This is how Nazareen Ebrahim would describe her journey as an employee entrepreneur over the last 15 years. Coming from a humble background in Phoenix, Kwazulu-Natal, this media and communications specialist has spent the last 10 years learning business on the go. First registering Naz Consulting Corporate. Media. Academia in August 2010, Nazareen went in with the all the naivete and confidence of any new business owner. The last 10 years has brought clarity of what it means to build a successful business. Nazareen’s natural affinity for communications has also developed into a strong and credible broadcast portfolio having hosted her own television business show ‘BizToday’ on Deen Channel (Starsat and OpenviewHD) and a business radio show ‘We Mean Business’ on local station Radio Al-Ansaar. Currently Nazareen has a guest tech slot every Wednesday on Lester Kiewet’s Midday Report show on Primedia’s Cape Talk. She is also a resident communications analyst on SABC station Lotus FM. Black Umbrellas and Tshimologong Precinct are home to Nazareen to extend mentorship to startup entrepreneurs across South Africa.
Nazareen is grateful for and reflective on the last decade. “The last 10 years have been a real journey of self-doubt, blood, sweat, many tears, anxiety and uncertainty. But, the last 10 years has also been a real journey of purpose, certainty, learnings, inspiration and developing the necessary business acumen and muscle to run a better enterprise. I believe that women in business need to walk into any industry with the confidence that they are credible and ready players. Unfortunately, we have a culture of women putting other women down in getting ahead. Men are not the first people to act as a hindrance to a woman’s success. This is not to take away from the GBV pandemic that we are suffering in this country. That is a separate discussion. My comments are specifically around the professional playing field of any industry in which a woman will choose to open a business.”
Nazareen’s focus on technology has developed into a second enterprise called Socially Acceptable – a social tech enterprise committed to the building of a responsible digital citizenry. This not for-profit-company will develop and produce research around the impact and ability of AI on the African continent with a special focus on AI Ethics. Nazareen is currently developing her portfolio as an AI Ethics Officer under the mentorship of Kay Firth Butterfield – Head of AI at the World Economic Forum. To develop her profile further as an AI Ethics Officer, she has been included on two WEF projects centred around Regulation and AI. Socially Acceptable’s flagship project called the AI Africa Report aims to become the most comprehensive source of AI knowledge and research on the African continent. Find the AI Africa Report on Youtube.
To learn more about good reputation management and AI Ethics Consulting, please get in touch with Nazareen on email: naz@sociallyacceptable.co.za or naz@nazconsulting.co.za
