Lessons from success stories of African women entrepreneurs

Abstract

African women continue to be an important mainstay of family livelihoods all over the continent, and many thrive in the informal economy, in spite of the hardships. Some women are able to make the transition from the small-scale, informal sector to the medium- and large-scale sectors. Who are these women, what type of women are they, how do they thrive, in spite of the odds, and what lessons can be learnt from their experiences and expertise? The first objective of this profile is to document successful business practices ofl women from African countries. None of the women received professional entrepreneurship training, but what are described as their common practices can clearly illustrate good business practices for others.