Top Woman Entrepreneur in Kenya

Joanne Mwangi is the founder of Professional Marketing Services. Her firm came No.1 in the Top 100 SME competition.
Though she stumbled into business 13 years ago, Joanne Mwangi has proved to be a successful entrepreneur. The numerous awards she has won over the years are testament to her entrepreneurial skills and spirit.
Joanne Mwangi is the founder of Professional Marketing Services (PMS) Limited, an experiential marketing agency. The PMS Group offers services in advertising, public relations, event management, trade promotions, consumer promotions, trade merchandising and Marketing strategy development.
According to Mwangi
The firm, which started as a small outfit providing merchandising activities, has evolved into Professional Marketing Services Group of companies (PMS Group) providing a wide range of services to a myriad of clients,” she says.
Mwangi started her career as a Brand Manager in corporate Kenya, but left her high paying salary to pursue her entrepreneurial dream. It was during her work as a professional that Mwangi saw an opportunity for the future in the market.
Every time I wanted to organize an event or carry out a promotion I would have to handle all the details since there were no companies to outsource from. This was time consuming, tiring and doubled my duties, but the experience created an opportunity to start a firm that would outsource these services to other firms,” say Mwangi.
In 2010 Professional Marketing Services Limited emerged number one in the recently announced Top 100 SME competition in Kenya. Mwangi also won the leading lady entrepreneur award at the competition.
Professional Marketing Services beat 247 contestants to win the competition that honours Kenya’s fastest growing and well managed small and medium sized companies.
The Top 100 SMEs survey sponsored by the Nation Media Group and KPMG, an audit firm, honors small and medium sized enterprises which have proved to be competitive and innovative.
The PMS Group consists of three companies 3marketeers, Innovateus and Retail synergy. Mwangi decided to diversify following market demand for more services. She adds that by diversifying and having her firms compete for the same job tenders put her in a better position to command the market and win job contracts.
We currently have offices in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and hope to have each of the branches fully fledged to mitigate against risks where one country affected by political turmoil ends up paralyzing the entire business,” says Mwangi.
Mwangi is the current chair of Kenya’s umbrella association for women in business; Federation of Women Entrepreneur Associations (FEWA) Sacco. FEWA provides affordable credit to women entrepreneurs. Last year she beat women entrepreneurs from 75 countries across the globe to emerge the winner of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) Woman of the Year award.
17 total comments on this postSubmit yours
  1. Women around Africa who want to top up in entrepreneurship must learn from these women from Kenya

  2. Thats such an inspiration..kudos Joanne and your team

  3. Joanne fifteen years ago a lot of people who interacted with you knew how you put a lot of effort in all what you did.
    Congratulations

  4. Joanne, you are in inspiration to many. Congrats.

  5. That was very nice, Joanne. Keep up the spirit!

  6. This is very inspiring to me/many of us and encouraging!!!
    I would like to know how to get into the association of women in business and Federation of Women Entrepreneur Associations. Thanks. Kudos again!!!!!shikukimani@pumbatours.com

  7. Hi Shiku

    Thank you very much. Here is a link to Federation of Women Entrepreneur Associations FEWA

    You can contact them about becoming a member.

    Good luck!
    Africa Report Team

  8. I did watch u today and I was so impressed with your presentation. I am one of directors in a developing marketing company in Uganda and I love to learn more from your professional experience . We have lauched a new product, BABA nuts in the market and we do believe they have a future.
    Hope to hear from you.
    Kenneth

  9. Truly an inspirational experience. I am a recent graduate from a Catholic University and am interested in working with you after watching you on citizen TV.

  10. Watched you at the bench on K24 on 10th March n was so impressed by your hardwork. Kudos Joanne n keep the fire burning…..

  11. Your visit last night during the capital talk on K24 was inspiring. It was the first time I heard about PMS and led me to browse the site. As Joanne put it last night with Jeff, the future of Kenya surely looks bright.
    Kudos.

  12. Women to look after in this generation. You inspire me.

  13. Kudos, Joanne. You have made the world know that powerful women are here in Kenya. You have jump-started many minds including mine… now it is hard to even imagine how far these minds will explore their potential.

  14. CONGRATULATIONS

  15. How can I get to be a member of the FEWA?

  16. Hi Ann

    Thank you very much. Here is a link to Federation of Women Entrepreneur Associations FEWA

    You can contact them about becoming a member.

    Good luck!
    Africa Report Team

  17. Congrats for setting the pace!
    I would like your firm to market a book on labour laws that I have published. How do we contact you and discuss this?

    Regards.
    Oira George Mogare

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