( CNN ) -- Naledi means `` star '' in Tswana , one of the languages spoken in Botswana . So when Kemi Kalikawe gave her lifestyle store that name , she decided to add a sparkle to her business . `` My brand is Africa revamped , '' she says . `` Africa getting a modern twist and just bringing the West and Africa together and marrying them into something beautiful . '' Kalikawe grew up in Botswana , as the name of her store suggests , but her business is in the thumping heart of Tanzania 's biggest city , Dar es Salaam . Funky fabrics . Shoppers who visit her store find jewelry , sandals and vibrantly-colored outfits on the shelves . Some of Kalikawe 's garments even use indigenous Tanzanian fabrics like the Khanga and Kitenge . `` I make dresses , I cater mostly for women , '' Kalikawe explains , `` and I do jewelry and also sandals , which have all got an influence of African fabrics . '' Whilst taking a tour of the store , Kalikawe points out one her favorite dresses , `` I love it because it defies what Tanzanians think of the Tanzanian Kitenge , which is funky , it 's stylish , and it can be worn anywhere . '' With such a variety of designs , fabrics and patterns on display it 's clear that Kalikawe 's work is her passion . `` Sometimes I see a fabric and it just speaks to me , '' she says . `` So I take that and start thinking of what I can do to bring out its beauty . '' Career change . As a child , Kalikawe dreamed of working in the design industry , but she ended up studying marketing in England . She soon realized she was n't cut out for the advertising world and moved to Kenya to study interior design . `` The school that I was going to also had fashion design . I ended up wanting to find ways of promoting fashion designers and so I put on a show for them , '' she explains . `` When I came back to Tanzania , I worked with the British Council ... and my job was to find underground fashion talent and put them on the stage . That 's how I ended up making my own dresses ... and the people that would come to the show loved my clothes . '' That background is reflected in her store , where she promotes other entrepreneurs alongside her own creations . `` I choose to include other designers because there is n't particularly a space where designers can showcase their work , '' Kalikawe says . `` It 's expensive to open your own store . So this was something that gave me that chance to promote other designers plus sell my own things , '' she adds . Like Kalikawe , many women in Africa are capitalizing on their entrepreneurial skills . In fact , the continent leads the world in the number of women starting businesses , with almost equal levels of male and female entrepreneurs . Overall , Africa has a higher proportion of female entrepreneurs compared to other regions , with Nigeria and Zambia ( both 40.7 % ) topping the charts . The stats reveal that countries like the United States ( 10.4 % ) , the UK ( 5.5 % ) , and France ( 3.1 % ) have a less equal business landscape . Overcoming obstacles . Over its six year lifespan , Nalendi Lifestyle has established a reputation and a steady stream of clients . But it was n't always so easy for Kalikawe . `` I had to find a place that was close to my customers , so I shopped around for different places where I could share with somebody who had an existing space and they were not using it . I had to do a lot of convincing when I finally got the space that I am in now , '' she remembers . But getting a physical presence was n't the only obstacle Kalikawe had to overcome . She says that creating advertising and getting people to know that her shop was there took time . `` It 's lucky that I am right by the road , so that way when people pass by I put mannequins outside with my dresses . '' While she has faced difficulties , Kalikawe has no regrets ; `` I totally love what I do , '' she says . `` From a kid , I 've always known I was going to work in the industry ; in design industry somehow . I am so fortunate that I am actually doing what I love to do . '' Read this : Shunning medicine for jewelry . Read this : Luxury shoes put sparkle in your ste . Read this : Flip-flops to rubber masterpieces .
the British Council store sells clothes and home products in Dar Es Salaam , England . Kalikawe creates products that bring together African and African styles . Before starting her business Kalikawe studied marketing in England . Kalikawe struggled to find a place to base herself in Tanzania .