Anotida Nyowani, an entrepreneur creating a natural and affordable skincare company in Zimbabwe & Mozambique — Lionesses of Africa

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Our products are handcrafted, and made with African ingredients, for African skin made by an African woman. Unlike anhydrous body butters, our body butters are packed with moisturizing ingredients and oils to seal in the moisture in the skin. Our body scrubs turn into a lotion on contact with water which means they don’t leave your skin dry as you exfoliate and they don’t leave the bathrooms oily, slippery and with grain of the exfoliant as they dissolve completely in water. Our handmade cold process soaps are made from gentle cleansing ingredients that have been used by Africans since ancient times including clays and oils. We use locally sourced ingredients.

Tell us a little about your team

Our team is all family. It started with my sister and myself. Me being the creative one and my sister being the brains behind the project. My sister, Chido Mhindurwa is a whiz with business development, human resources, and public relations and without her it would be impossible to run a solid business. She runs our business in Mozambique where she lives, while I run things here in Zimbabwe. We do have members of the family help with logistics and deliveries here and there, but all are essential to the day-to-day running of our business.

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

Growing up in a single parent household, our mother was constantly involved in various business activities to try and make ends meet. This entrepreneurial spirit was passed on to my sister who passed on to me. They sell anything and everything and have been teaching me that as a woman I too should be inspired to gain financial independence through entrepreneurship.