Stanchart ‘Banks’ on 15 Zambian Female Entrepreneurs
Standard Chartered Bank CEO, Sonny Zulu, has said that the Bank leads the way in supporting female entrepreneurship in Zambia. He was speaking at an event to celebrate 15 Zambian female entrepreneurs who have been short-listed for the Standard Chartered Bank Women in Tech programme in Lusaka last night.
Launched in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Standard Chartered Women in Tech provides grants of US$10,000 each to those Zambian women who demonstrate how they will use technology to scale up their businesses. In 2024, 15 women have made it to the short list. They will battle it out for the much-coveted top prize of a US$10,000 grant to scale up their businesses. This year, the Bank has increased the number of winners from 5 to 6.
The 15 short-listed businesses are from a diverse range of sectors – from education and childcare service Apps to maid service Apps and creative arts, amongst others.
Mr. Zulu emphasised that beyond the internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to be way bigger and will form an integral part of how we do business. He challenged the female entrepreneurs to take advantage of AI and make ways to start adopting it as soon as possible.
The 15 short-listed candidates will now go on to pitch their ideas to an independent panel of judges – six will emerge as winners and receive US$10,000 each.
The Standard Chartered Women in Tech aligns with the Bank’s key priorities of lifting the participation of women in Zambia’s economy, as well as supporting small business enterprises (SMEs). Since it was launched, the Bank has invested over half a million US Dollars into the programme.
| Top 15 finalists | |||
| 1 | Koloso-Application Technology Zambia Limited (Trading as Koloso) | Petra Chikasa | Koloso is a social, gamified mobile app that delivers the individual, real-time learning gap analysis teachers need to personalise teaching and help every student to achieve the best results. |
| 2 | Promaid Cleaning Service | Gondwe Idah | Promaid Cleaning Service is a dynamic company that delivers a broad spectrum of cleaning services to both residential and commercial clients. Recognising the increasing demand for convenient and time-saving services, Promaid steps in to offer on-site cleaning directly at customers’ locations, catering to the busy lifestyles of today’s society. |
| 3 | Nashgear Customs Store Limited | Caroline Kataya | Nashgear Customs Store Limited is an online customisation store based in Lusaka, Zambia. The store caters to the desire for a one-of-a-kind style and seeks to integrate art and fashion by customising shoes and clothing to suit people’s wishes, dreams, and needs through their creative expressions. |
| 4 | Wilawane Store Limited | Kayanda Besa |
WilaWane Store is a children’s educational wooden toy and bookstore, the first of its kind in Zambia. We retail a wide range of wooden educational toys, Classic Montessori-aligned toys, child-sized furniture, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) kits and children’s storybooks. We cater to parents, caregivers, educators and schools of children aged 0 to 10 years.
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| 5 | Metamorphosis Fresh Fields Limited | Monica Chali Kangwa |
Metamorphosis is revolutionising agricultural education in Africa through its online platform. They offer accessible and comprehensive courses to individuals interested in agricultural practices.
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| 6 | Allmed Innovations Limited | Hildah Bowa | Allmed Innovations Limited is a tech company with a venture Netcure. Netcure is an all-in-one e-health mobile application, that connects you with a network of doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals, 24/7. Netcure enables you to make doctor appointments at your fingertips, find doctors across specialities and hospitals, schedule hospital visits, and even book lab tests. |
| 7 | Nicetyfarm Technologies | Sharon Zulu | An application that provides high school and university students access to a laboratory through the use of 5D extended reality (virtual/augmented reality) and gamification. This app is compatible with mobile phones, laptops, and VR headsets. It enables students to conduct any type of experiment without running out of resources. |
| 8 | Chiseko agritech | Esineya Chilumbu | Chiseko is bridging the gap between farmers and consumers by providing a market for farmers, allowing them to focus on farming without worrying about where to sell their produce. |
| 9 | Berry Green Enterprise | Timale Manda | Berry Green Enterprise, stands as a unique virtual restaurant specialising in the fusion of Mexican cuisine with Zambian ingredients. Operating as a boutique cloud kitchen, Berry Green ensures convenience for its customers by facilitating online orders and deliveries, thereby offering bold, vibrant, and organic meals without hassle |
| 10 | DeArt | Chewe Manase | DeArt, a premier made-to-order women’s wear brand, is dedicated to celebrating the diversity of its clients while championing sustainability and community upliftment. With a commitment to customer-centricity, Deart ensures excellence in product quality, customer service, and timely delivery, creating an inclusive environment that exceeds expectations. By focusing on bespoke designs and on-demand production, Deart actively reduces the environmental impact of fast fashion, embodying ethical practices in textile development. |
| 11 | Advocatus Solutions | Chimwemwe Ngoma | Advocatus Solutions is developing a comprehensive digital legal directory designed to serve both the public and legal professionals. This innovative platform aims to provide easy access to contact information for legal practitioners, law firms, and other essential legal aid resources. |
| 12 | Swenastar | Kamwanya Vincia Tshilumba | Swenastar provides a ticketing platform for event planners with efficient payment methods that are easy and reliable. They believe the entertainment industry is growing and want to create a platform that aids this growth by bridging the gap between event planners and the market, which is one of our most pertinent objectives for the year 2024. |
| 13 | Kiddies commute school pick-up solutions | Tetiwe Nzimah | Kiddies Commute offers a convenient and efficient service that allows parents to focus on their work while ensuring their children reach their destination safely and on time. Whether it’s regular school pickups, extracurricular activities, or any other transportation needs, Kiddies Commute is here to provide a reliable and hassle-free experience for both parents and children. |
| 14 | Traverse Virtual Tours | Zilinde Monjeza | Traverse is a technology-based platform with a mission to embody the physical experience in a virtual world. Unlike traditional tour companies, Traverse seeks to utilise mixed reality technology especially virtual and augmented reality technology to provide curated and immersive tours for various industries in the country including tourism and hospitality, education, and real estate among others. |
| 15 | Tash Classy Beauty Limited (TA Tash Classy hair) | Natasha Mwanaumo Mwanaumo | Tash Classy Hair is a hair boutique that offers a wide range of high-quality hair bundles, wigs, and hair products designed for low to medium-income earners. The types of hair bundles and wigs they sell include Vietnamese, Brazilian, Peruvian, and other Asian varieties to accommodate different preferences. Unlike traditional physical stores, they leverage the power of social media to reach, engage, and serve customers nationwide and globally. Their business potential lies in providing affordable yet stylish options, tapping into a broad market, and aligning with the current trends of inclusive beauty standards and accessible luxury. They offer an assorted product range to cater to diverse tastes. |
