POLOKWANE- 16-year-old Nthabiseng Baloyi is an aspiring model who sees herself walking the runways of Milan.
Nthabiseng, who is from Xighamani Village in Malamulele, explained that she had never seen herself as a model, but people kept asking whether she was having looked at her build and height. “Even with the comments, I did not have interest in modelling. It did not appeal to me at all because I thought I was just average looking,” she said.
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It was after being teased for her skinny frame that she decided to instead use it to her advantage and build up her confidence through pageants at the advice of her aunt. Her once awkward look now became her signature. She explained that despite wanting to pursue modelling, opportunities are few are far between for a model in rural villages. She often finds herself having to travel to places like Giyani for a chance to compete in pageants, and even then, it’s small ones.
She hopes to one day enter Miss South Africa because it’s a pageant she has followed since she was younger. “I am particularly inspired by the women who enter with short and a natural look because that is how I look. I can relate to that look,” she said. Nthabiseng adds, however, that if Miss SA doesn’t come to pass, she will have would consider runway modelling as its replacement.
Post matric, she plans to move to Johannesburg where she feels there will be more opportunities to make her dreams come true. Despite the lack of opportunities, she is adamant that she will be one of the biggest names in modelling history.
