International accolades for two Indian-origin South African women
Two young women of Indian origin from the South African city of Pretoria, a 21-year-old beauty products entrepreneur and a 30-year-old architect, have won international accolades for their exemplary leadership this week.
Beauty products entrepreneur Rabia Ghoor received the Forbes Woman Africa ‘Young Achievers’ Award for 2021, while architect Sumayya Vally was included in the 2021 Times100 list that recognizes leaders who are shaping the future.
Ghoor’s award was announced during a Forbes virtual summit to celebrate African women leaders who are committed to economic and social transformation on the continent. Ghoor started ‘Swiitch Beauty,’ her makeup and skincare online beauty store at just 14 years old, and dropped out of school two years later to focus full-time on the business, which she was inspired after she discovered a hole. in the African market.
American, European or Asian brands that are not available here in South Africa were constantly innovating and evolving, especially in the digital space, while South African brands lagged behind or simply did not exist. “I started researching product sourcing, formulation, e-commerce, packaging, manufacturing, and design with the ultimate goal in mind of creating a beauty brand that didn’t break the bank first and second. Instead, create things that people would actually use in real life: things that they did what they said they were going to do, ”Ghoor said.
“After being announced as the winner, I received tons of collaboration emails. That is exposure for my brand and for me. I think winning opened up networking opportunities, “he added.
Vally became the youngest architect to make the Times100 list for her role in designing the pavilion for the Serpentine Galleries in London. He joins internationally renowned architects such as Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid.
Vally founded the company Counterspace five years ago in association with a group of friends while still teaching at the University of Johannesburg Graduate School of Architecture. He said the company was formed with the goal of developing a design language that recognizes and celebrates the African continent.
“It is an absolute privilege to be on a list with so many artists, innovators and leaders that I admire. It has deepened the sense of responsibility with our stories, our hybrid identities and our future that I strive to incorporate into my work, and the sense of responsibility I have for my communities, ”Vally told the Laudium Today website in her hometown.
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.