Monica Musonda

Monica Katebe Musonda is a Zambian businesswoman and lawyer, and the chief executive officer of Java Foods Limited.

Background and education Musonda was born in Zambia . She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Zambia and a Master of Laws degree from the University of London. At the time she started her food-processing business in 2012, she was described as "a dual-qualified English solicitor and Zambian advocate".

As a lawyer Musonda's legal career started in the United Kingdom, after her second degree. She was an associate attorney at Clifford Chance in London. She relocated to South Africa and was promoted to partner at Edward Nathan, in Johannesburg.

While in South Africa, she was persuaded to move to Washington, D.C., as the in-house general counsel at the International Finance Corporation, a component of the World Bank Group. While there, a position opened up at the Dangote Group in Lagos, Nigeria. She was hired as the director of legal and corporate affairs and was soon promoted to general counsel of the group.

As a businesswoman Aliko Dangote, the wealthiest person in Africa, was setting up a cement factory in Zambia. He asked Musonda who had travelled with him on the trip, why there was hardly any Zambian-owned bank, insurance company or equipment/raw material suppliers. Feeling both challenged and inspired, she resigned her corporate job and using money saved and borrowed from family and friends, she contracted a company in China to manufacture noodles with the Java Foods brand. Musonda sits on the jury of the Cartier Women's Initiative. Musonda is a non-executive director of Airtel Networks Zambia Plc, Zambia Sugar Plc, and Dangote Industries Zambia Limited.

Awards 2017 African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year award