PAYAL MAHARAJH, A BRAND STRATEGIST WITH A HEART IN A LEADING AGENCY
SHE SAID SHE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT SHE HAD TO WORK HARDER THAN HER PEERS AND PUT IN MORE EFFORT. THE PATH MAY BE CHALLENGING BUT DON’T LOSE FAITH AND COURAGE TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS.
When 25-year-old Payal Maharajh grew up and spent her life in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, she didn’t think she would be where she was today. Born and bred in the suburb and raised in a traditional family and area with limited opportunities, Payal Maharajh always knew she wanted to make an impact in society in some way. “I lived in Lenasia all my life and schooled there. Growing up, we weren’t exposed to many options in terms of career choices. You were either a doctor, a lawyer or a failure. That is what we were accustomed to believe,” she said. As the Brand Strategist that she is today, Maharajh took a very different path. Her journey began in 2017 where she applied for admission to (UJ for a Bachelor of Laws qualification, but wasn’t accepted. She then studied Strategic Communications in the Faculty of Humanities. “I had lots of fun in my first year of studies. We worked with wonderful lecturers who were so motivating, and they genuinely had the students’ interests at heart.” Maharajh said in her second year of studies (2018), someone from the international department came in to inform them of an opportunity to study overseas for a semester. “I thought to myself, ‘why not?’ So I studied hard and got my marks and realised that I achieved the qualifying mark for the opportunity. Next thing I knew, I was in Chicago,” she said. She was one of five students who got the opportunity to study in an institution of their choice in the United States of America in the second semester of 2018. “While it was an exciting opportunity, it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounds because we had to meet the requirements of that particular university. We were second-year students, but I took a fourth-year module because it was the only one which aligned with UJ’s requirements at the time. On top of doing Chicago’s work, I had to do UJ’s work, so I had quite a lot on my plate.”
Payal Maharajh at the Lourie awards
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