Monica (Katebe) Musonda

IWA Team

March 17, 2026

Monica (Katebe) Musonda
Founder, Java Foods Limited

Monica (Katebe) Musonda is a multi-sector entrepreneur and corporate lawyer building businesses that drive economic transformation across Africa. As Founder and CEO of Java Foods, she has spent over a decade creating one of Zambia’s leading food manufacturing companies, producing the iconic eeZee Noodles brand. Today, she is expanding her entrepreneurial portfolio into critical growth sectors: power trading and renewable energy through Kanona Power Company and Exergy Africa (where she serves as a Director), mining services through IFS Zambia.

Her entrepreneurial journey is built on a foundation of 25+ years of corporate law expertise. As a dual-qualified English Solicitor and Zambian Advocate, she navigated complex mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and regulatory affairs across multiple jurisdictions. As former General Counsel and Director of Corporate Affairs for Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Group in Lagos, she spearheaded Dangote’s $400 million investment in Zambia and negotiated critical government incentives that unlocked the project’s success.

She brings strategic oversight to multiple organisations as an independent non-executive director, serving on both public sector and listed company boards. She currently chairs the board of Zambian Breweries and sits on the Advisory Board of Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa under the African Development Bank—a pan-African initiative addressing the financing gap facing women entrepreneurs.

Monica is passionate about creating pathways for women in business and has been recognised as the 2017 African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2021 Leading Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year. As a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, she leverages these platforms to advocate for stronger African food systems, women’s entrepreneurship, and private sector-led development.

Monica is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and Africa’s economic transformation. Her TEDx Euston talk has reached thousands globally, and she regularly delivers keynotes at international forums. She also maintains Camelot Advisory, her boutique advisory practice providing strategic counsel to businesses navigating Africa’s dynamic markets.