Women’s Day 2017

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“Dynamite comes in small packages” Sixteen years ago, I returned home to Newcastle, with an Honour’s Degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy, and a dream of becoming a successful, phenomenal, self made businesswoman, in private practice. My success in realizing this dream is the result of courage, determination, perseverance, constant goal evaluation, and a belief in my ability to touch the lives of those that cross my path. Delivering quality products(hearing aids) and exceptional service have always been the key to my successful business. Marriage and motherhood revealed avenues of creativity beyond my profession, launching me into the intensely competitive world of Showbiz. DREAMZ24, my Events Management Company was created with the incredible support of my husband, businessowner, Avinash Raghuber (KZN24), and my proud parents, Danny and Sangeetha Naicker. As a 37th birthday gift to myself, I launched the Dreamz Institute of Dance in April this year, where children from all walks of life are given an opportunity to express themselves through dance (Hip Hop, Bollywood, Latin American etc). My beautiful daughters Sonia (11yrs) and Jodha (7yrs) keep me young and vibrant, and loving life every minute!

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Alexandra Street drains

How long is a typical day for you? I belong to the 5am club. Be wise early rise. My typical day ends at 11pm. What qualities and strengths should a business woman have? • A positive attitude is a must. Arrest all negative thoughts! Surround yourself with positive people who inspire you. • The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.
• A woman who is compassionate has a great influence. In the spirit of the ever popular Instagram hashtag #wcw who is your woman crush right now? Indian American business executive and CEO of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi, inspires me. What advice would you give to your younger self? To have listened more; some of the smartest people are the best listeners. Don’t burn bridges, you may never know when you will need to cross them again. Sometimes saying nothing, speaks volumes. Invest more in your young self.

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Ms Nana Mtshali, the representative of the Department of Trade and Industry, addresses the ladies, before presenting them with their new sewing machines.
Ms Nana Mtshali, the representative of the Department of Trade and Industry, addresses the ladies, before presenting them with their new sewing machines.

What were the challenges you faced when starting up your business? Access to finance, finding suppliers, licensing of a permanent site, red tape from the DOE, EIA and Town Planning. What type of qualities and strengths should women have in the business world? Honesty, passion and consistency. What would you say to a young woman questioning her worth, value, or place in this world?  The public cannot judge you. You are your best judge. Who is your role model?  Ameenah Gurib – President of Mauritius. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Reach for the stars but, always keep your feet on the ground.

What were the challenges you faced when starting up your business? Firstly, As a female indian I was very afraid of who would support me and how to go about doing business. I started as a women making ice lollies and wholesaling to shops and stepped further into Ace Driving School. This grew with the support of the public. I have expanded into Avaan Water Wise. I took over from a white gentleman and gave it my best shot. The business was investigated and audited. They found I had clean name and the business was given the all-clear, I picked up from there and moved on and bought a restaurant. The challenges were great. I eventually sold that and grew stronger and opened up Top Carpets and Floors. I excelled in business and as a women I can take on any client, and even the most difficult client. As a woman, no matter how difficult the situation is, we just handle it with a smile. How long is a typical work day for you? My working days are from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and Friday starts my weekends. If a client needs to see me I’m always available, even after hours but only if it’s very urgent. My Fridays and weekends belong to my loving family. Do you think your life partner would be able to walk a day in your shoes? Do you think your life partner will walk in a day in your shoes?
Most definitely! My life partner Ash has been there for me from day one although he was in a working environment. I always had his support, and now that we are together in business we cross those bridges together hand in hand. I also have my two sons that fills those shoes as well. I’m proud of them. What would you say to a young woman questioning her worth, or place in this world? Young woman must get up and smell the coffee. I have tried to grow young women into the business field by employing them, but I have failed with a few. You have to start by working. Get experience and grow from there. I even helped people open businesses because I believe knowledge is free; do not keep it within, you share it and you will prosper in life.

Ashish is happily married to his long-time love, Sydal Subrayen.

What is your advice to future business women? My best advice for being successful, happy and healthy is to pick a profession that you are passionate about. Nothing makes you happier than thinking work is fun. Be confident, stay humble and strive to be the best you can. What type of qualities and strengths should women have in the business world? She should define her success in her own terms, take control of her destiny. She should be smart, confident, ambitious, passionate and humble. Who is your role model? Mother Teresa. She has a saying: “Do your work well, and do it with great love”. What would you say to a young woman questioning her worth, value, or place in this world? You are God’s masterpiece, beautiful and wonderfully made. Love, honour and value yourself, by doing so you are honouring God because you are his creation, a beautiful reflection of him.

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“The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman “
– Indian Philosopher Chanakya. Being a young business woman is challenging in the business world, it is of utmost importance for me to maintain qualities such as humility, confidence, self-belief, persistence and hard work. My industry allows me to empower women by improving their psychological well-being.  Education is key to success and every woman deserves respect,  support and equality. Happy Woman’s Day!

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Ladysmith Dog Unit Sergeant Siyabonga (Alex) Mkanyana (41), who was in the K9 Unit at the time, was linked to the robbery by circumstantial evidence

What were the challenges you faced when starting up your business? Receiving finance was the most challenging part of starting my business, and being a young woman didn’t seem to help much either. People were struggling to take me seriously. How long is a typical work day for you? Our typical work day is from 08:30am to 17:30pm, though some days feel never-ending. It’s always difficult in the dental profession to have emergencies to squeeze in to an already chaotic day.
What advice would you give to your younger self? Do not to be afraid to start up the practice. It took me a while to feel empowered and prepared enough to start out on my own, but when I finally did, everything ran so smoothly and I couldn’t believe that I had doubted myself. What would you say to a young woman questioning her worth, or place in this world? Honour yourself… Treat yourself with respect. That way you set up the stage for others to treat you with respect.

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I am the proud mum of two, and I own Samia Beauty Salon. I run an exclusive salon for ladies and take great pride and joy in the work that I do. I am qualified with eight years’ experience. My working hours are from 10am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. My services include make-up, hair, mendhi, waxing, facials, massages, threading, microblading, foot detox, manicure and pedicure. I offer affordable prices and guarantee a good experience to every client. 

Get your free rabies vaccinations
The estimated value of the haul is about R7-million.

“Every plant has it’s fitness and must be placed in it’s proper surroundings so as to bring out it’s full beauty. Therein lies the art of landscaping” – Jens Jensen
Having always had a passion for gardening, nature and art, a few years ago I pursued a career in landscaping. After qualifying as a Landscape Designer with Lifestyle College and serving a mentorship, I opened up my business, Xcel Landscaping. I am grateful for experiencing life as a wife, a mother and being able to live, doing what I feel so passionate about.  A landscaped garden is a luxury that
nobody should do without. Happy Woman’s Day!

The highlight of the function was when Ms NC Ngcobo received an award for the Best Choir Conductress
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What were the challenges you faced starting up your business? Every business has it’s own set of challenges and struggles.  You have to find quick solutions and keep abreast with technology, especially in the beauty industry. The strategy I stand by is to maintain high standards, and always improve the quality of the service rendered. How long is a typical work day for you? I am not a slave to my work. I start the day with a workout, to prepare myself physically and mentally.  As the saying goes: “A healthy mind is a healthy body.” What is your advice to future business women? Women are the fastest growing segment of business owners. Be confident and don’t be intimidated by the tricky waters of owning and navigating your own company in a male-dominated landscape. Put in unspeakable hours, keep a healthy balance and stay true to your product or service. In the spirit of the ever popular Instagram hashtag #WCW who is your woman crush right now?
I am not popular with microblogging networks yet. Maybe in the future I will get in on the hashtagging fun.

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Ever found yourself in a position where someone would say "look me in the eye and tell me…"

What were the challenges you faced when starting up your business? Being afraid of the unknown! Starting a new business was a turbulent undertaking. For one thing, there was no guarantee of success. The idea of sacrificing a steady salary for uncertainty also provoked anxiety. Hoping to succeed we overcame our fear, this year is our fifth in Childcare services. We are now running two daycares and recently introduced an Early Childhood Development Training program accredited by SETA. What type of qualities and strengths should a woman have in the business world? Focus on progress and not perfection, and be authentic. Find your own passion, believe in it and turn it into something you can really be proud of. Be soft-hearted. Charity and compassion allow you to reach beyond, and make a difference in the lives of others. By reaching out to others, we grow as individuals. A woman with a compassionate heart has great influence. What advice would you give to your younger self? Be reliable, be curious and own your decisions. Learn from your mistakes and turn it into an opportunity for next time!
What would you say to a young woman questioning her worth, or place in this world? Don’t be afraid to take risks. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you do, get back up—and try again. Be kind to yourself. Let go off what you can’t control. If it feels wrong, don’t do it.Treasure the simple things in life and don’t overcomplicate things. To all the ladies, keep your heels, head and standards high, Happy Woman’s Day

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