Mattie’s Success wins Creative Business Cup award

Botswana's own Matlhogonolo Seadimo, founder of Mattie's Success, is the Creative Business Cup 2025 Global Finals winner, emerging from among two other top finalists from Ireland and South Korea.Her company, Mattie's Success, produces eco-friendly, biodegradable hair braids from banana stem fibres, empowering rural women and offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic extensions.This marks the first-ever win for an African country in the competition's history, showcasing Africa's innovation on the world stage.Creative Business Cup is a global initiative for entrepreneurship and innovation that empowers entrepreneurs in the creative industries, connects them to investors and global markets, and strengthens their innovative capabilities to the benefit of industry and society.Seadimo’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2019 when she started with synthetic fibres. She later went on a benchmarking exercise to Uganda.It was there that she was able to interact with like-minded entrepreneurs who showed her the ropes of the trade. When she came back from the benchmarking exercise, she was more determined to make an impact locally.Mattie's Success is now based in Maun and employs 12 locals. According to Seadimo, they supply retailers including Choppies, Trans, Knock Out, and Sefalana with their eco-friendly, biodegradable hair braids. Her greatest encouragement to other young entrepreneurs is to “get yourself mentors who can help you navigate the entrepreneurial journey.”Seadimo, who recently returned from the finals in Copenhagen, Denmark, is refreshed, inspired, and more determined.She managed to impress a three-person jury made up of professionals from Portugal, Lebanon, and Denmark with her inspiring pitch and presentation.“The jury was impressed with the product and advised me to adopt a broader market perspective, especially to consider launching in larger markets such as the US, which they noted has a substantial population that matches my target and demographic,” Seadimo said.From a panel of three, she proceeded to the semi-finals, where she pitched before a panel of 12. She attended around 30 roundtables covering topics from networking to exporting, and joined a panel on foreign investment.She also joined sessions on self-development and an investor-focused roundtable that outlined speakers’ investment journeys and what they look for in start-ups. There were also presentations from about 100 Danish entrepreneurs who shared candid accounts of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.“Later, I learned I had made the finals and would pitch against participants from Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, and South Korea. I prepared to do my best. After pitching the jury again reinforced the recommendation to adopt a more global market outlook,” Seadimo said.She is pleased that she represented Botswana and Africa well, as she was the only African in the finals.“This victory is more than a trophy. It’s proof that even when fear creeps in, courage is louder. It’s proof that Africa’s innovations, ideas, and dreams belong on the world stage. It’s proof that no matter how small we may feel, our stories can move mountains when we dare to share them.I celebrate not just for myself, but for every African entrepreneur, for every young girl in Botswana who dares to dream, and for every dreamer across the world who needs to be reminded: fear is temporary, but legacy is forever,” she said.According to Creative Cup Botswana National Partner, Nicolette Chinomona, the forum provides entrepreneurs with an opportunity to engage with a global audience, showcasing their innovations and gaining valuable insights and connections at the forum.“As the National Partner for Botswana, I’m incredibly proud of this achievement — it’s the result of nearly a decade of dedication to building opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Over the past four years, our collaboration with Stanbic Bank Botswana through the Accelerate Incubator has helped make it possible for Botswana’s creative talent to compete and succeed on the world stage.”Creative Cup Botswana has, in the past, facilitated other entrepreneurs, including Lebogang Mmono of Just Ginder, Moagi Onkabetse from Aurora Media, Bonolo Tabona of Perfect Order, and Bonolo Monthe, Co-Founder and Director of Maungo Craft, to attend Creative Cup Global Finals in Europe.

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Mattie’s Success wins Creative Business Cup award