Shashi
Naidoo
FROM
INTERNATIONAL
MODEL TO
BUSINESS
WOMAN
SHE’S GOT
THE LOOK!
Shashi Naidoo needs no introduction, she is as talented as she is
beautiful (and she is very beautiful)! As we sat down for our interview, held at the exquisite Randlords in Johannesburg, the first
thing I noticed was her downto-earth nature. The direct eyecontact and dashing white smile,
which lit up the room, was sincere and it was clear why she is
one of South Africa’s most successful beauties with brains.
Shashi is best known for her work as an international model, actress
and TV Presenter, but she has also found a niche in the market to
live out her dream of becoming a top businesswoman. Accomplishing this was not as easy as it sounds.
Shashi, after the big move to Johnnesburg in 1998, initially studied
to become a chiropractor. While doing this she held down parttime jobs, one of which was delivering flowers. After delivering
flowers to an agency, she was asked by the art director to audition
and booked her first job.
“I never thought that this would be on the cards for me.” She says
laughing.
The road was a lot harder before things became easier for Shashi.
“I struggled to find an agency because of my height and because
I’m not a typical size 0 model, but all these struggles prepared me
for what was to happen later in life,” she says.
Her career as a television presenter got off to a good start and
also sparked a stream of advertisements and modelling work.
Sashi noticed a gap in the market while building her modelling
career and decided to capitalise on it. She realised that people
were sometimes so stereotypical in their view of what a models should look like.
Photographer: Vernondo Boshoff
by:
Louw Breytenbach