Meet Ms. Bethlehem Alemu Tilahun – one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs

Ethiopian entrepreneur Mrs. Bethlehem Alemu Tilahun has achieved international success with her Eco-sustainable shoe-label, SoleRebels. According to Forbes Magazine, she is one of ten African businesswomen to watch. At the Norwegian African Business Summit, you can hear this inspiring, young woman share her thoughts on achieving success in the African business environment.Mrs. Bethlehem’s company, SoleRebels, is the world’s first fair trade green footwear firm. Cool, colourful shoes are made of recycled materials, including car tyres. The business is now one of Ethiopia’s most thriving firms.With less than $10,000 in start capital, put together by Mrs. Bethlehem’s immediate family, SoleRebels was born out of a belief in local production, and an idea that there existed anappetite for eco-sustainable products abroad. Mrs. Bethlehem explains in an interview with BBC that the platform for SoleRebels is “to build our own brand from here and sell outside”.The company now sells its products in 55 countries. Its biggest markets are in Austria, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the United States. The shoes are also sold online.The entrepreneur is now in charge of 75 full-time employees in the factory, and more than 200 local suppliers of raw materials. In 2011, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, awarded her as Young Global Leader. Her firm was one of the winners of the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship in Nairobi, Kenya.