11. Sandra Mwiihangele
Vital Stats:
- Business: Kiyomisandz Beauty Products
- Established: 2015
Up-and-coming fact:
Cosmetic chemist Sandra Mwiihangele hails from Namibia, and while working at a cosmetic manufacturing laboratory in Cape Town, she acquired the tools needed to launch an advanced cosmetic company with a difference.
At 11, she won the Namibian Expo of Young Scientists competition. She had developed a top-quality matte lipstick. Today her cosmetic and toiletry company – which she says was a life-long dream – has earned the 2015 National Commission on Research, Science & Technology innovation grant and the 2016 Development Bank of Namibia innovation award. Mwiihangele has plans to export her products to international markets.