Suhaifa Naidoo is a digital marketing manager at Realmdigital and the Chairperson of Girl Geek Dinner Cape Town. She was recently interviewed for a women in tech feature and this is what she had to say.

What do you do every day?

I am responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring the marketing strategies for Realmdigital as well as managing our clients’ brands. There is no typical day for me as I am never working on the same thing for long periods of time. Being flexible and dynamic is one of my key requirements. Daily activities range from producing marketing reports to managing social media to developing strategy.

 

How did you get into the tech space?

I have an academic background in the Social Sciences. I graduated with an undergraduate degree from UCT majoring in Politics and Religion and a post-graduate degree in Religion. I initially did not have any interest in the tech or marketing industries and believed I would end up working for the government.

I started off as a PA at Realmdigital and instantly fell in love with the online industry. Technology is constantly evolving and every day comes with different challenges and things to learn. I loved being challenged, it has forced me to learn new stuff each and every day, and this is one of my biggest sources of inspiration at work which led me to my current position as Digital Marketing Manager for two successful tech companies.

 

What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

You’ve got to work extra hard if you want to be noticed; do not be lazy! Far too often I see many people who are in similar positions not aspiring to do more than they are told. If you are given a task to do, own that task and make it yours. Complete it with the best of your ability and then try to perfect it even more.

Laziness can be the death of your passion and sadly your career. We all fall into phases where we “come to work to get our job done” but the quicker we get out of that, the better for us. Go beyond what is expected of you and work hard. Hard work does not go by unnoticed.

 

What advice would you given someone wanting to get into the tech sector?

I stumbled across this industry by absolute chance and I fell in love with it. I have no relevant marketing qualifications, but believe that regardless of the qualifications you have or do not have; passion for something is one of the greatest things any individual can possess. If you are passionate about technology and marketing then you can turn that passion into a career.

Women should not think that the tech industry is a ‘boys only club’, there are passionate and innovative women revolutionising the way we perceive technology in Africa. Women are crucial to the development of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. We need more women in tech!

 

What motivates you to get out of bed everyday?

The uncertainty of not knowing what the day is going to bring. I am excited by creating new memories and simply living a meaningful and positive life.

 

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

An older, wiser and richer version of myself :)

 

Find me on:

Twitter – www.twitter.com/suhaifa
LinkedIn – http://za.linkedin.com/in/suhaifanaidoo

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