20 Rising Entrepreneurs in Africa (Part II)

Christian Ngan, Cameroonian

Founder, Madlyn Cazalis

After working in financial services in France, first as an analyst at French investment bank Quilvest Group and as an associate at Findercord in Paris,Christian Ngan returned home to Cameroon to start his own business in 2012. With $3,000 of his savings, he founded Madlyn Cazalis, an African hand-made bio cosmetic company that produces body oils, natural lotions, creams, scrubs, masks and soaps. Madlyn
Cazalis products are sold and distributed across more than 30 chemist stores, beauty institutes and retail outlets in Cameroon and neighboring countries in Central Africa. The company does not reveal revenues but says it is profitable. Ngan, 30, is also
founder of GoldskyPartners Advisory, a small financial advisory firm in Cameroon.

Senai Wolderufael , Ethiopian

Founder, Feed Green Ethiopia Exports Company

The 27 year-old Ethiopian entrepreneur is the founder of Feed Green Ethiopia Exports Company, an Addis Ababa-based outfit that produces and exports popular Ethiopian spice blends such as Shiro, Mitmita, Korarima and Berbere. Wolderufael founded
the company in 2012 primarily to serve the needs of the Ethiopian diaspora in the United States and Europe, but as demand for
Ethiopian spices increased significantly, Feed Green began exporting to new markets within Africa. The company employs only
women.

Eric Kinoti , Kenyan

Founder, Shades System East Africa

The 29 year-old Kenyan is the founder of Shades System East Africa , a $1 million (annual sales) company that manufactures
military and relief tents, branded gazebos, restaurant canopies, car parking shades, marquees, luxury tents, wedding party tents canvas seats and bouncing castles across the region. The company’s biggest clients are non-governmental and humanitarian organizations. Based in Nairobi, Shades System exports its products to Somalia, Congo and Rwanda. The company says it is
profitable and has 18 full-time employees.

Nick Kaoma, South African

Founder, Head Honcho Clothing

South Africa’s own Daymond John in the making, Nick Kaoma is building an urban legend. The 28 year-old Cape Town native is the founder and creative director of Head Honcho clothing, a prominent South African lifestyle brand that designs, manufactures and markets streetwear clothing that is hugely popular among South
Africa’s young urban dwellers. The
company’s product line includes t-shirts and caps to cardigans,varsity jackets, hoodies, tank tops and female dresses.

Ronak Shah, Kenyan

Founder, Kronex Chemicals Ltd

Shah, a 26 year old Asian-Kenyan, is the founder of Kronex Chemicals Ltd, a fast-growing manufacturer of low-cost household cleaning products. Shah founded Kronex in January 2013 and the company
has two products- a dishwashing liquid and a multi-purpose detergent, both of which are gaining market share amongst Kenya’s lower middle-class.

Issam Chleuh, Malian

Founder, Africa Impact Group

Issam Chleuh, a 27 year-old Malian
national and former Ernst & Young Senior Associate, is the founder of the Africa Impact Group , an international organization focused on directing investment to socially and environmentally beneficial ventures, an asset class called Impact Investing. The company’s
services include data & research, news, advisory services, and start-up incubation. Africa Impact Group’s clients include impact investors, private equity firms,
family offices, leading African corporations, governments and nonprofits.

Patrick Ngowi, Tanzanian

Founder, Helvetic Group

Patrick Ngowi, 29 is the founder of Helvetic Group, a company that pioneered the supply, installation and maintenance of solar systems in Tanzania ’s Northern Circuit. Helvetic Solar Contractors continues
to grow. Helvetic did more than $5 million in revenues in 2013 and KPMG East Africa recently valued the company at $15 million.Helvetic is also expanding into the South African region and Ngowi is gearing up to take the company to Dar es Salaam’s capital markets.

Heshan de Silva, Kenyan

Founder, DSGVenCap

After dropping out from school in the United States, Heshan de Silva, 25, worked briefly for a tea exporting company owned by his parents before breaking out to start
VenCap, a business that sold travel
insurance bundled into long distance bus tickets. The company became profitable very quickly, grossing over $1 million in
revenues within its first year and setting the pace for travel insurance for bus commuters in Kenya. He is now a venture capitalist and the founder of DSGVenCap, a company that makes seed investments in the
tech, media, agribusiness and consumer industries in Kenya.

Julie Alexander Fourie, South African

Founder, iFix

At 26, Julie Alexander Fourie runs a
company that employs 40 people and services more than 4,000 clients a month. Fourie is the founder of iFix, which repairs and services all Apple products and Samsung Smartphones. iFix has branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Fourie started the company in 2006 from his dorm room at the University of
Stellenbosch, helping colleagues and friends repaid broken and faulty iPods and computers. Satisfied friends subsequently
referred other Apple product owners in search of repairs and Fourie’s business took off.

Sangu Delle, Ghanaian

Founder, Golden Palm Investments

Delle, 27 is a co-founder of Golden Palm Investments, a holding company that invests in early stage venture and growth financing across Africa with a strong bias for Real Estate, healthcare agribusiness and technology. GPI has backed startups such as Solo Mobile in Nigeria, mPharma in Ghana and Zamsolar in Zambia. He is also the co-founder of Cleanacwa , a non-profit working
to provide access to clean water in Ghana’s underdeveloped regions. Sangu, who previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Valiant Capital Partners, is currently an MBA candidate at
Harvard.

Uche Pedro , Nigerian

Founder, BellaNaija

The 29 year-old Nigerian media
entrepreneur is the founder of BellaNaija, a thriving new media company that develops online media content for African (primarily
Nigerian) audiences. BellaNaija.com is Nigeria’s premier lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website, and garners an average of 10 million page views every
month.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2014/02/04/30-most-promising-young-entrepreneurs-in-africa-2014/

This post rounds up my piece on the on the 20 Rising Entrepreneurs in Africa.I hope you are inspired and galvanized to do more for your country and continent to solve the numerous challenges berating our continent.AFRICA is indeed rising.

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