Modeling in the Mother City

Tshepang Pooe
Mar 10, 2018
8 min read

In conversation with Nkosazana Sibobosi

(more images in slideshow below)

On a windy Thursday morning, I had the privilege of conversing with a sterling young womxn – Nkosazana “Zana” Sibobosi. Having only arrived in the suburbs of Cape Town at the beginning of her pursuit of her undergraduate degree, Zana recalls a comfortable childhood in her home township of Khayelitsha. At the start of our dialogue, she relays to me her childhood experience of bullying, and how that moulded her into the confident womxn she now is. Her full name Nkosazana, meaning Princess, was used by school bullies as a weapon of attack with claims that her dark skin renders her ugly and underserving of her name. Today Zana stands tall and proudly dismisses the bullies’ comments whilst elegantly soldiering through the various facets of her life.

Zana’s career in modelling began by chance, two years ago, when a friend of hers submitted photos of her to a modelling agency. After having gained a bit of confidence following her childhood bullying, she received encouragement from multiple sources to pursue modelling. However, still lacking belief in her beauty, she did not believe that her features would qualify her as a model. After receiving her portfolio of photographs, she was called by the agency, and so began her career.

My conversation with Zana unveils a disturbing reality rooted in social paradigms which are detrimental to the self-confidence of many womxn and young girls. In the early stages of her life Zana is introduced to forms of intra and inter-racial discrimination – colourism and racism – in addition to body shaming as an emerging model navigating the industry. She eloquently discusses the various ways in which the discrimination she has faced, and continues to face, has affected her relationship with herself as a dark skinned and African bodied womxn.

Tshepang: Some of the hashtags you use on your IG posts include #blackmodelsmatter and #blackgirlsmatter – tell me a bit about what your experience has been as a black womxn in the CPT fashion industry.

Zana: It actually hasn’t been easy hey, it’s been a nightmare. You face a lot of rejection first, because sometimes you’re told you’re not tall enough or that your hips are too big to do high fashion runway. They tell you to lose weight and that in order for you as a black model to make it internationally you have to have this perfect European body. If you don’t have that – most of us have our African bodies – and the more you have ass, chances are that you won’t make it in the industry because they’re not looking for girls who have quite an ass honestly. It’s actually crazy. I’ve faced that myself with my agency when I was told that my hips are too huge and I have to lose ass – but how does a black girl lose ass? This is what I’ve faced in the modelling industry in Cape Town. Sometimes I get where they’re coming from, this one time I shot with this designer – the sizes they made for us were not inclusive for everyone. I tried putting on the pants and they didn’t fit because the size was not ideal for my type of body. So that’s why I use hashtags like #blackgirlsmatter because you can’t expect us to have bodies like European women or whatever.

Tshepang: Do you consider that the Eurocentric beauty standard enforced within the modelling industry advantages white models and or people whose bodies naturally fit that standard?

Yeah, definitely! Because if you even look at the whole famous – the supermodels – black supermodels are more likely to be very tall and very skinny. They’re more likely to have the bodies fitting the European body standards. If you are actually white – that’s a privilege for you because you don’t really get to get all these bad stereotypes they have for black girls. It’s much easier for you to succeed in the industry, especially here in Cape Town. I still find it very racist, honestly. White girls find it easier to navigate the industry – because even if they’re not tall enough they can still make it. But for us we’re told if you’re not tall enough it’s over for you. You don’t really get the same chance as the other models.

Tshepang: What are some of the barriers to entry for plus sized models in the fashion industry – in SA and internationally? Do you consider these barriers to be deliberate exclusion tactics?

Zana: I mean, yeah - we’re in Cape Town and almost 80% of the population in South Africa is black people, but they still try and use… they put standards that are so high that not everyone who actually wants to make it as a black model can fit those standards. You probably find a whole lot of girls that have more ass and all of that. Even the average height of the South African is 1.8m, but they always say they’re looking for models above this height or whatever. It’s actually crazy - they’re just making it hard for us to get there. Because they know if everyone could actually be a model, which is another thing – nowadays there’s like so many of us, that means a lot of competition. Maybe its also a way of them trying to eliminate the competition or whatever. But like, I actually don’t even know a black South African who is successful in this industry…I know one – actually she’s white. But like, a supermodel? A black supermodel from South Africa? I’ve never actually heard of one before. Actually there was…Sinazo Yolwa. But that was a long time ago. But like nowadays do you know of any black supermodel, like, that’s made it internationally? There’s none. Another thing is – not trying to be xenophobic or anything – but you find that more black girls who make it here in Cape Town, who get more jobs and get more booked, are actually from other African countries because they’re taller and skinnier than we are. For us South Africans its harder to reach those standards and we’re just put at the bottom, yeah.

Tshepang: As a slim figured womxn, what is your reaction to being categorised as a plus sized model? And relative to your body size and categorisation as plus size – what then is the position of fat womxn in the fashion industry?

Zana: Honestly it doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t actually represent the right, uhm, demographic. It really doesn’t. Because if I’m going to be considered as plus sized – what about the person who’s a size 36 or a size 38? Like, what do you call them then? Because I mean, I am very slim it’s just that I have a bit of ass and they call that plus size. It’s not very inclusive to everyone. If I’m going to be a plus size, then what are you going to call the girl who’s supposed to be a plus size? It’s actually crazy.

Tshepang: Do you think that the media achieves inclusivity in their representation of black and plus sized womxn?

Zana: I mean, the media is like another can of worms honestly. Even in general, their whole way of representing black bodies – it’s crazy – girls twerking and all of that. That’s like another story actually. I don’t know, with plus sized models…[there isn’t] really representation. But nowadays since we have Instagram and all of that, people can actually put themselves out there. But before that you would hardly ever see very good representation of plus sized. You would probably see a lot of negative representation put out there of people who are plus sized. And I’m actually quite happy we have things like Instagram where womxn actually support each other and not body shame each other. That’s actually like really really one of the things I like about social media. It’s actually trying to get rid of the terrible stereotypes associated with plus sized models – they matter and they should actually be part of the modelling society as well and actually be accepted.

Tshepang: You spoke earlier about how you’ve gone to shoots and you haven’t been able to fit in the designer’s clothes. So do you think that there is an element of transformation of designer clothing sizes occurring parallel to womxn speaking up on social media?

Zana: Actually, some positivity is coming. Recently, Paris now does not accept any model below size 8. So that’s actually something, they’re trying to get rid of that “a model has to be so skinny”. Those standards don’t matter anymore in Paris – and Paris is actually one of the big industries, the modelling [there] industry is crazy. So if industries that big are actually trying to like, put that in there then there [c]ould be change one day and more inclusivity – because it’s crazy that they actually expect people to be size 30s and like all of that. Yeah, I think there is some hope there of things changing.

Tshepang: Describe your favourite or ideal photo shoot – from the photographer, the stylist to the outfit and the location.

Zana: Uhm… okay I already have a photographer in mind. He’s my absolute favourite – this French photographer. I’ve met him before but I’ve actually never shot with him. I think he’s one of the greatest photographers I’ve actually seen. The location of the shoot would have to be Khayelitsha – where I’m from. There’s just so many great locations there that I’d like to shoot. And I’d like to shoot something – you know the fabric named Shweshwe? – probably wear a really nice dress, or anything that’s made out of Shweshwe that’s really really cool. Probably something that’s like high fashion, not too much make up. Makeup artist I’d use would be…okay first time I joined modelling I met this really cool make up artist. The lady who did – Gabriel – the lady who did my first shoot when I started modelling. I think she’s a really good makeup artist and like she really managed to give me the proper foundation for my face! Sometimes its actually hard to go there like people put wrong foundations on you – it’s crazy! Sometimes you work with white makeup artists and like, they actually do shit! (laughs) – sorry about that. That would be my shoot – my absolute favourite shoot.

Tshepang: When you’re not busy modelling – what do you to keep busy?

Zana: Uhm, school (laughs). School and also like … I’m friends with a lot of old people. I do that because I learn a lot from old people – yes I do have my own friends but I actually prefer to chill more with old people. People who have experienced, people who have actually walked through almost everything in life. So I enjoy having like, lunch, dinner whatever – with old people. They help me a lot, because I’m also starting a new project at the moment – a modelling project actually…I can’t really tell you about it (laughs). They help me out a lot with that as well. So I’ve also been spending a lot of time with that and yeah.

Tshepang: While we were busy getting ready for the shoot, yo mentioned how you want to travel to France and Germany – tell me a bit about that and where you want to take your modelling career.

Zana: Uhm, I’m really crossing my fingers that this year I can really build a good portfolio – good enough that I can actually call myself an international model. Next year I’d actually love to go to France and start my modelling career – well, continue my modelling career there – and yeah, possibly meet with a lot of great photographers, designers, makeup artists and just build my modelling career. If it’s not successful I’ll come back and home and whatever…work for, whatever, some job I get. But uhm, yeah I’ve always had this big dream of going to Paris and doing Paris fashion shows…oh my gosh I’d really really love to see myself there. I actually, you know Cara Delevigne, she’s actually like one of the people who inspire me. I know she’s white, but she’s not even tall enough. But like she actually walked on all runways the greatest runways in the world. I’d really really would love to see myself in her shoes one day. But as a black model that’s not tall enough and was always told that I’d never make it ... but actually things are getting there, I’m getting to prove to myself that I can do it. A black model who is not tall enough can actually, you know. So that’s why I want to go to that side.