Do You Have What It Takes To Be The Most Successful African Woman?

Do you dream of becoming a successful African woman? Are you planning to be one of the leading businesswomen in Africa? Although there are several challenges for African women to build successful careers and contribute to the society and economy; but if you are passionate about your goals, then you can surely achieve success despite all odds.

Although the global business world is dominated by men, several remarkable women have become highly successful in different fields like leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, politics and business across the continent in the past few years.

Here we are going to have a look at some of Africa’s most prominent and successful women and how you can become one. Keep reading...

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is a renowned and respected entrepreneur from Ethiopia. She is the founder of the footwear brand SoleRebels, which experts believe to be the African version of brands like Adidas, Reebok and Nike.

Alemu was born in the impoverished small rural community of Zenebework in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. At an early age she realised that although most people in her region were unemployed, they had striking artisan skills that were not utilised properly. She decided to use the skills of the locals in community to build an enterprise to create employment opportunities and wealth over a certain period. In 2004, Alemu managed to gather startup capital with the help of her husband and relatives and started SoleRebels by mobilising her talented community members. Now the brand has become the most popular footwears in Africa.

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu has earned global recognition for her efforts and is one of the most famous female entrepreneurs in Africa. At the 2012 annual African Business Awards, she was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Businesswoman’ by African Business Magazine. She was also titled the ‘Most Valuable Entrepreneur’ at the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in 2011.

Ory Okolloh

Okolloh is a renowned blogger and open-government activist from Kenya. She is also the co-founder of Ushahidi, which is a free open source platform for managing crowd sourcing crisis information. Moreover, she also started the website Mzalendo which assists the electorate of Kenya to keep a tab on activities of representatives in parliament.

Currently she acts as Google’s policy manager for Africa. Even after being a mother and wife, Ory Okolloh has successfully managed to progress her career and act as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Divine Ndhlukula

Ndhlukula is a successful Zimbabwean entrepreneur who founded the largest security company in the nation, SECURICO. Currently she acts as the Managing Director of the organisation. She has achieved a lot in her 15 year long career as her $13 million company has grown remarkably. SECURICO has over 3,400 employees, among whom 900 are women workers.

Her organisation was awarded the esteemed Legatum Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship in 2011. She owes most of her success to her training from MBA degree which she earned from Midlands State University. She says “I have an Executive MBA from Midlands State University and an MBA (Honorary) from Women’s University in Africa conferred me in recognition of my business leadership and efforts on gender equality.”

Ndhlukula adds “In 1998 I saw an opportunity in the security services sector. The opportunity was prompted by what I had noted in this sector- a total lack of professionalism, quality and services that customers really yearned for.”

Khanyi Dhlomo

Khanyi Dhlomo is a 36- year old media mogul from South Africa. After completing her journalism course from the University of Witwatersrand, she became the first black newscaster for national broadcaster SABC1. She eventually worked for True Love magazine and became its editor at the age of 22.

After almost 8 years for being the editor, she went to France and acted as the manager of South Africa Tourism Board in Paris. After she earned her MBA from Harvard Business School in 2007, Dhlomo founded Ndalo Media, which is the biggest media company in Africa. She also launched the website DestinyConnect.com and fashion department store Luminance in 2013.

Be A Successful African Woman

These women have passionate about their careers and pursued their career goals with zeal and motivation. But how can you become a successful woman in Africa? Apart from being determined to climb up the career ladder, you will need to possess the essential skills and knowledge to gain expertise in your field. As you can see above, most of these women have earned higher education degrees, even after starting their careers. Getting a college degree will open excellent career opportunities for you so that you can reach your goals.

Get The Right Degree

How can you pursue a college degree if you are already employed? If you ask me, getting university degree online can be your best option. Why? Let’s face it...most of the African nations face various challenges regarding education. Pursuing an online programme will enable you to earn a recognised degree from globally reputed universities in Africa, UK and US directly from the convenience of your own home. As all the study materials are available online, you can choose to study at your own pace without attending the campus.

Moreover, studying an online university degree allows you to effectively manage your work and family commitments, and still find time for your studies. As there are no scheduled classes, you can easily do a full time job and study at night.

Now It’s Your Turn To Succeed

Your online college degree also allows you to hone your skills and acquire essential knowledge that will empower you to boost your career. Becoming a successful woman in Africa might not be an easy task, but with the help of a higher education degree you can make the right start and move steadily towards your career goals.