Good day QUEEN BOOK TEAM

I am Michelle Maharaj, mother to two beautiful kids and a wife to the most loving husband from Johannesburg in South Africa. I am the Director / owner/ Entrepreneur of Breeze Shipping PTY LTD officially opened on 15 May 2020 in the midst of Covid-19. During this time the business boomed in exporting minerals between May and December 2020. This gave us our foundation and a foot into the industry. Today we are well-known all-over China which majority of our exports going into Chinese ports.

I started Breeze shipping which is a freight forwarding logistics company based in Johannesburg after having a long career in working within the Shipping Line agencies for over 13 years. My total experience is 19 years within this challenging and exciting industry. I run the sales for the company together with being involved with the HR of the business, However I am indeed involved in everything within the organization . I have 9 Dynamic staff members under me who run the export department and trucking side of the business. My talented husband Pranesh Maharaj is also apart of the business. On the export part we do the entire FOB from mine to the port. We export 99% of minerals from South Africa ports. Minerals in South Africa is our treasure. We are now venturing out in having our own warehouse also situated in Johannesburg South Africa where we can now do the packing of containers for our valued clients.

I have also opened up an office in Dubai , UAE called Breeze Shipping LLC FZ in September 2022, This is our baby which we are still building and hope one day for it to also boom like South Africa.

I am in a field that is a male dominated field which we call the trucking industry in South Africa however this does not make me feel any less of myself. This field encourages me to strive for the best and to show the men that we women are capable to take on any challenge. I have 8 long-haul trucks that carry all types of cargo. Being a woman in this type of field the business does not come easy to you, we have to someone show that we are on the same level as the next transporter. My team and I are strong minded, and we don’t give up, we shine within this industry I strive to be the best within this field and encourage women who want to be in this field of work to not give up what they want to do or are doing instead to rise like a fearless tigeress and show the world that we are on the same level.

I am fearlessly moving forward to reach the top within this male dominated industry and by Receiving this recognition of “Innovative Women Leadership Award” from Queen Book  tells me not to stop and move straight up to the top. This award has given me the strength and power to focus on myself to be at the top and to encourage all the women in my country that we are worth it, and we can do it, if not in logistics but in any other industry.

I once again would like to thank Queen Book for acknowledging me and my worthiness of this award Title, you have given me the power to take on any challenge that is thrown my way.

Kind regards

Michelle Maharaj

Director

Breeze Shipping PTY LTD