
keyword. It’s also a way of increasing
the quality of traffic for your website.
An effective SEO strategy involves
some steps, from forming a keyword
strategy to conducting more granular
keyword research to optimising your

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site architecture and performance
(e.g. category pages) to building links
back to your website.
BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
This is the use of social media
platforms to promote and sell your
products and services. Some of these
social media channels include
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Snapchat e.t.c. Beyond helping
businesses boost sales online, it is one
of the ways you have one on one
interaction with your target
customers. Having a presence on
social media can help you build trust
with your current customers and
prospects. A company that doesn't
have a presence on social media is
more likely to attract customers you
don’t trust and feel unsure if your
business even exists.
With social media, you can build your
credibility and reputation and
showcase your brand. Moreover, when
potential customers are researching
for your brand, the first place they'll
look is on social media to see what
you're putting out there and what
people are saying about you.
HAVE A WEBSITE:
Besides being on social media, having
a website is one of the ways your
business or brand can gain
momentum online. A professional
website can help take your business to
the next level. When people are trying
to find your business, the first thing
that comes to their mind is to search
for your website, without one, your
business might miss out potential
customers. With a website, you can
show off your brand through colours,
fonts, text, video, and images. You'll
appeal to your buyer persona's pain
points and present a solution to their
problem. There are many reasons why
your business needs a website: to
inform potential customers about
products and services, to represent the
company, to enable contact with
different departments, or to distribute
goods online. To build a website, there
are many hosting platforms you can
leverage on like WordPress, Wix,
Blogger, Hubspot, e.t.c. With a website,
you will be able to share your brand
story and purpose in a way that’s
relevant to your customers and provide
value beyond your products and
services. For example, you could blog
about the issues pertinent to your
different audiences or provide support
with video tutorials and online toolkits.
Conclusion:
When it comes to taking your business
online or increasing your online
presence, it’s important to focus more
on creativity than money. And, putting
the customer first is the best form of
marketing of all.

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WHY SMALL BUSINESS
LEADERS MUST PRIORITIZE
THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
KEMI OGUNKOYA
hy is there so much buzz
about dealing with anxiety,
stress, depression, and other
mental-related issues? For a country
like Nigeria, where citizens pride so
much on their ‘spirituality’, discussing
mental wellness triggers, not a few
alarms. But the question we should
seek to answer is, why not? Why not
mental health?
Suppose a child wakes up with a
burning fever, or suppose he throws
up repeatedly, they are immediately
taken to a hospital for treatment. No
one queries the family’s concern
about the child’s wellness or suggests
that the child endure, shake it off. We
are big on physical health and
wellness, with a pool of resources and
information to ascertain our fears or
suppress our panics. Why then do we
hesitate from extending mental
health the same courtesy?
The World Health Organization
describes mental health as “a state of
well-being in which an individual
realises his or her abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can
work productively and can make a
contribution to his or her community.”
Mental health is the sum-total
wellness of an individual over a given
period.
Mental health is fundamental to our
attitudes, behaviours, and
performances at work and in life. It
affects how we process information,
how we react to given situations, how
we coordinate and organise our
emotions, our focus levels per time,
and a lot more. In the wakes of crises
and emergencies, the physical
well-being of an individual may
quickly rebound as it receives intense
care and attention. Still, mental
well-being has been shown to lag in
recovery.
In the weeks after COVID-19, a
significant number of people
expressed concerns about
experiencing stress and anxiety.
Companies were suddenly required to
adopt virtual systems of operations,
imposing worry and panic into the
hearts of team leads. Daily, situations
at the workplace create spaces for
feelings of incompetence, doubt, and
worry.
For small business leaders, this
presents a whole new challenge.
Leaders are trained to encourage
growth within the organisation,
motivating individuals towards
success milestones. To this end, they
are required to prepare environments
that facilitate all-round development
within the employee without
sabotaging their wellness and ease.
Likewise, leaders must begin to pay
attention to the mental health of their
employees. The effects of an
individual’s poor mental health could
result in disconnections at work,
communication mishaps, a sense of
distrust of oneself and colleagues, and
a reduction in psychological
engagement, a critical ingredient of
high-flying teams and individuals.
We need business leaders who
recognise the role of mental health in
personal and organisational
achievements. Fortunately, the basic
steps towards mental health and
wellness do not require strict
professional monitoring. That is, if
you’re human, then you can care for
your employee’s mental health.
Here are a few simple things to do to
nurture the mental needs of your
people:
1. SHOW EMPATHY: Connections are
formed when genuine empathy is
present. Empathy is a vital skill for
leaders and CEOs. We react to crises
and difficult situations in different
ways, thus leading with empathy is
critical for all situations. Be sensitive
to the shifting moods of your
employees. How often do you move
from being formal to asking “How are
you?” Empathy helps you recognise
and process the emotions of your
employees, affording them the time
to work through their feelings. In
meetings, listen for underlying
messages in their words, study the
pitches of their voices, the tense or
distracted glances. Sometimes, you

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may have to “put yourself in the same
shoes” to understand how a situation
affects them. That, after all, is
empathy – understanding and
entering into another’s feelings.
2. CREATE SAFE WORKPLACE
ENVIRONMENTS: The average
Nigerian dreads Monday morning.
The thoughts of returning to th e
same workplace, working through a
week that bears so much
resemblance with the previous week’s
fills employees with panic and
uncertainty.
Inconsiderate
deliverables often bring this on, rigid
communication means between
employees and employers, and
sometimes partial or total disregard
for employee’s emotions. Leaders
must look to foster connections
between employees and initiate
conversations that tend towards the
psychological and mental safety of
individuals. For instance, rather than
open each meeting with a review of
unachieved tasks from the previous
week, set aside half an hour to talk
about everything else aside from
work. Employees should know that
they can share ideas and give opinions
without having to worry about
potential backlashes.
3. ENCOURAGE SHARING OF
STRUGGLES: Everyone has struggles.
From a door that won’t lock to a
flooded apartment, anyone who
shows up at work shows up with
personal challenges. When a member
of your organisation has a sibling
scheduled for an operation, it is
expected that they are distracted at
work, that they miss out on cogent
information. Sharing of struggles does
not contribute to a negative
environment, as some leaders fear.
Instead, it humanises challenges. Have
you always wondered why celebrities
get flooded with “me too” comments
whenever they talk about the troubles
they had? It is because when we see a
model figure or a respected share their
vulnerabilities, it downplays the
stigma of such. You may not have to
formulate a vulnerability. What counts
is that your employees find solace in
trusting you with their weakest
moments.
4. RECOGNIZE WARNING SIGNS:
Recognize early warning signs in
yourself and your employees. Know
when the laughter is real, and when it
is forcefully induced. Nigerians are
called the happiest people on earth,
but at least half the time the happiness
stems from resigning to fate.
Happiness, excitement, and other
positive emotions should be an
outflow of positive thoughts and
feelings. Pay attention to the
underlying tones of your employees’
expressions, rather than taking them
at face value.
5. ALLOW FOR SELFCARE:
Understand what works for your
employees. Different individuals have
different self-care regimens.
Meditation comes with a high
recommendation, as it helps to regain
calmness and concentration, with
reflections and observations included
in the package. Some workers would
rather be plugged into music all day
than spend a minute doing yoga.
Make stress-relieving programs and
activities a part of the organisational
culture, and be persuasive in your
messages about health care. Work is
about responsibilities and
deliverables, but sometimes the mind
craves a break. It is your duty as the
leader to make that happen.
All our lives, we’ve treated our body
with the utmost care, paying
attention to every significant (and
insignificant) change. We must begin
to regard our minds with the same
care.

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5 KEY QUESTIONS
TO GUIDE YOUR
MARKET RESEARCH
EZEOKOYE CHIMA
he importance of research is not
a new idea. If you are looking to
start a business, you probably
already understand the importance of
market research and its critical role in
business development. A lot of studies
show a high rate of business failures
for new ventures under five years, and
even more under ten. In some cases,
this happens despite access to
funding, or a competitor’s success in
the same market. This often leads to a
significant loss of essential resources
that could have been leveraged for
more productive uses.
While market research is an ongoing
process throughout every businesses’
life cycle to keep abreast of important
market trends, our discussion is
focused on conducting market
research before establishing your
business. Let’s call it the rhetorical
expression of “testing the depth of the
waters with one leg”. These ten key
questions to guide your market
research highlight things to keep in
mind while deciding if the business is
worth spending your resources on at
all.
Based on the 2019 Forbes article,
these are the key areas of focus when
conducting this research for your
small business: Your team, market,
revenue, product, and competition.
According to another 2019 article by
Brandwatch, this research can be
carried out through some
methodologies, including surveys,
focus groups, interviews, field trial,
observation, and competitive analysis.
But they are split into two main
categories:
a. The primary research (Also known
as field research).
b. The secondary research (May be
referred to as the desk research)
So now that you know how to go
about conducting your research,
below are the ten key questions to
guide your market research in no
order of preference:
1. WHAT KEY SECTIONS NEED TO BE
INCLUDED IN MY RESEARCH
DOCUMENT TO CAPTURE THE FULL
SCOPE?
A good research document should
clearly indicate the sources of its data
for reference. This also helps to show
the contexts and backgrounds of the
market. It’s development, social and
cultural changes and how they have
affected the market over time. Your
document should also show market
data as detailed as possible. Then
compare available information from
your competitors—finally, an analysis of
past and present market trends to help
predict future occurrence and
potential opportunities.
2. WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE
MARKET?
The size of the market and its growth
potential determines its viability.
Answering this question helps you
realise how many customers you can
hope to get. It also gives insight to your
potential revenue, pricing structure,
cost and volume of sales required to
make profit. This is easily where your
Lean Canvas model fits in.
3. WHO ARE YOUR COMPETITORS?
It is often said that very few ideas are
truly novel in any market. If you are
solving a pressing need, there is a very
high chance that someone else is also
addressing that need. Even if there
aren’t competitions when you start, be
rest assured that they would soon
emerge.
This question helps you to observe or
anticipate your direct and indirect
competitors, what they are offering
and how it compares to yours. Identify
who the dominant players in the
market are and what their strengths
and weaknesses are. It also helps to
know their scope of operations in order
to discover less competitive niche
areas that might allow easy entry with
a modified unique selling point (USP).
It pays to understand your
competitors’ cash flow model. Pay
attention to their revenue streams
and profit margins. In this section,
your SWOT analysis comes in handy.
4. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL
RISKS?
The first thing to understand is that
there are always risks. Your role in the
course of navigating your business
landscape will be to explore new ways
to mitigate these risks. It is important
to note that risks are better prevented
than managed. Therefore your goal; at
this stage will be to anticipate
potential threats and the cost of
potential solutions or mitigation
factors. Business.com lists market risk,
competitive risk, capital risk,
employee risk, and security risk as the
major types of risks to be wary of.
5. HOW WILL MARKET FACTORS
AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?
You are not working in isolation.
Therefore there are many market
factors which will have both negative
and positive impacts on your
business. Some will have direct
effects, while others may have indirect
effects on your business operations.
Some of these market factors include:
- Regional factors, e.g. culture, politics
- Seasonal trends
- Fashionability and customer’s
preferences
- Customer needs
- Competing markets
- Technological advancements
- Educational Opportunities
- Employment
- Regulatory requirements
- Financial incentives available e.eg
grants.
- Your company schemes and
productivity
While these are not all you need to
ask, these are some of the key
questions which will guide you
through a properly executed market
research. Let me know your thoughts
in the comment section and I’ll be
happy to see what you are able to
accomplish with this. If your business
venture has moved past the stage of
market research and is looking to set
up your team, here are some common
to avoid. I also shared, in an earlier
article, some strategies you can adopt
to recruit a high-performance team.

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9 APPS THAT CAN IMPROVE
YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS
ABIMBOLA OLIGBINDE
very small business should
always seek ways to improve
their day-to-day operational
processes for maximum optimisation,
to improve productivity and
favourably compete in the industry
they operate. The limited resources
available to SMEs should not be an
excuse for poor business performance
in this digital age with ample tech
solutions available to ensure smooth
running of businesses. Having a few
employees is also not an excuse for
not delivering excellent service. Every
customer desires quality products
and service regardless of the size of
the business they are patronising.
They expect you to deliver on your
promise and offer them value for
money. Thus, for you to meet your
customers’ expectations with meagre
resources, you need to start using
small business apps. They make the
work easier, faster and efficient.
Many digital tools can help business
owners streamline their daily business
processes for efficiency. The tools, by
automating your business processes,
also help reduce the stress of one
person doing so much work and
feeling overwhelmed, especially in
startup businesses where there are
very few employees. They also reduce
or completely knock-off the expenses
that could be incurred on hiring
consultants and outsourcing.
There is hardly any business process
without tech solutions available to
make it easier, faster and better.
Whatever aspect of your business you
need to improve, there is either a
desktop-based software or a mobile
app available at your disposal. From
accounting software to invoicing
apps, to HR solutions and of course,
small business management apps,
there is always something to meet
your business needs. The good part is,
many of these apps are flexible to use
on the go. Irrespective of the time and
location, you can manage your
business tasks at your convenience. All
you need is your device: either a
desktop computer or mobile phone.
Below is a compilation of 9 apps I
recommend to help improve your
business performance and make your
work easier, based on user experience.
Some of them are free, while some are
subscription-based. You also need to
find out if the apps are available for use
in your country before subscribing.
The following apps were selected for
their functions, in line with major
business needs and certain aspects of
every business’ daily operational
processes. I have categorised those
aspects as follows:
1. ACCOUNTING
Wave is a fantastic online accounting
platform for startup businesses.
Founders of Wave say they are
exclusively designed for small business
owners, freelancers, and consultants to
help them streamline their
bookkeeping processes. The software
allows you to do so much in one place
for free. Without paying any
subscription, you can use their
online-based platform, their mobile
invoicing app, and mobile receipts
app.
The platform has many features
including accounting, invoicing,
billing, payment tracking, payroll
management, finance management,
credit card processing, and receipt
scanning.
It also has bank reconciliation tools,
with which businesses can manage all
bank account and debit/credit card
information in order to improve the
accuracy of their financial records. The
best feature of Wave is perhaps its
ability to generate reports on balance
sheets, cash flow, profit/loss, etc.
2. HUMAN RESOURCES
SMEs have to meet several HR needs
ranging from onboarding, workforce
performance management, to payroll
and training/annual leave scheduling.
BambooHR is the go-to HR system for
small businesses. It is a cloud-based
system that offers integrated payroll,
applicant tracking (ATS), onboarding
tools, e-signatures, time-off tracking,
and performance management. It
also makes reporting between team
leads and subordinates easy and
convenient. A cool feature of the
BambooHR is the TRAXPayroll which
makes running payroll fast, timely and
easy. It also helps with tax deductions
and filings.
3. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
For product-based businesses, it is
important to keep a record of stock
and purchase orders in order to
ensure smooth running of sales and
also to monitor profits or deficits.
SOS Inventory is designed to make
inventory tracking, order
management, and manufacturing
easier. The app makes the
management of inventory easier. You
can even track your items according
to a number of different attributes
(like serial number and cost history)
on the app. You can create tickets and
packing slips as well.
4. SALES & MARKETING
Looking for an affordable eCommerce
platform that allows you to create
your personal brand e-shop with a
beautiful template without spending
so much money on building an
e-commerce site for your business?
Try Shopify. Shopify makes online
sales easier for SMEs by providing

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e-store templates, payment
processors, personal brand blog,
email marketing tools etc. Shopify
helps you create a landing page
where you can direct customers to,
outside social media. This enables you
to create a personal sales interaction
with your customers within your own
space. On Shopify, you can use your
store to sell goods or manage
inventory in a physical location.
On Shopify, you can use Boost Sales
App, which allows you to increase
sales conversions. It displays a popup
when an item is viewed or added to
the cart that can complement or be
an alternative to the items selected by
the customer. It also recommends
products to customers.
5. PAYMENTS
With the increasing rate of online
shopping, customers need a reliable
and convenient payment system that
will guarantee the safety of the
debit/credit card details and protect
them from possible cyber fraud. As a
small business owner, you also need a
reliable means of receiving payments
without delay and excess charges. I
recommend Paystack for every form
of payments: whether for products,
services or even events. You can create
a payment link for as many products
as possible; all you need is a valid
business bank account. Charges are
affordable; you can either bear the
cost of charges incurred in every
transaction or pass it to the customer.
Payments are usually settled within
24 hours and you can get a
spreadsheet of all your transactions in
excel documents for accounting
purposes.
6. SURVEYS
The best way to know what a
customer wants is by asking them
directly. There are many online survey
apps that help you achieve this in a
cheap and efficient way if you don’t
have a business website where such
survey links can be created (although,
it is strongly advised for you to have
one). Survey Monkey is one app that I
have found useful over the years for
market survey, customer opinion
sampling, product review etc. Its
features make data collection and
analysis simple.
These features, however, depend on
your chosen pricing plan out of the
four available. The basic plan is
sufficient for small businesses as it
allows ten questions per survey with a
maximum of 100 responses per survey.
It also has about 31 popping templates
one can choose from.
7. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mailchimp is the app that integrates
E-Commerce Integration, Marketing
Automation, and Social Media
Advertising Features in one place. The
most important feature for me,
however, is its mailing list which allows
you to send up to 12,000 emails to up
to 2,000 customers/subscribers per
month for FREE. The app is
permanently free; the only time you
will need to upgrade to a paid plan is
when you exceed the limits. On
Mailchimp, you can create as many
email lists as possible to enable you to
send appropriate emails: from leads
(prospects that you want to market
your products to) to existing
customers, company board, media,
etc. Mailchimp comes with cool
templates and it allows you to
personalize bulk emails by using
personal names of the customer in
your salutation eg ‘Dear Kwesi’, or ‘Dear
Rose’ instead of the general ‘Dear
Customer.’ It also helps you analyse the
performance of your sent emails so you
can know the level of engagement.
8. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
One major headache about selling on
Social Media is the constant posting of
content to keep the followers engaged
and glued to the brand page. It takes a
lot of work managing the daily
operations of the business, at the
same time, being on social media. For
this reason, many large enterprises
recruit manpower to manage social
media activities for them. However,
for most SMEs, having a Social Media
Manager on their payroll is
unaffordable. Thus, the need for a
social media scheduling app.
Hootsuite app is an all-in-one
platform that allows you to curate and
schedule content, measure your
social ROI, run social media ads etc.
On Hootsuite, you can monitor
multiple accounts and keywords,
connect with as much as 20 social
networks, and create bulk scheduling
of social media posts.
9. BRANDING
Branding can be very expensive for
small businesses working on a
budget. Daily graphic designs for
social media posts, flyers,
infographics, product ads, brand
announcements, events etc has been
made easy with CANVA. Canva has an
unlimited free account with tons of
templates, free stock photos (you
don’t have to bother about copyright
issues), icons, and other elements that
make your design beautiful and
appealing.
You don’t need a design experience to
use Canva; it is user friendly. It has
editable templates for every design.
All you need to do is, search for a
template of your choice and edit to
your preference. You can change
colours, text fonts and background.
You can upload your images and
logos on the designs as well. You can
be rest assured that all your designs
are safe because Canva stores your
designs; you can start a design and
finish later, you meet it how you left it.

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BECOMING A DIGITAL ENTERPRISE:
THE 9 REVENUE MODEL
LANRE MESSAN
here are myriads of strategies
that work within the digital
ecosystem because of its
constantly evolving nature. However,
we cannot rule out the fundamentals
of understanding set up and structure
when it comes to keeping the entire
value stack alive.
In this article, I talk about the three
elements that a CEO should keep a
tab on and also the nine revenue
models you need to understand to
birth your digital enterprise.
A digital enterprise stands for more
than just using new technologies for
the sake of it. Rather, what truly
distinguishes and gives a digital
enterprise its competitive advantage
is its culture, strategy and way of
operating. Digital enterprises strive
continuously to enable new and
leaner operating models
underpinned by agile business
processes, connected platforms,
analytics and collaboration
capabilities that enhance the
productivity of the firm. A digital
enterprise relentlessly searches out,
identifies and develops new digital
business models, always ensuring that
customers and employees are at the
centre of whatever it does. There are
some areas that many companies will
need to reassess and reform if they are
to become digital enterprises. Three
key areas have been identified digital
business models (what companies
need to do); digital operating models
(how they can do it); and digital talent
and skills (who they need to work with
to succeed).
In the scheme of digital
transformation or enterprise
digitization, many businesses are
moving beyond viewing technology
merely as a cost and seeing it as an
important enabler of revenue
generation. A recent survey found that
45% of IT executives see growing
revenue by improving digital
capabilities as a top priority. In Africa,
the rate at which IT executives
integrate technology business process
is low, and this is largely because the
CEOs are yet to exist within that frame
of mind. Most CEOs believe that their
companies can implement a
successful digital transformation
simply by launching a digital business
unit and hiring a Chief Digital Officer.
The reality is successful digital
transformation demands a culture
sponsored by the leadership that
promotes innovation, encourages
risk-taking and empowers employees
at all levels of the economy.
Becoming a digital enterprise
requires at first level that you decipher
the problem gap otherwise known as
the job-to-be-done according to my
favourite Harvard Business School
Professor, Clay Christensen, vis-a-vis
the customer segment you want to
focus on as that will pave the way for
designing the framework of
operations. The truth is digital
technologies have enabled the
emergence of the following business
models: peer-to-peer networks,
freemiums, delivering outcomes
(mainly driven by the Internet of
Things),
and
crowd-funding/crowdsourcing as a
service, eCommerce/marketplace and
personalisation, among others.

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Many Nigerian startups ultimately run
completely on digitization to
generating their revenues; an
example is PayLater, a financial
technology platform that started by
borrowing customer money without
collateral within seconds, now they
are creating more services within the
value stack. PayLater runs on a
revenue model where commissions
are made in the form of interest on
loans received from the platform.
Since my focus for this article is on
revenue models for running a
successful digital enterprise, I will
share the nine models and a bit of
explanation for each. A careful study
of each model will open up the
possibility of what will work for your
digital enterprise ideas and could
guide your eventual strategy
development as a startup.
Based on this, I will share sneak-peek
explanations on the nine revenue
models:
1. TRANSACTION: Traditionally
manufactured products are packaged
and resold from one to many users;
ownership is transferred from seller to
buyer through distribution channels.
2. CAPACITY LEASING: Capacity is
monetised in the form of human time,
machine or asset availability;
companies manage the supply of
capacity through demand forecasting,
customer orders and sales.
3. LICENSING: Technology, brand or
intangible assets are licensed for
periods to reflect the value of the
original invention but without the
inventors needing to market or sell the
product/service themselves.
4. SUBSCRIPTION: Products/services
are subscribed to, usually for a time,
which can be as short as a day but
often for longer, locking customers in
with a reduced upfront cost.
5. COMMISSION: Agents collect
commissions (or a margin) for
matching buyers to sellers for a given
product/service; agents can be people
or, more recently, scalable digital
platforms.
6. ADVERTISING: Often used in media
and entertainment as a way to
distribute and share ideas, with
associated
products/services
marketed through the medium.
7. TRADING: Buy low, sell high, if
successful; traders monetise
mispriced goods and services due to
fluctuations in demand and supply
using market knowledge.
8. Donations: Often found to be
transactional or subscription-based
for individuals to participate either on
a one-off or regular basis;
philanthropic donations can often
provide intangible benefits to the
donor.
9. SUBSIDIES: Often found in public
service organisations whereby
traditional revenue models only make
up part of the cost to provide the
service; subsidies typically incentivise
improvements in quality of service.
My advice to anyone looking towards
starting or transitioning into a digital
enterprise is to understand that, the
consideration is not of later but now
because by the time it is obvious, it is
too late. What that means is, now is
the time to act.

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STRATEGIES ON SCALING YOUR
MANUFACTURING BUSINESS IN AFRICA
Samuel Moore
very entrepreneur wishes for
rapid growth. Great news, your
wishes about your business are
being granted. You have the growth
that you so much desired, but now
you are faced with a new challenge.
It is time to scale your business so
that you can advance. This requires a
lot of strategies because, if you don’t
get it right, you could fall to your
competition (Deane, 2019). It is even
more dangerous when you are in the
manufacturing industry.
Because of how risky scalability is
important to businesses, we have put
together a few points to help you.
BE AWARE OF YOUR FINANCIAL
CONDITION
Most businesses in Africa, especially
those at the startup stage, have a
common problem. Access to steady
cash flow. As such, you must go
through a series of deliberations
before attempting to scale up.
It is imperative to note that scaling
means that you will hire more staff
and purchase more equipment. All of
this requires more money. This is why
you must be aware of your financial
condition at the moment to avoid
diving headlong into a loss.
One way to do this is to create an
efficient financial records system.
Continually monitor your cash flow
for a specified period and check what
happens if you have a slowdown of
cash flow. All of this will tell you how
much you need to finance your new
project and how your business will
survive.
INVEST MORE IN PRODUCTION
It is only common sense that
businesses in the manufacturing
sector invest more in production. As
you try to scale up, there is a possibility
of glitches in your production process.
While this may be good news since it
means that your product is popular, it
is also an additional headache.
Customers don’t find it funny when
they need your product, and you
cannot meet up with their demand.
Such a situation can be quite
detrimental to small businesses that
have already gained some level of
brand recognition. The easiest way to
avoid such glitches is to increase your
investment in the production process.
Here are some tips to help you
achieve this easily:
a. Identify the bottlenecks in your
production process.
b. Purchase advanced equipment to
meet up with customer demand.
c. Invest in technology-based
equipment to alleviate any
inefficiencies in your production line.
d. Fortify your production environment
to ensure that it is safe from burglars
and other vices.
The better your production process is,
the easier it is for your business to
scale up. Once you invest reasonably
here, all other aspects tend to fall in
place a lot easier.
MAKE REALISTIC SALES
FORECASTS
Congratulations, you are ready to
increase the capacity of your business.
However, you shouldn’t do this to the
detriment of your profit. The aim of
running a business is to make profit so
whatever you do, it must be towards
achieving this aim.
The question here is this, “when you
scale up your manufacturing business,
how do you hope to attain a return on
investment?” Don’t forget that you will
be spending a whole lot on expansion,
buying new equipment, hiring new
staff, etc. This will weigh heavily on
your current cash flow.
You cannot afford to make unrealistic
sales forecasts if you are going to get
returns on your investment. You must
look into possible changes in your
industry and government reforms and
policies. Consider anything that could
affect your cash flow and be as
realistic as possible.
It is great to dream big, but building
castles in the air in your sales forecasts
is setting up for failure. After taking all

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the expansion costs and possible
influences on the sector into
consideration, conduct a breakeven
analysis. This will give you a heads up
if you need to adjust the prices of your
products or not.
GET YOUR RECRUITMENT RIGHT
One of the biggest nemeses of small
businesses is the shortage of qualified
staff (Shemkus, 2015). This is why
many of them suffer growth and
expansion problems. It is not just
important to get your recruitment
right; you must learn to keep your best
hands too.
Contrary to popular opinion, scaling
your manufacturing business doesn’t
always lead you down the path of
recruitment. Before recruiting, you
must check your company’s
objectives and expansion budget.
Sometimes, all you need is to create a
roster for your existing team. We have
seen it in several companies where
certain staff take up multiple roles.
Once you have such staff on your
hands, it is best to invest in their skills
and increase their remuneration. It is
far better than getting new staff that
you have to school on the basics of
your production process afresh.
Retaining employees helps to
increase your productivity and also
improve the scalability process.
However, if you have to recruit, then
you must get it right. It is not just
about the skills; it is also about people
that align with your company’s
objectives. Clearly define the roles that
need filling as well as the required
personality profiles. Then you can have
a human resource firm or your human
resource department handle the
recruitment process.
MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT
SUPPLIERS AND CLIENTS
The fact that you are scaling your
business doesn’t mean that you will do
away with your existing suppliers and
clients. Growing your business takes
some time, and this transition period
can be quite challenging. As you try to
gather new prospects and increase
your network of suppliers, there’s the
temptation to neglect existing ones.
Guard against this by fostering good
relationships. One of the advantages of
this is that it helps you to save money
on certain material expenses (Deane,
2019). This is very integral to scaling
your production process.
The way you treat your existing
customers will determine how stable
your balance sheet will be. This way, as
you work on gathering new clients,
your existing clients will be your
mainstay. Don’t underestimate their
influence on your business. It could be
your game-changer.
CONCLUSION
As you plan to scale your
manufacturing business, take every tip
we have provided in this article
seriously. The process is quite
complicated, and you may need some
expert advice. Don’t hesitate to reach
out to industry experts when you
need to. Most of all, identify the
strengths and weaknesses of your
business to get the best results.

@SME360nigeria
34
SME360 Magazine
www.sme360.ng
MEET
SUSAN GRANGER
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NUBIAN QUEEN ON 101
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
NUBIAN QUEEN BRAND? WHAT DO
YOU DO AND WHERE ARE YOU
BASED?
Nubian Queen on 101 is a niche,
quality, and exclusive online Boutique
store, specializing in exquisite
Genuine Leather Handbags and
accessories, All made from the heart
of Johannesburg, Gauteng in South
Africa. Nubian Queen brings you an
Exclusive Contemporary Luxury
Genuine Leather Bag Brand that
bridges the gap between High Street
and Luxury Brands. Our brand designs
are Stylish, Affordable, and Timeless
therefore are not dictated by trends
but yet impactful and very easy to
wear as an accessory hence we have
declared our bags “Investment Bags”.
At Nubian Queen On 101 we “DO NOT”
follow trends, WE make them. If you
are looking to invest in a Bag that is
Impactful as it is Versatile, then
Nubian Queen On 101 is your plug. This
selection of carefully crafted products
are designed and created by founder
and Managing Director of Nubian
Queen on 101, Susan Granger. All our
bags are made 100% Local and by this
I mean that all our materials and
workmanship is done right here in
Johannesburg, we have also shown
our bags Internationally in Paris as
well as New York which is a milestone
we don’t take lightly.
Our slogan for Nubian Queen on 101 is
“Luxury Made In Africa” the reason I
made this our slogan is because even
though its 2020 Most Africans still
believe that everything from overseas
is better than our own and most
people actually say it with pride but,
I’m here saying Africa is like a Melting
Pot of Talent and still that being said as
Africans we still doubt our Worth,
some people might not agree with this
but, I run this business and the
conversations I have, tells me that we
have a long way to go to claim our
worth as Africa.
So the values of Nubian Queen on 101
are alike, subscribing to Quality |
Excellence | Customer-centric | Value |
Innovative | Creative | Our People first |
Integrity
WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND
NUBIAN QUEEN ON 101?
Nubian Queen on 101 was formed to
bridge the gap between High Street
and Luxury brands but, with a flair of
satisfying the customer that wanted to
wear an accessory that is well made,
fairly priced as well as quality that can
last for years to come.
After looking around for a good and
well-made bag that was also fairly
priced without luck, propelled me to
search for resources locally to start my
own proudly African Brand.
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR DESIGNS?
We design and create them.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Teaching. I am an intense creative and
Africa is my passion. The blood that
runs through my veins is that of an
INTENSE TRAVELLER & INTENSE
CREATIVE, I studied Public relations in
College and I think this enabled my
mind to see pies in the sky, I see
opportunities everywhere I turn, I am A
Designer and an Agriprenuer, two
industries that are not even related
but, I Founded them. I also describe
myself as an ABSTRACT PAINTING, I
am that beautiful mess, only if you are
willing to find that beauty.
Showing my bags and African talent
in Paris 2018 & then New York twice in
2019 was the proudest achievement
for me this just proved to me that
Africa is Worthy + winning the
Start-up Women Entrepreneur of the
Year 2018 confirmed that I was doing
what was necessary for my Africa and
I should keep on going. Generally
watching things grow pumps my
blood some type of way that can’t be
explained, you have to experience it,
to understand . I love food and I love
cooking it.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU
FACE IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW
DO YOU DEAL WITH THEM?
I tell everyone that I’m truly blessed, I
struggled to start my brand in South
Africa but, I was so adamant that I
would not do it any other way , so my
FAITH carried me and I conquered all
my fears and doubts about African
Brands being perceived as inferior to
international Brands. So I went on and
created a World Class brand that has a
very decent customer base both here,
other Africas, and abroad.
Now I teach/educate my customers to
be, the importance of Supporting
Local, as well as African, made and the
response is overwhelmingly positive.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR YOUNG
ENTREPRENEURS IN YOUR
INDUSTRY?
We make life so impossible most
times and for me “If you wake up every
morning and put GRATITUDE, FAITH &
HOPE in your pocket you can conquer
mountains you never dreamt
possible” You assured to be ok, so stop
talking about it and ACT, Action
creates Magic.

COMING SOON
ISSN 2384-5430
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