Johannesburg, South Africa – A Kenyan entrepreneur has been elected to one of the highest leadership positions in a continental body representing women-led business associations across Africa.
Laura Akunga Mwenje, founder and chief executive of Benchmark Solutions Limited, was chosen as treasurer of the Continental Network for Women’s Business Associations in Africa (CONWOBAA). She also chairs the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) Kenya.
The election, held in Johannesburg, brought together leaders from across the continent. South Africa’s Dimakatso Malwela, who heads Women of Value South Africa, was elected chairperson. She will be deputised by Fanja Razakaboana, president of Madagascar’s Women Entrepreneurs Association. Ghana’s Mabel Ibidun Quarshie, the CEO of Acquatic Foods Limited, was named secretary.
Other board members represent regions stretching from the Indian Ocean islands to North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa. Among them are Sitti Abdallah Mshangama from Comoros, Brbara Banda from Malawi, Yomita El Sheridy from Egypt, Leila Belkhira Jaber from Tunisia, Blessing Irabor-Oza from Nigeria, Nicole Gakou Gomis from Senegal, Betty Mulanga Kadima from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Esther Omam from Cameroon, and Ethiopia’s Nigest Haile.
The network, known as CONWOBAA, was created with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the African Union Commission. It brings together 102 women business associations from six regions of Africa and is designed to expand trade across borders.
Dorothy Tembo, ITC’s deputy executive director, welcomed the new leadership.
“We are delighted to bring together women’s business associations from across Africa to advance intra-African trade,” she said. “This network underpins ITC’s broader efforts through SheTrades and One Trade Africa to create real market access for women-led enterprises.”
The network is closely tied to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By pooling resources and connecting members, CONWOBAA aims to help women entrepreneurs tap into regional markets and build sustainable businesses.
Ms Tembo praised the leadership team as an example of what African women in business can achieve.
“This powerful network is led by women in leadership who are successfully running businesses and advocating for the growth of women-led enterprises,” she noted. “We look forward to the opportunities it will create for women entrepreneurs to elevate their businesses to new heights.”
For Kenya’s Laura Akunga, her election is a recognition of her influence in regional business circles and a boost to Kenya’s standing in the continent’s growing movement for women’s economic empowerment.
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