Glitz and glamour at Businesswoman Awards

It was a night full of of glitz and glamour as the 16th Businesswoman of the Year was crowned at a gala banquet held at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre last Friday.
Over 260 people from the corporate world convened at the Safari Hotel to witness the crowning of yet another woman who has made her mark on the local business scene.
Led by the vivacious Brendan van Rhyns’ whose alter ego, Cathy Specific gave an inspiring act, the night was truly one to remember. Specific, also known as South Africa’s “First Lady of Flying”, left the audience in stitches, and some in awe with her hard hitting jokes.
The biannual Namibian Businesswoman Awards acknowledge and celebrate women’s contribution in business and pays tribute to the hard work, determination and creativity of women within large corporations, and individuals who have left an indelible mark in the local economy and society.
Five awards were up for grabs during the night, including the Business Owner Award won by Cynthia Martin-Haihambo; the Private and Corporate Sector Award, won by Jantje Daun; the Community and Government Award, won by Ericah Shafudah; the Young Business Women’s Award, won by Natasja Beyleveld as well as the Overall Namibian Businesswoman of the Year Award which controversially went to Shafudah.
The Business Owner Award is open to owners with a 50% share or more in a business with responsibility for key management decision-making while the Private and Corporate Sector Award is open to employees in the private and corporate sectors, or owners with less than 50% share of a business.
The Community and Government Award is open to employees of government departments, statutory bodies and not-for-profit organisations. And the Young Business Women’s Award is open to all entrants in one of the three categories aged 30 years or under as at 4 June 2013.
Proceeds of the awards, where guests paid N$850 per seat, were used in the organising of the awards and hosting of the event. The money will also enable the Business woman of the Year to attend an international conference next year with the rest going into the Businesswomen Bursary Fund.
The awards were sponsored by Telecom Namibia and Castle Brewing Namibia.