Ashlina Durgapersadh is a qualified Professional Accountant (SA) and Tax Practitioner (SA). She currently serves as the Group Financial Controller for Beier Group (Pty) Ltd and Financial Manager for Beier Drawtex Healthcare (Pty) Ltd. On her journey to becoming a Chartered Accountant (SA), she passed the SAICA ITC exam on her first attempt in June 2024, at a time when the national pass rate was just 14%. She is now preparing for her APC board exam.

Her path has been defined by resilience and a belief in growing through every challenge. From excelling in high school without private tuition to ranking second nationally in the 2021 SAIPA board exams, Ashlina has learned that perseverance is her greatest strength.

Beyond the world of finance, she has also broken barriers in modeling, pageantry, and fashion design. She was crowned Miss Uniworld South Africa – Philanthropist and Miss Young Entrepreneur. She also designed and wore her own creation at the Durban July, which was featured in the Sunday Tribune. Her goal is to show that you don’t have to choose between brains and beauty—you can have both.

Ashlina uses every platform, from the boardroom to the runway, to inspire and mentor others, particularly young women who feel held back by expectations. In the future, she hopes to open a boutique platform for emerging fashion designers and launch an NGO with her husband’s company, YVD Group, to empower communities and support youth development.

Being selected as a semi-finalist for the Gender Mainstream Awards is a true honor for her. She shares her journey as proof that with belief, courage, and perseverance, anything is possible.