KaBokweni fashion model pursues successful career against all odds

A proud local model, Lisa Nkosi (28), has successfully embraced her beauty and love of fashion despite the challenges she faced, especially as a young girl.

Nkosi has walked on big runways in Mpumalanga, showcasing locally produced crafts and clothing such as the Africa Fashion Week and the Mpumalanga Fashion Extravaganza. She is the former Miss KaBokweni 2017.

She said she finally ventured into modelling in 2016 after seeing a poster at a local shopping centre calling aspiring models to join a competition.

“I saw the lady who had put up the poster and approached her for a contact number, and the rest is history. Looking back from when I started, I have grown and gained so much experience, and it is amazing that younger models find inspiration from me,” she said.

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“I love fashion. I used to keep a scrap file with magazine cut-outs of celebrities at red carpet events. I used to love Angelina Jolie and admired her dresses, and thought that I would one day wear dresses like hers.”

Nkosi said she was bullied by her peers for having a protruding belly button.

“It was a difficult experience, because sometimes I believed what I was told about my belly button. I learnt to forgive them and focus on my passion and make a living from the beauty industry.”

She also encouraged girls and boys who are victims of bullying to forgive the bullies so that they can find peace to focus on their goals and aspirations instead.

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Nkosi is also a nail technician based in Mbombela and a modelling coach. She aims to create a name for herself in the province’s beauty and fashion industry.

“My goal is to establish an academy that will be a skills development hub for models when they can access training and other opportunities. I also want to have my own beauty salon and a fashion boutique,” she said.