Shaikjee scoops award in Paris competition
KARINDA JAGMOHAN
ONE evening in Paris will be cherished by a Durban woman who was recognised in the finals of an international entrepreneurship competition.
Farnaaz Shaikjee, an alumni of the University of Kwazulu-natal, was the runner-up in the Global Startup Weekend Women (GSWW) finals last month.
The competition celebrates businesswomen and showcases entrepreneurs’ diverse and daring technological inventions.
Shaikjee, who has an Honours degree in accounting and was an academic trainee at UKZN’S School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, presented to the judges her Beauty Butler app which assists consumers looking for beauty services.
After winning the
South African leg of the competition, Shaikjee competed with counterparts from First World countries.
“I was an ordinary girl from Durban, and becoming a runner-up in the Paris competition was a dream, especially competing with women from the US, Australia and France,” she said.
Shaikjee said: “The finals were challenging as we had to pitch our business idea in four minutes. I had no homeground advantage, most of the judges did not speak English as their first language, and I had a global audience to appease.”
Addressing the finalists, Mounir Mahjoubi, the French secretary of state in charge of digital affairs, said startups, especially in times of recession, helped to boost jobs. Initiatives like the Global Startup Weekend Women gave aspiring entrepreneurs the courage to pursue ideas.
The organiser of the Durban leg of the competition, Professor Shahida Cassim, said the initiative achieved its goal of nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and contributing to a start-up culture, particularly for women in the region.