Female Entrepreneur Determined To Revolutionize Tourism In Africa Receives $10,000 Boost

VENTURES AFRICA – An emerging female entrepreneur set to revolutionize tourism in Africa will get her vision supported by a whooping $10,000 grant from She Leads Africa.

Cherae Robinson, Founder and CEO of Rare Customs, a company that connects SME’s to emerging African tourism and investment trends gave the most impressive pitch and it was a unanimous decision for the panel of judges to award her the first prize.

Being an American, Robinson, who would not let anyone dismiss her pitch based on her nationality showed her great interest in Africa and the experience she has gathered from years of travelling across the continent. Quoting Kwame Nkrumah, Robinson said “I am not Africaan because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.” The quote seemed to block any loophole that could be exploited in her pitch, which was by far the best on the night.

With a $10,000 cheque from social enterprise, SheLeadsAfrica in her possession, Robinson plans to release her travel app by January 2015 as she continues growing Rare Customs, a company she founded in 2013.

Cherae Robinson (left), Nour Drissi, Taffi Woolward; SheLeadsAfrica’s Top Three Female Entrepreneurs

Nour Drissi’s online car hire platform, Loue 1 Voiture won the second prize of $5,000. But for her, there was an extra; her business pitch impressed Huawei, SheLeadAfrica’s partner for the entrepreneur showcase and she won the telecommunications giant’s all-expense paid trip to China.

The third prize of $1,000 went to Taffi Woolward, founder of Nigerian company, Thandos, which provides a platform that empowers aspiring African artists to design women’s fashion footwear that is comfortable, convenient and affordable. It would have hurt many who enjoyed her pitch to watch Honey Ogundeyi leave without funding for her online clothing store Fashpa.com; thanks to an anonymous donor, the online retail store gets a $1,000 boost.Winner of the pitching contest left a word for inspiring entrepreneurs and those who are finding it hard getting ahead in their businesses; “Dream the things that everyone says are impossible and then work (hard)…to achieve it. It may be cliche but you are the change you want to see in the world. Go out and do it!”

With Africa’s tourism industry said to be worth more than $49 billion, according to The Africa Investor 2010 Wealth Cheque Report, and a potential worth of about $203 billion, Rare Customs and Loue 1 Voiture who are more focused on tourism have a large market to exploit and grow in.

Africa’s growing middle class also ensures Thandos and Fashpa stay in business and achieve their projected growths.

For women in Africa, SheLeads has broken the ice, other organisations are expected to follow suit in ensuring female entrepreneurs get funding for their businesses. And for others in the top ten emerging female entrepreneurs in Africa, who could not go home with funding, Ventures Africa will continue telling their stories, as we join others in encouraging a new generation of female entrepreneurs who are ready to hold their own in a world of business dominated by men.