After years working as a lawyer in England, she returned to Africa to venture into entrepreneurship. She uses technology to empower Black women.

Gisela Van Houcke (photo) is a lawyer and entrepreneur from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is the founder and CEO of Zuri, a women-led beauty tech platform. 

Founded in 2016, Zuri aims to empower Black women through beauty and technology. The platform provides Black beauty entrepreneurs with software tools, branding, supply chain access, and financing needed to enhance their economic mobility and that of their clients.

The idea for Zuri came from an observation by Gisela Van Houcke. "When I came back to Africa, I immediately noticed a gap in the market for extensions and cosmetics, particularly for people with dark skin. People around me were always asking me to bring back extensions and cosmetic products when I traveled. This gap was simply inconceivable; Africa having a large number of people interested in such products," she explains.

Gisèla left her country for the UK in 2003 due to wars and political instability. She studied at Cardiff University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in law in 2013. She then worked as a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, a UK law firm.

In 2015, she became head of the legal department at BBOXX, a British company developing smart solar solutions for developing countries. After moving to Africa, she resigned in 2017 to dedicate herself fully to Zuri. Today, Zuri has 20,000 clients and employs 60 women.

In 2018, Gisela Van Houcke was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the business category. She is also listed in the top 50 of Africa's Business Heroes 2023.

Melchior Koba