4 November2022Editor NoteWomen Entrepreneurs & Corporate Leaders Play a Significant Role in Kenya's Economic Growth The African region consists of the big four including Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Kenya. Of them, The East African nation has experienced swift growth rates in recent years, owing to its diverse economy. The country's economy grew by 5.2 percent in the second quarter of 2022. Although the number was considerably lower than the economy growth rate from last year, the Kenyan economy is expected to increase by 5.5 percent this year. The economic growth continues to recover from the negative impact of the pandemic. The Kenyan startup system has also been the talk of the town and has raised over a billion dollars in just the first half of 2022. The Kenyan startup ecosystem is also the top country in terms of receiving most VC funding in the continent and has surpassed the trifecta from the Big Four in Africa including Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. Women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders have played a significant role in the country's economic growth. Doing well as a business leader requires determination, business skills, resilience and networking; Kenyan women have been growing by leaps and bounds on all fronts to emerge as successful business leaders. The country is also home to several female CEOs and CXOs who have built a successful career owing to their education and experience. This just goes to show the wonders that education and opportunity can do for gender equality. In the current edition of Women Entrepreneur magazine we cover a few such prolific women leaders from Kenya such as Betty M Mwangi, M.B.S.,Betty, one of the most influential women in Africa, has led several companies to success, most recent being Jumia, the top e-Commerce platform in Africa.Her professional journey provided her with broad international exposure, during which she was able to achieve milestones that became the highlights of this journey. While leading Safaricom's M-PESA, Betty was able to grow the customer base to 80% of Kenya's adult population and transactions amounting to 40 percent of Kenya's GDP, resulting in the current digital financial inclusion penetration of 83 percent. A similar story comes from Faith Anyonje, Managing Director, Essenspark Limited. Faith launched Essenspark Limited to educate companies on the necessity of EHS systems in the workplace.She has been working as a consultant in the field of environmental health and safety for the last nine years, first on a part-time basis and then full-time once she launched Essenspark. Faith has worked in the manufacturing industry twice before advising corporations specializing in security and safety.She believes that "There is no such thing as an impossibility; just self-imposed constraints. You think it's difficult just because you haven't given it a try. You only need to give it a go, and the next steps will become clear. As well as, you can count on us for advice and guidance whenever you need it."We hope reading their inspirational stories can motivate you to reach for the stars too. Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
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