Tigui Camara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tigui Camara
Born	Conakry, Guinea
Occupation	Mining entrepreneur, model
Employer	Tigui Mining Group

Tigui Camara, also known as Tiguidanké Camara, is a successful businesswoman from Guinea. She used to be a model and now leads her own company, Tigui Mining Group. She is also part of a group called International Women in Mining. Tigui Camara is one of the youngest people in Africa to own a mining business. She is also the only woman in Guinea to own a mining company. In 2017, a magazine called Jeune Afrique named her one of Africa's 50 Most Influential Businesswomen. In 2021, Avance Media listed her as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Africa.

Early Life and Modeling

Tigui Camara was born in Conakry, the capital city of Guinea. Her father was a politician, and her mother was a businesswoman. Tigui started modeling when she was just 12 years old.

In 1996, she moved to Morocco to study Business Management. After finishing her studies, Camara moved to the United States. She continued her modeling career there for several years. She stopped modeling after her twin children were born in the 2000s.

Starting a Mining Business

In 2008, Tigui Camara bought a part of a mining company. This was the start of her career in the mining industry. In 2009, she created her own company, the Camara Diamond Trading Network. Later, in 2012, she started a bigger company called Tigui Mining Group (TMG).

Her companies focus on mining in West Africa. They work mainly in Guinea and Ivory Coast. TMG specializes in finding and taking out gold and diamonds. They have special permits to mine diamonds in areas like Kérouané and Macenta.

In 2017, Tigui Camara started the TMG Foundation. This foundation helps manage projects that benefit communities. These projects include social businesses and cooperatives. By 2018, her company also planned to invest in mining for bauxite and iron.

Tigui Camara once shared how she got into mining. She said that when she was a model in the USA, many jewelry companies hired her. This made her curious about where the jewelry came from. She wanted to know how it was made and how mining affected local people. The answers she found inspired her to get involved in the mining world.

Her companies also help build homes and support farming. Tigui Camara is a member of International Women in Mining. This is a global group that supports women who work in the mining industry. She also started Women in Mining Guinea in 2013. She has given speeches about her career at important events. These include the Africa Mining Summit and the New York City Forum for Africa.

Awards and Recognition

Tigui Camara has received several important awards. In 2017, Jeune Afrique magazine named her one of Africa's 50 Most Influential Businesswomen. In 2021, Avance Media listed her as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Africa.

As of 2018, she was the only woman in Guinea to own a mining company. She is also known as one of Africa's youngest mining entrepreneurs.