What to expect from Private Equity Investors — Lionesses of Africa

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by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

We were fortunate enough recently to be invited to listen to various Lionesses as they pitched their fabulous businesses to different Private Equity firms we had introduced. We say ‘fortunate’ because firstly the pitches we heard were absolutely perfect, with the right blend of ‘story’ with detail, and secondly the various PE Firms came back with questions that not only showed their interest, but also their concerns which the Lionesses each answered clearly and with conviction. 

Preparation is everything.

We always say that raising finance (just like any negotiation, see our previous article on that here) is a dance. You happen to be in the same room, but there is absolutely no guarantee that your eyes will lock across the dance floor, nor that on asking the other party will ever say yes, but once they say yes, you need to grab, keep and hold their attention.

How do we do that?

These investors have our futures in their hands. One false move and it’s all over – no wonder our nerves start to explode and our knees shake (thank goodness for Zoom – at least those can’t be seen!).

Firstly, let us correct this – one false move and it is not all over. Most investors are not there to trick you or to make you trip up. Yes they will push you, ask you tough questions, but most of that is to see if a) you really know your business inside out, b) that you really, really know your business inside out from a financial viewpoint and c) you have the conviction that raising capital at this stage of your growth is absolutely the right course of action – if you don’t 100% believe it, why should anyone else?!

Also, you have managed to get through their (virtual) front door, you have got a meeting and are now sitting (again virtually!) in front of them – there is no way these busy people will wake up one morning and say they have nothing better to do, so why not waste an hour with some unknown! They have been entrusted with loads of money from their investors, this is a huge responsibility – so they have to use it, not by simply throwing it to the wind and hope it sticks at something decent, but through careful investigation of various companies that fit their mandate and that will offer a serious opportunity to create enough return to be able within 5 or 7 years, to return cash to their fund. At which point they start the dance all over again with another potential company (although one would hope it will be with 3-5 other companies as they will have made so much out of the sale of the previous shares held in your company).

The other important fact we must remember is that it takes just as much time, investigation and effort to do a $500,000 deal as it takes to do a $5million deal…as it takes to do a $50million deal…and so on. Ok, so it is not quite true, but the differences in time are pretty minimal – so if you are sitting in front of them – there is a serious reason. 

This is how it works. It is not rocket science.

So let’s get to the central point of this article – what do they need from you? We could talk about the obvious things like trust and the belief that you are someone they will enjoy working with as together you grow the company, and make no mistake this is ‘together’. It is very rare that such an investor will simply invest without at a minimum a Board seat.

Although it is this working together that is important, first on the Investor’s mind is the question of making a serious return within the confines of their mandate.

So…

Work out their mandate. If it is SDGs (the UN’s way of changing the world for the better), then make sure you have all your information ready. SDG5? (Sustainable Development Goal 5 concerns gender equality) How many women do you employ, what does your C-Suite look like, what actually is your shareholding? And so on. These are numbers that you will be expected to rattle off. 

But don’t be fooled, once you have ticked that box, it’s onto the tough stuff (SDG5 should after all not be too difficult for Lionesses to prove!). The Investor is now thinking how they are going to build this company so they can get the return the investors’ demand…

Money needs to work. From the very first second that the investment hits your bank account, the clock is ticking and that is why so many of the questions to you in the first, second, third…meeting will be about how you are going to use it. You are asking for $1 million for machinery – can you take that in stages so that you can build up to your ultimate production level? If not and that $1 million turns up tomorrow at your factory gate in 12 40 foot containers, how long will it take for the entire investment to be assembled, plugged in and start cranking out your green widgets (‘GWs’)…and how long before these GWs are then sold?

Money needs to work. Your excel may say you will move from producing 1,000 GWs by hand to 70,000 through the new automation – great! But…increased production on paper is one thing – in reality, can your suppliers actually supply you with the necessary base materials from which you will produce your GWs, but now in the new increased quantities necessary to feed the larger demand required from the spanking new and gleaming machines? This is a serious question and one for which you need a serious answer. If ‘Albertina’ an old family friend (and Lioness of course – because we support each other!), is your local supplier, how strong is your conviction that she can multiply her production 70X to meet your new increased demand. Does Albertina know of your plans, have you discussed how she will ramp up her production (and believe us, she ain’t gonna invest in new machinery or automate just because you say you have a dream) – can she do it now, today?! If not, your new machines will be idle and the investor’s cash will start gathering dust…

Given that you will be buying so much extra from Albertina soon, will she be able to give you 60 days credit to assist your Cash Flow if you are currently 50% deposit and COD? How sure are you that you will be able to negotiate this? Can she cope with both the increased production and a slower payment?

Yet don’t panic and start looking for Chinese suppliers. They come with massive MOQ’s (Minimum Order Quantities) and little discussion over credit and terms, so local is still best. More and more investors are asking “Is your supply local?”. For the PE Investors if your raw materials are supplied from outside your own country (or as we know in Nigeria, sometimes even outside your own state is impossible), this is a concern given the recent wake up call the globe has had over extended supply chains – it may not be enough to put a cross against your name in the investor’s book, but they know they will have to address this at some point. Remember you are no longer bringing in 1 truck…

Taking this in small steps, we shall next week look at what excites and dismays PE Investors at the other end – where your product exits your factory, or even tech company. Why the stickiness of customers, retention rate, acquisition costs and scalability are so central, the touch points and why if these issues matter so much to Investors, they must matter to you!

Stay safe.



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THE STEM ONLINE MENTORSHIP FAIR – Forum for African Women Educationalists: FAWE

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Registration is still open! Join us for the #STEM online #mentorship fair to be held this Friday on the International Day for #women and #girls in #science .

Register for the event via the link below: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regist

See our line up of mentors and key note speakers too in the featured images.

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Call for Applications for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa for the Fall (September) 2022 Intake – Forum for African Women Educationalists: FAWE

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United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation in its global Scholars Program. This initiative will offer academically talented youth from Africa facing financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints an opportunity to access world class university education.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa will provide full-cost scholarships to young Africans who are first-time undergraduate degree-seeking applicants. By completion of their studies, scholars will be required to lead changes in their communities and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent, having been equipped with internationally recognized and locally applicable qualifications.

Read carefully the Call For Applications to see the eligibility criteria and the application process.

To complete your application, fill the Mastercard Application Form and send it with supporting documents to mcfsp-applications@usiu.ac.ke by latest Monday, February 28, 2022.

Please note that at least one recommendation letter is required to complete your scholarship program application. You can find here Recommendation letter Guidelines.

We request partners and prospective students to carefully go through the Call for Applications document to get a clear understanding of what we are looking for. Any queries can be directed through e-mail to mcfsp-enquiries@usiu.ac.ke or phone no: +254730116218/500 or in person.





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Farmer finds his feet with commercial potatoes – African Farming

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Tshianeo Mathidi left a desk job at a local agricultural co-op to take the plunge into farming in 2001. Having grown up in Thohoyandou in rural Limpopo, he explains, it was inevitable that he would get involved in this sector one way or another. “But I thought farming was a dirty job that would never make any money,” Tshianeo says. He told Peter Mashala more about his journey from accounting to agriculture and from cattle to commercial potatoes.

In 1985, after he graduated, Tshianeo Mathidi landed an accounting job at an agricultural cooperative. Through this job he connected with farmers and developed a sound understanding of agriculture. In 1998, armed with some knowledge of the industry, he opened a small butchery in Thohoyandou, supplying meat sourced from local abattoirs.

But, says Tshianeo, operating like that meant he was a price-taker and could not set competitive prices. This limitation had a negative effect on his profitability.

“I soon realised that if my business was to grow and become successful, I’d have to produce my own meat,” he says. In 2001, with no stock-farming experience and no real knowledge of cattle, Tshianeo bought a Brahman bull and a few mixed breed heifers and cows from local black farmers. But the Brahman breed proved too wild for him, and he looked around for cattle that were easier to farm.

“Everybody was talking about Nguni cattle and how suited they were to Limpopo’s conditions, so I decided to give Ngunis a try,” Thianeo says. In a collaborative project with the late Chief Alfred Bele, he also started an Nguni cattle community project on a piece of land in Vuvha in the Tengwe area of Venda.

  • Besides his potato operation, Tshianeo runs a mixed Bonsmara and Simbra herd of about 50 breeding cows and a bull. He rotates the animals through 12 grazing camps.
  • Tshianeo plants 10ha of potatoes per cycle (season) twice a year – the first cycle starts in March and the second in August. He intends to increase his planting area to 30ha per cycle by 2023.

LEARNING ABOUT CATTLE

Chief Bele helped Tshianeo improve his knowledge of cattle. “I fell in love with Bonsmaras because of their calm temperament and their ability to grow and put on weight fast. After all, my business was selling meat,” Tshianeo says. By 2010, he was farming several cattle breeds on communal land in three areas in Venda.

He had set up his main operation at Nwanedi, about 40km north of Thohoyandou, where he ran a Bonsmara herd of about 100 animals, including three bulls, on 1 500ha. Tshianeo also kept a few BonsmaraBrahman crossbred animals on a friend’s farm in Tshikundu, not far from Thohoyandou.

There were also about 40 Ngunis in Vuvha, as part of the community project he had helped set up with his friend Chief Bele. They called it the Vuvha Nguni communal cattle project. In the meantime Tshianeo grew his small butchery into a sizeable wholesale business and acquired a small Grade-F abattoir in Thohoyandou.

“I slaughtered my own cattle and I bought in cattle from other local farmers,” he says. Grade-F abattoirs only slaughter about 10 cattle a day and have capacity for about 20 carcasses. “After slaughter, we weighed the carcass and paid the market-related price per kilogram”

FINDING THE RIGHT DIRECTION

While he had been growing his business and operating on communal land, Tshianeo had not given up the search for a farm of his own. Then, in 2014, his application for a government farm was approved under a 30- year lease. The only snag was that the farm was in Dendron, now known as Mogwadi, about 180km from Thohoyandou and 60km northwest of Polokwane.

So in 2015 Tshianeo relocated his operation there. “It had been a citrus farm and there were still some trees here,” he says. With the best intentions, Tshianeo carried on farming citrus for a few years, but it did not take long before he realised he was running at a loss. Fixing the situation meant dealing with some significant problems. The trees and the infrastructure were old and getting enough water to the orchards was challenging; there were too few boreholes and the drip irrigation system clogged up continuously.

“Because the trees were old, the yield dropped every year, so much so that the cost of running the farm became greater than the income. I lost a lot of money and nearly went bankrupt,” he says. Looking for ways to stay afloat, Tshianeo started growing cash crops on a small scale: he planted 2ha of potatoes, and 2ha to 5ha of watermelons, butternuts, cabbage and tomatoes.

However, this still was not enough to make a good living. In addition, dividing his attention between his businesses was proving to be a challenge, and the Thohoyandou operations were taking strain. “I was forced to relook my whole operation and I made a decision to focus on the farm,” he explains.

Things began to change for Tshianeo when he applied for and was granted funding from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package in 2020. He initially drew up a new citrus farming business plan, but then a conversation he had with Dr Alidzulwi Naledzani, an official from the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, made him rethink his farming strategy.

“Not only did Dr Naledzani change my mind, but I think his advice saved this farm,” Tshianeo says. “He told me that my farm lies in the potato-growing area and it would make a lot of sense to grow potatoes. Also, he said there would be commercial farmers willing to help and mentor me.”

Tshianeo engaged with Potatoes South Africa, who helped him with a business plan through its emerging farmer-development programme. Once this had been approved, he was allocated two mentors, one to focus on infrastructure and the other on production.

“I got the approval last year, and as soon as the funds were released, we started with land preparation; putting in the much-needed infrastructure, including centre pivots and new boreholes – we now have eight in total; and dam repair,” he explains.

Land preparation started towards the end of 2020; the first planting was in March 2021, followed by the second crop that was planted in August. “These guys from Potatoes South Africa really made it easier for me. Their programme helps farmers with seed, in a diminishing arrangement, for five years,” explains Tshianeo. “In the first year, they provide 100% of the seed, after that it is reduced every year and then after five years the agreement comes to an end. This way they are making sure that there are no permanent beneficiaries.”

  • Through Potatoes South Africa’s emerging-farmer development programme, potato farmer Alex Jandrall was appointed to mentor Tshianeo.
  • The potatoes are sold under the brand name Mamusha Boerdery – the name of the farm.

PREPARING FOR POTATOES

Tshianeo debushed and used a bulldozer to remove roots and break up the soil. “I followed up with a standard ripper and disced in a crisscross pattern about six to seven times on the virgin land to make the soil very loose,” he explains. “We were also putting in the irrigation infrastructure, connecting the cables and laying down the pipelines.”

The fertiliser goes down after ripping and discing. According to Tshianeo, the standard fertilisers are 2:3:4 (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) or MAP (monoammonium phosphate). “But the soil test analysis will tell you what you need,” he says. After applying the recommended fertiliser, they go back with a ripper and disc one last time before irrigating, and then they plant. Tshianeo plants the Mondial seed variety, which has a reputation for early tuber formation and a high yield. “Mondial is the recommended cultivar with high yields and bigger potatoes,” he says.

Potatoes are known to be a tricky crop, so once the crop is in, a farmer must be vigilant. Tshianeo says some difficulties such as disease, heatwaves, wind and heavy rains are to be expected, but new challenges include load shedding, which causes pivots to get stuck. Wild animals may also be a problem, he says: kudu, warthog and impala can affect his yield.

“The worst is the warthog, which digs out the tubers. They simply harvest your potatoes!” he explains. Other threats are tuber moth and early blight. “The tuber moth is dangerous because it destroys the leaves and then goes down to the tuber.”

Tshianeo emphasises the importance of following good irrigation, spraying and fertilising programmes to ensure good yields. “We spray, fertilise and irrigate weekly.” He buys ready-mixed fertilisers from approved suppliers who have been vetted by Potatoes South Africa. This is done to save farmers from making mistakes and wasting money.

Tshianeo says the entire processs usually takes about 18 weeks from planting to lifting. “In the last month, we check the tubers to see if they are ready by looking at the potato skin. When the crop is ready, we spray off the leafy part of the plant with a chemical called Paragone,” he explains.

One needs to be careful that the crop does not have tuber moth when spraying off, because once the leaves die, the moth will move to the underground tubers and this will affect the yields, he says. “This is why it’s very important to follow a strict spraying programme.”

  • Tshianeo says having his own equipment, such as a harvester, makes his job easier and cheaper since using contractors or renting machines can be expensive.
  • Funding through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package enabled Tshianeo to acquire much-needed equipment, including packhouse equipment such as a grader, washer and packager, as well as a planter, sprayer and trailers.

SORTING, PACKING AND MARKETING

Although he has a fully equipped sorting shed and packhouse on the farm, Tshianeo’s first crop was taken by Soetdkor Farms, belonging to experienced commercial potato farmer Wimpie van der Merwe. “I did this deliberately because I have no experience in this field and I wanted to learn as much as I could from knowledgeable farmers,” Tshianeo explains.

There were other advantages to this decision too: apart from the excellent advice he gets from Wimpie, the Soetdkor Farms packhouse has large contracts in the potato sector, so Tshianeo markets some of his crop through them. “I also take potatoes to the Joburg and Tshwane Fresh Produce Markets,” he adds.

He avoids informal, cash-based markets because of safety concerns. “I don’t want people coming to the farm with a lot of cash; it’s a security risk. The only clients I sell to are those who buy in bulk – say, a pallet or more,” Tshianeo explains. All payments are made via cashless transactions.

According to him, the potato farmer’s biggest challenge is land. “To run a sustainable business in the potato industry, farmers need land because potatoes must be rotated,” he points out. Potatoes can only return to a field four years after they have been planted there, because of disease. Tshianeo currently plants 10ha to potatoes, but plans to expand as he gains experience.

“In 2022 I want to increase to 20ha, and in 2023 to 30ha,” he explains. He has about 160ha available for this expansion. “My plan is to find more land to grow the business in future.” With his determination and decent mentoring from his neighbours, Tshianeo seems set to succeed.



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Up close and personal with Tshianeo Mathidi – African Farming

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WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

“When you plan for the future, don’t just plan for your children, plan for your grandchildren.” This I got from my grandmother.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IF YOU COULD?

I would have started with potatoes as soon as I got this farm. It would have saved me time and money.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?

Securing this farm with all its infrastructure and being able to turn it around from a loss-making citrus entity to a profitable farming business.

WHO HAS MADE THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO YOUR SUCCESS SO FAR?

Many people have contributed to my success, but the support from my family is what has kept me going.

WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS, AND DO THEY PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR BUSINESS AT ALL?

I have a great relationship with my neighbours: two of them are mentoring me, while another allows me to use his packhouse and helps me with marketing.

IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE SOME ADVICE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Land is the biggest issue for many developing farmers. The minister should support farmers who have proven they can use land effectively, so that they can grow beyond the emerging farmer stage to becoming true commercial farmers.

HOW IMPORTANT IS ORGANISED AGRICULTURE TO YOUR FARMING OPERATION?

I think organised agriculture is very important. I am a product of organised agriculture – from the National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (Nerpo) to Potatoes South Africa.



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Funkola Odeleye, a legal technology change-maker empowering entrepreneurs — Lionesses of Africa

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Lioness Weekender spoke to Funkola about her personal entrepreneurial journey, and also about her aspirations for her business, DIYlaw.

What does your company do?

DIYlaw is a legal technology company focused on empowering entrepreneurs in Africa by providing access to simplified and quality legal services at affordable prices, leveraging technology, legal expertise and project management. DIYlaw also creates access to free legal and business information and connects entrepreneurs with vetted legal service providers through various online and offline means.

What inspired you to start your company?

I believe a person is the sum total of their environment and lived experiences. Growing up in Nigeria and seeing the rate of unemployment but also the industrious nature of our young people inspired me to start DIYlaw. Entrepreneurship goes a long way to solve the problem of unemployment and legal services for entrepreneurs was definitely a need.

What makes your business, service or product special?

Our unique selling proposition is our innovative approach of leveraging technology to provide accessible and affordable quality legal services.

Tell us a little about your team

Our team is the perfect mix of lawyers, software developers, product managers as well as operations and administrative personnel.

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

I come from an entrepreneurial background and my parents were my daily example. I have also run a couple of informal and formal businesses and past failures in those ventures led me to start DIYlaw.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

Our future plans are centered around deepening our product offerings and replicating them in more African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Our direct and indirect contributions to employment in Nigeria and to the country’s GDP are very rewarding and satisfying.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Just start! Things will never be perfect and there will never be a “right time”.

To find out more about DIY Law, contact Funkola Odeleye via email: funkola@diylaw.ng or visit the company’ website and social media platforms:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE





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Meghan McCormick, a fintech entrepreneur in Ghana equipping entrepreneurs to make data-driven decisions — Lionesses of Africa

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Tell us a little about your team

My Co-founder, Dave, and I both served as Peace Corps Volunteers in West Africa. He led the expansion of Dare to Innovate into Benin and then became the CFO of the global organization. Tite, our head of Data and Analytics has a PhD in Economics from MIT. He builds models that allow OZÉ entrepreneurs to borrow capital affordably. Lyke is leading our expansion into Nigeria and is supported by Paul who makes sure that entrepreneurs all over West Africa know about how OZÉ can help them grow. The management team is supported by developers, designers, business coaches, business development associates, and activators who make sure that the app is easy to use, works flawlessly, and leads to business growth.

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

Both my parents are small business owners and my siblings all work for/run start-ups so I think that entrepreneurship must have been in the water growing up. I’ve been a social entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. I founded my first social enterprise at age 10. Even when I was employed in the Peace Corps, I founded a social enterprise that I ended up scaling. What was new (and scary and exciting) about founding OZÉ was that it was my first experience working in tech. I set out to solve the problem of youth unemployment and my journey led me to creating a technology-based solution. It was never my intention. For the first time in my life, I was managing people doing a job that I didn’t have the slightest clue how to do. Honestly, I’m still figuring it out but now with the help of people who know what they are doing. For example, before we hired a full-time designer, I spent hours watching YouTube videos on how to use design software to create products. Everyday I’m failing forward, learning more, and pushing myself and my team to build a product that transforms what it means to run a small business in Ghana, Nigeria, and beyond.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

The problem that I am trying to solve with my career is the catastrophic level of youth unemployment in Africa and around the world. Every year 11 million African youth join the job market and 2 out of 3 are unemployed or underemployed. It’s not fair to themselves or to our world to waste the talent and energy of youth. I believe one of the major contributing factors is the fact that +90% of small businesses in Africa are run by solo-preneurs who don’t create employment. That’s what we are specifically trying to solve at OZÉ. How can we reliably help entrepreneurs grow their businesses so that they create jobs and wealth. To achieve this, I am working so that OZÉ becomes the leading small-business management platform in Africa and that if an entrepreneur uses OZÉ and joins our community they will be more likely than not to succeed.



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A Life Worth Living  

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by Elizandra dos Santos

Living is the biggest challenge that human beings face, and most of them exist and are driven by the feeling of fear. Fear is not bad if it is used as a feeling that moves us to take action, which is not the case I am referring to in this article. I speak of fear as a paralyzing feeling, a feeling that makes us uneasy, no matter if it is in our imagination or real facts.

It is very normal for people to be afraid of snakes, dogs, wolves, and others because it is a natural feeling of human beings, and often this feeling is derived from things that were told to us in childhood and that are not real or bad events that end up turning into trauma.

One must be very careful because it causes suffering, harms physical and mental health, and can even cause us frustration. The nervous system is automatically out of control, the heartbeat is accelerated and increasingly affects all existing systems in the human body. You get a rash that you can’t hide and people around you realize you’re very nervous. At this time fear tends to increase when we realize that everyone knows we are afraid, as our mind can be destructive when misused.

People plan their schedule, what they should and not say, but at the right time, thet block due to excessive nervousness, which ends up meaning they do absolutely nothing. They feel defeated for not having been able to express their message and that makes them feel unhappy.

Does this situation define you? Clearly not, but it’s important that we do this exercise of realizing that a situation doesn’t define who we are. It can help us find points in us that need improvement, like learning to speak in public. So, if I have difficulties in public speaking instead of crucifying myself for not having done so well in that presentation, I can choose to look for Professor João Ndala from Indispensável to help me overcome this particular issue.

Fear is part of life and if this feeling did not exist, life would cease to be life and would be gone. The biggest problem is when we make it an addiction and associate it with other situations such as low self-esteem, depression, and insecurity. It is necessary that we know how to discern our real and illusory feelings, awareness is the first step towards healing. If you are facing a dilemma how to deal with your fear, and if you are not using the resources you have at your disposal, I recommend that you look for an expert who can help you to overcome this problem.

At this stage, avoid being around people who lower their energy frequency, remember that your mental health should always be your first priority. Anything that bothers you and you don’t express for fear of losing someone or displeasing can in the long run bring you various mental and physical health problems. Remember, a quiet mind means an organized and happy life!

Thank you so much for walking with me this far, until the next trip in this wonderful world of self-knowledge.

Uma vida que vale a pena ser vivida

by Elizandra dos Santos / Portuguese version

Viver é o maior desafio que o ser humano enfrenta, sendo que a sua maioria existe e é movido pelo sentimento do medo. O medo não é ruim se for utilizado como um sentimento que nos move a partir para ação que não é este caso a que me refiro neste artigo. Falo do medo como sentimento paralisante, aquele sentimento que deixa-nos inquietos, não importando se é uma imaginação ou factos reais.

É muito normal que as pessoas sintam medo de cobras, cão, lobos e outros mais porque é um sentimento natural do ser humano e muitas vezes esse sentimento é derivado de coisas que nos foram contadas na infância e que não são reais ou de acontecimentos ruins que acabam se transformando em trauma.

Deve-se ter muito cuidado porque, este causa sofrimento, prejudica a saúde fisica e mental e pode ainda causar-nos frustrações.

O sistema nervoso automaticamente descontrola-se, o batimento cardíaco fica acelerado e cada vez mais afecta todos os sistemas existentes no corpo do ser humano.

Você fica todo precipitado que não consegue disfarçar e as pessoas ao seu redor apercebem-se que estás muito nervoso. Nessa hora o medo tende aumentar quando nos apercebemos que todos sabem que temos medo, pois como a nossa mente pode ser destrutiva quando mal usada.

O homem planifica a sua agenda, o que deve e não falar, mas na hora H, ele bloqueia pelo excesso de nervosismo, que termina não fazendo absolutamente nada.

Sente-se derrotado por não ter conseguido expressar a sua mensagem e isso faz sentir-se uma pessoa infeliz.

Será que esta situação o define? Claramente que não, mas é importante fazermos este exercício de percebermos que uma situação não define quem somos. Mas pode sim ajudar-nos a encontrar pontos em nós que precisam ser melhorados, como aprender a falar em público. Então se eu tenho dificuldades em falar em público ao invés de me crucificar por não ter me saído tão bem naquela apresentação, posso optar por procurar o professor João Ndala da Indispensável para ajudar-me a superar essa questão em particular.

O medo faz parte da vida e se não existisse este sentimento a vida deixaria de ser vida e passaria a ser ida. O maior problema é quando fazemos dele um vício e associamos a outras situações como a baixa autoestima, depressão e a insegurança. É necessário que saibamos discernir os nossos sentimentos reais e ilusorios, a consciência é o primeiro passo para a cura. Caso esteja a enfrentar algum dilema como saber lidar com o seu medo, e se não estiver a ser funcional usar os recursos que tem à disposição, recomendo que procure um especialista que lhe possa ajudar a superar este problema.

Nesta fase evite estar próximo de pessoas que baixam a sua frequência energetica, lembre-se que a sua saúde mental deve ser sempre a sua primeira prioridade.

Tudo aquilo que lhe incomoda e você não exprime por medo de perder alguém ou desagradar pode a longo prazo lhe trazer vários problemas de saúde mental e física.

Mente tranquila, vida organizada e feliz!

Muito obrigada por ter caminhado comigo até aqui, até a próxima viagem neste maravilhoso mundo do autoconhecimento.

Elizandra Dos Santos is a specialist in Personal and Emotional Development. She is an entrepreneur and Co-author of the book Extraordinary Women. Her training areas of expertise are in Positive Psychology and Emotional Intelligence, Life and Executive Coaching, Commercial Management and Marketing, DISC Analyst and High Impact Trainer. Elizandra is currently a Psychoanalysis student and licensed at Janela do Empreendedor in Angola. Contact Elizandra via her website www.elizandradossantos.com

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The strain of making clothes  — Lionesses of Africa

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by Brigette Mashile 

A lot of people always say to us ‘just a simple dress, nothing difficult’ and we just stare at them. The words in my mind as I stare at a client saying this, ‘then maybe you should make it’; because if it is that simple…..I mean!? My favourite lecturer said to us, the simpler looking clothes are difficult to make versus the difficult looking ones. This statement will only make sense once you start making clothes, it sounds impossible but it is true.

I have been making clothes for the longest time; if I have to put it in years….maybe since 2004. Initially it was for fun, so maybe once a week; then it became more regular in 2008, and more defined in 2014. In all that time I have never made a simple garment. Every item needs me to eat, put a machine on, put thread through it, and.. and.. and.. nothing simple. But, the biggest cost is on my body, something people who make clothes don’t talk about. I talk a lot, so let’s see:

1. Hunger

Making clothes will make you hungry. From talking about an outfit, to fabric shopping, to cutting, to stitching and fittings; you will get HUNGRY. I always liken it to digging pit toilet labour, the intensity of these actions is shocking. I eat breakfast, go in to cut 1 dress and I feel as though I never ate. This is a problem trying to eat healthy/light also; because the hunger you experience needs pap. It needs something heavy, real food. Not a salad!

2. Your back

I don’t think I have a back. Look, my spinal bones are there but I’m not sure they are mentally present; they left me years ago. If I sit at a machine for 2 hours, the pain is unbearable. Whereas, in 2014 I could make 4 dresses in a day alone. The amount of sitting you do while making clothes could cripple you in your future; I realized this maybe a bit too late.  Also, the realization that I may never be able to work as much as I did before is heart-breaking; or that I may need medical attention to correct whatever injury I may have caused is even more sore. If you make clothes, please be aware that your back needs breaks.

3. EQ

Listen. People. Will test you. Daily.  The more orders you have, the better your EQ needs to be. Even then, I am not sure if you will be ok. Some situations need you to be as petty or inconsiderate as they are. Just so you make it out sane. People will tell you IT’S YOU, you are the problem. Aye, look if you have to speak to 300 people in one year and ensure they are all happy, you will make an error somewhere. The error will be because of you, or something someone said/did, or just a mere misunderstanding. The goal, is to remain passionate about your work and sane as a person. I cannot promise everyone will like you every year, but is is part of good EQ to know and accept that you are not everyone’s cup of tea.

4. Exhaustion

My exhaustion looks like a terrible flu. In these times of Covid, LOL! My body goes into fever when it is exhausted, in one day. I go from sneezing, to sore throat, cold, hot, body pains, all of it in 24 hours. This has happened a lot of times because our work is seasonal, we have a lot of work at one time and close to no work at other times. The times we have a lot of work, I get a flu at least once. This flu means I should sleep. Or rather REST! 

The other kind of exhaustion I have is becoming impatient with people. This means I have had enough and need at least a week away from all forms of humans, LOL. Our work has so many triggers, so imagine being unhappy in it.  This means I will be having an argument with someone every minute, over the most minuscule thing.

5. Sleep

When I was young, I thought I had to ‘not sleep’ to finish orders. A lie! Thank God for aging and experience. My advice to anyone out there, you need to sleep. It doesn’t have to be at night, or for 8 hours; but you need to sleep somewhere in the 24 hours available. For example, I sleep well between 3pm and 7pm. And the amount of relief this nap gives me is immeasurable. So, sleep. Your work will still be here when you wake. This might even be the only thing that helps with the hunger, your back, EQ and the exhaustion! Our bodies need us to sleep for them to function at full capacity. 



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Tricky Situations – 10 Tips to Handle Them Eloquently  — Lionesses of Africa

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by Anja van Beek 

As an entrepreneur and a Chief People Officer (CPO) you may have faced/experienced various challenging scenarios. One of my coaching clients shared this specific dilemma with me: She has recently been appointed as the HR Director, and within the first few weeks at the company, one of their clients contacted her. The client attended a social event hosted by their company and the client made a complaint against the CEO and stated the CEO consumed too much alcohol and was inappropriate and out of line. How’s that for a tricky situation? Where do you start this discussion with your CEO? How do you address this in a respectful yet candid way?

HR execs face many interactions that require candid discussions. As the head of the People function, you are expected to lead the way by having conversations with your C-suite colleagues. Holding them accountable, not only for the business results but also for walking the talk and setting the tone for the culture you want to create.

In my role as an HR leader in a multi-national, tech company, I have dealt with many tricky situations. Here are a few scenarios that HR leaders face and some suggestions to handle them.

1. Divisions not reaching their transformation commitment

Diversity and inclusion remain a strategic focus area for most businesses. Some members of the EXCO team will agree with these (non-financial) goals and said they understand the importance of increased diversity especially when prioritising innovative cultures. Yet, they don’t keep their team accountable for actively keeping to the commitments and putting plans in place to support this. How do you address the matter when divisional directors didn’t reach their transformation commitments for the second year in a row?

Tip #1 – Don’t only talk for the sake of talking. Ensure you address all the relevant issues at hand

  • This seems to be a shared challenging area for HR leaders. List all the issues at hand. At first, this might seem like a discussion around missed commitments, yet, this is the second year that the division missed the non-financial goals. Is this the only non-financial target they missed or is there a trend? Is not walking the talk and not leading by example a broader issue you need to address? How does this behaviour of not walking the talk, impact the relationship with other senior leaders and/or their teams?

  • Ensure you tackle all the relevant issues. Be clear on the ideal outcome and what you hope to accomplish. During the discussion, keep your intention and motive in mind as it will keep your behaviour on track. Be curious and ask questions to get their perceptive.

  • Co-create a solution that both can agree on. It might be stating the obvious but document the conversation. This might be needed for a future discussion and to track progress against the commitment.

2. Expansion into a new geographical area doesn’t seem to be above board

As the Chief People Director, we are expected to continue making a radical shift towards bigger and broader thinking. The best professionals in this field can contribute to conversations and business decisions around new revenue streams, options to expand or shrink operations and not only people-related matters. In this discussion relating to geographical expansion, how do you handle the situation when you realize the expansion and the sales deal seems not to go as planned? In actual fact, it seems like a grey area, touching on the borders of corruption. To make matters worse the sales manager involved has a reputation of (slightly) bending the rules, usually in such a way that it is challenging to pinpoint the exact bending of the rule.

Tip #2 – Identify your judgement, the stories and the opinion towards the person and topic before the conversation is held. 

The term “backstories” is often used in movies and refer to the point that we might be more emotional about the topic than the situation warrants. Before starting any conversation we need to check (and edit) our stories  Is there a previous interaction with this person or issue at hand that could be triggering you? Be aware of your “backstories” – consider how the opinions or judgements might influence your behaviour during the conversation.  Edit and adjust your stories where needed to ensure you get the most out of that discussion.

Once done, you can now start the conversation. It is critical to start with facts, what you have seen or heard about the issue. You can then share your conclusion about these facts. Get their input and show a genuine interest in others’ point of view, their concerns, and even criticisms during the discussion. Practice the conversation in your mind; see how you handle challenging possibilities with ease. More importantly, envision the result where it is a win-win solution for both.

3. People practices – when there is a huge disconnect between HR and the line managers

Many managers underestimate and don’t understand the importance of their contribution to the People processes – how they manage their team, their involvement in the onboarding of new colleagues or conversations around career growth and options. To provide value to the business, the HR and line managers should partner in various areas – a siloed way of working doesn’t work at all.

Let’s use the Talent Acquisition team, as an example.

When there is a vacancy that needs to be filled,  managers often don’t provide specific behavioural or other requirements and only when the candidates are presented at the interview stage, managers then share critical information. This leads to frustration on both ends, and valuable time wasted, and usually, the recruitment team needs to go back to step 1.

Tip #4 – Ensure you understand the business context. Create opportunities for timely discussions and clarify role expectations.

To ensure there isn’t a disconnect, the HR team should get as much context and key non-negotiable behaviours, skills or experience around the specific vacancy early in the process.  This is achieved by having the right discussions with the relevant levels in the business. For example, if you are recruiting for a specific role; have a conversation with the direct manager as well as their manager to get the business receptive and context.

Tip #5 – Use every occasion to build strong connections and profitable partnerships with the business. Tell compelling stories and use business language to increase your influence. 

HR team members must use every opportunity to talk to senior business leaders to gain insight into the business context. For example: some of the more junior HR team members usually don’t have lots of 1:1 time with senior business leaders. The recruitment process can be an opportunity for them to gain an understanding of the business and to influence the leaders. Remind them to speak persuasively during these interactions and to use business language talking about the challenges the leaders face and the issues they are trying to resolve. Data and analytics are an important tool – they can use data to tell compelling stories around market conditions and talent availability during recruitment discussions instead of just showing leaders some data with no insight.

Tip #6 – Build feedback into the process: What has worked well, what can we improve and what can we continue with in the process?

Create a habit of giving (and receiving) feedback regularly. To continuously examine what has worked well, what we can adjust to get to a better result is a good way of interacting.

4. Remember the people, especially during a change transition

We live in a world where change is the new normal. Business leaders are under pressure to show year-on-year growth; they are focused on the business results and expect teams to be able to adjust and maintain high-performance levels.

I have been working with a client where rumours started to surface about a possible merger with another business. Their previous change project, the closing down of a remote office, left a bad taste for the colleagues and has impacted the trust relationship between the leadership team and colleagues.

The impact? The business will experience a huge change initiative in the foreseeable future and the trust levels are at an ultimate low. Often leaders are very confident with strategic plans and processes and uncomfortable with people-related issues. This is an opportunity for HR to coach leaders and remind them to be authentic in times of change.

Tip #7: Communicate, communicate, communicate – ensure leaders’ communication is transparent and truthful. Even a simple acknowledgement, “I don’t have the answers, or I don’t know” will work.

As CPO we can guide and lead leaders on these matters but also challenge and hold them accountable if they continue to overlook the human side of the business.

Tip #8: Remind colleagues that there is no such thing as a “problem-free plan”. The future is unpredictable, and one can’t plan for this; an adaptive approach works best.

As custodians of the People, we can guide the leaders to understand the impact of change on human behaviour. Show them it is a normal and a predictable curve that can be managed. Guide them to manage it effectively and remind them that during communication with their teams; transparency is critical. Coach them to be authentic and vulnerable in times of change.

Tip #9: Support leaders to provide the conditions for others to share their views (even if it is different from the leader’s views). 

The leader’s actions and behaviours will encourage their teams to speak-up. Teach employees the skill to speak up even if the leader’s actions aren’t encouraging this.

Some additional tips when preparing for tricky discussions:

It can be helpful to look at the SCARF model, designed by David Rock. The model is based around the notion that our brain experiences social threats with the same intensity as physical threats; this is very common and very real. This impacts people’s ability to resolve problems, collaborate and make decisions.

It all comes down to connections

Let’s remind ourselves that people crave connection; the neuroscientist provides insights into this. For the brain to survive we need each other. Our sense of belonging, identity and meaningfulness is impacted by our interactions with others. The feeling that you belong at work is an essential part of brain performance. Healthy relationships help to develop the “trust hormone” oxytocin. These connections with others can be a solid foundation and can give you a jump start when having a tricky conversation.

When it comes to a challenging conversation, the CPO should lead by example, tackle tricky matters head-on and handle them eloquently. This will help to build a legacy of being focused on the results and relationships in your business. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can’t emulate human skills… connection with teams and colleagues is critical, so is the ability to have a tricky discussion respectfully. It leads to better business results whilst strengthening human connections.

— This article was originally publish in CHRO in 2020



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