Cape Town - While South Africans are known across the world for having immense talent, a unique sense of humour and music that inspires more than movement, a number of South African super-stars continue to mesmerise and impress on international stages.
From gracing catwalks and acting in award-winning movies to hosting renowned shows, several South African superstars currently based around the world continue to instil a sense of pride.
Among the talented superstars is Cape Town-born model Lisa-Marie Jaftha. Jaftha, who has been an international model for more than 10 years, was born and raised in the southern suburbs of Wynberg.
A soft-spoken Jaftha, who tentatively joked about a lady never revealing her age, sat down with the “Cape Argus” for a virtual interview to chat about her life in the Americas, lessons learnt while jet-setting across the world, goals achieved and what being South African means when one lives far from home but close through a camera lens.
Having started modelling at a young age, Jaftha currently has more than 10 years of international modelling experience with a string of stunning career highlights, having worked with iconic brands like Gucci, Carolina Herrera and Sports Illustrated.
She said: “I honestly never saw myself becoming a model, or experiencing everything that I have. When I was younger I wanted to pursue music and just let my artistic zeal weave a path for me, but God had other plans.
“I also never saw myself as beauty industry material. I simply did not think I was attractive enough to put on screen or paper. So when my mom one day gently nudged me to try it out, I logically thought it would lead nowhere – little did I know.”
Jaftha, who has been able to travel to different places since being catapulted into the modelling world a decade ago, said successfully booking her first gig many years prior is what paved the path for her to live, work and experience life in Istanbul, India, Germany, London, and the US.
“I remember my first modelling gig, well the memorable one was in Cape Town. I booked the commercial for Aquafresh, and it was a global campaign. I knew I wanted more success after that. Yes, I still worked other jobs, here and there in Cape Town. I worked at Pep Jeans in Woodstock. Before I began modelling internationally I went to India as a cheerleader for the IPL.”
Laughing softly, Jaftha said that working as a cheerleader for the Cricket IPL was a random but rewarding experience. She shared that she had just lost her job in insurance to a colleague who was unfairly promoted when a friend approached her with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go cheer in India.
“Now more than ever I can appreciate how that spur-of-the-moment decision contributed to my journey. We had to learn how to cheer and I definitely was not a dancer, but that just made the experience all the more fun and endearing,” she said.
Speaking on how she managed to focus on building her career despite being thousands of miles from home and alone, Jaftha said that it was staying true to who she was and being cognisant of where she came from that helped her make the right choices.
“Contrary to the narrative on influence within the beauty industry and my exposure to a lot of different cultures and experiences, I still felt as South African as the day I was born. My morals and values drove me to work hard and achieve rather than lose myself in the industry.
“Today’s society is all about flaunting one thing or the other on social media to be deemed influential. I know myself, and even back then I knew that if I allowed myself to be swallowed by the world of partying and being popular, I wouldn’t have made it in one piece. I often look back and I’m surprised at myself. I ask myself why am I not like this and why am I not like that?”
She said it feels strange because of how much emphasis society has placed on being superficial. “Like everybody else, I like nice things, but I allowed myself to draw authentic influence from the many places I was fortunate to grace and used that to develop certain parts of my character,” Jaftha said, adding that when one lives in a foreign country by themselves it can feel isolating, but instead of being led by grief about what she didn’t have access to, she was able to recognise her privilege and celebrate her successes.
“It’s not easy, but it was also as simple as realising that, hey I’m the first person in my family to live and work in the United States. That’s a big deal, and when I have my own family in the future God willing, I’ll be starting by knowing travel. I’ll get to pass on what I have achieved and experienced and that’s something.”
Aside from Gucci, Jaftha has also worked alongside other iconic brands such as Donna Karan, Pat McGrath, online retail giant Shein and Bcbgmaxazria, to name a few.
The stunning bombshell revealed that while working with such notable brands could mean partying non-stop, she often takes time to herself to indulge in hobbies that relax and replenish her energy.
She said: “One can easily get caught up in the fast type of lifestyle that seemingly comes with this industry. I’m very thankful that I can make the choices I make. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, although I used to. I’ve changed a lot. Self-care is essential and I’d much rather bake, cook up a storm or take a long walk on the West Side.”
When asked why she decided to no longer drink, Jaftha released a soft sigh before commenting that when she enrolled herself for a security financial services course last year, she realised that she wouldn’t be able to cope if she had to drink or smoke in place of taking care of her emotional and mental health.
“You know, I feel like we live in a culture where we use drinking and smoking as ‘psychological crutches’. The thing with my generation is that when we do not want to deal with our well-being, say anxiety or stress, we indulge. We use drinks and smokes to distract ourselves and I didn’t want that sort of lifestyle for myself,” she said.
Regarding living and working in the US, in a calmer tone Jaftha revealed how much it bothers her that people persist in misinterpreting what life is like for a South African immigrant.
She said that she found that people were under the impression that one gets to the US and everything automatically works in their favour. They can go without a visa, and in some cases even start to work without the relevant documents.
That’s simply not how things work, said an exasperated Jaftha. “South Africa is a Third World country, there are many countries you cannot go to without a visa, just like here there are immigration regulations one simply cannot flout.”
“Say in five years I see myself having a family, or starting my own business, God willing. I cannot just open up shop. No, especially in my field I would have to apply for the relevant documents,” shared Jaftha, adding that it made one miss home.
Speaking on missing home, Jaftha, who considers herself a biltong kind of girl, said she missed biltong being readily available, missed malva pudding, food from KFC and Steers and of course her mom and dad and her only sibling, her brother.
“If I had those foods around, I think I would be working out more than my usual three to five days in the gym and long walks, to keep myself in shape. If I could advise anyone who wanted to carve out a similar path, I’d say to stay true to yourself, work hard and be patient with yourself,” Jaftha said.
