Hortense Mbea, a Cameroonian entrepreneur building an African lifestyle brand  — Lionesses of Africa

Tell us a little about your team

We have a continent-wide network of artisans. Such as Mamadou who makes our Batik in Cote d’Ivoire; the cooperative of women who make our Bogolan in Mali; our brass-maker in the slums of Kibera, Kenya; Senait who makes our bags in Addis Ababa; and many more. We also have a production manager and 4 tailors working in our Addis Ababa workshop.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I am an interpreter by trade, though I did go to business school before I graduated from interpretation school. Interpretation was always my passion and I have enjoyed it for the past 20 years. I have worked for major international organizations, the last one from 2012 to 2017. I did, however, need a creative outlet. I did some soul searching and understood what I wanted to create, and that is how Afropian came about. I wanted to do something creative, focusing on Africa and Africans, telling our stories in our own voices. I wanted to make Africa shine, while enjoying the process.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I want to become a household name in African sustainable luxury and be present in major brick and mortar stores.