How old were you when you decided to pursue your current career path and what inspired you? I got inspired to be a teacher when I was in grade 10. I remember all the learners who were not participating in extra curricula activities were called and we got told that our parents had signed that we would participate in at least two. I signed up for the school charity organizations (Interact, and People to People International). We worked with orphanages, hosted workshops where we mentored young learners, offered extra classes for those struggling, visited primary schools and did team building workshops and it all just clicked for me. That this is what I was meant to do, work with young people and give them what I never quite had growing up - a fun experience growing up and learning about new things in a safe and welcoming environment. In terms of modelling and social media influencing, they came late and at the same time. I had grown a following on Twitter because I posted prayers and manifestations. I noticed that when I posted pictures of myself, they got a lot of attention so I posted more in different outfits and I began enjoying it. My pictures began getting thousands of likes and brands started asking to post me eating their food or carrying their products. This was around 2019 and I decided this can be my second career. I then looked for modelling agencies, and shot my shot via email to all the ones I could find and that’s how modelling happened and that was in 2022.
Did you ever get help with career guidance? Any mentor(s) & what role did they play? With social media and modelling I’ve always been inspired by other young South Africans doing great. So, influencers such as Mihlali Ndamase played a huge role in (indirectly) mentoring me. Although we have never met, she posted videos about the influencing industry and did countless interviews so in a way she mentored us. In terms of teaching, a couple of my family members are teachers and those are the mentors I had. All under my roof and I watched them every day, assisted them every day, listened and asked all sorts of questions and I still do even today.
What challenges did you face (or are facing) / had to overcome in your journey? Social media and modelling are all about appearance and as you know we don’t always feel our best so insecurity about not looking good enough or dressing well enough or having the kind of content as other people have all been challenges in my journey but I’ve learned to not compare myself to anyone. With teaching, I’m a male teacher teaching grade 2. For the longest time lower grades were reserved for female teachers and it’s happened for so long that it’s still abnormal in so many parts of the country. I feel like I have more pressure to do things exceptionally well all the time, pressure to not drop the ball and to work harder than my colleagues so no one can say “see, this job is for women, male teachers don’t belong in the foundation phase”. My age is also a big challenge sometimes. At 25 years old working with people who’ve worked at this school for over 25 years and most of them older than my parents or have children much older than me. Meaning I can be looked at like a child even when I wanted to be taken seriously in meetings.
What has been your biggest driver/motivator? To be honest , at first it was fear of being poor. Growing up in the rural areas you see a lot of poverty and my biggest fear was to see myself in that situation or my family as a whole one day because I know people don’t live forever and at that time we were all dependent on our grandparents. So, I worked very hard in school. Then my mom and the family members got jobs and I saw how teaching can actually be enough to live comfortably then things shifted. I was then motivated by excitement and to “get there already”. In terms of modelling and influencing it’s definitely my natural joy for it and the people I see every day who get inspired by my journey. They motivate me .
What key learning points from your journey would you like people to take on theirs? Achieving your goals and being someone in this world is not something you can do by yourself. You are going to need people. So, it’s important to treat everyone with kindness and respect, everywhere you go, because it makes people want to help you and return that kindness to you. You will need people. Also, reputation is extremely important, what people think of you matters and it goes a very long way. No one wants to give opportunities to or work with someone known for horrible behaviour, so keep it as clean as possible and more opportunities will remain open for you. Lastly, as cheesy as it sounds, nothing beats hard work.
Any advice for a young person from a rural area / township who currently has no clue where to even start when choosing a career path? YouTube / Google is your friend. There are libraries in rural areas/townships that usually have free WiFi or internet. Take time to go there and google search “different kind of jobs” or “exciting jobs that pay well”. If you already have a passion search for jobs in that field e.g. “Different jobs in social media”. Then read and watch as many videos as you can. Read books on the career paths that stand out to you. If you know people who do those jobs don’t be shy to write them asking them for a meeting and ask as many questions as you can. Choosing a career path is exciting and you should enjoy this journey. But be out there and search, go through books, the internet, videos, and ask people. Your perfect job is out there waiting for you.