Mihlali Ndamase

1. With so many things you have going on for yourself,

who would you say Mihlali Ndamase is?

What I do doesn’t take away from who I am, instead it adds a puzzle piece to my “to do list.”

I have always been interested in modelling, but not runway of course being that I don’t reach the height requirement so I signed myself to a modelling agency, and I landed a commercial with

McDonalds which was an amazing experience. I wouldn’t say it’s all part of my career, as I am still figuring out everything being that I am still a student. However, the one thing I am certain about is that I want to take my make-up career far. I need to own a beauty empire before I’m 35. In a nutshell I am a driven young woman.

2. From make-up artist to model and brand ambassador, how do you stay composed?

My life isn’t as hectic as people think it is, I have weeks where I want to pull my hair out for example recently I needed to be in Kimberly, Polokwane for make-up, also complete and submit an assignment on top of that. I didn’t accept any bookings the week after, because I had to catch up on school, and YouTube. It’s honestly about ensuring I manage my time well, while keeping in mind my main priority which is school.

3. I’m sure you have a lot of people looking up to you and a lot of people are inspired by you, but who or what inspires you?

I draw inspiration from young successful women I really can’t narrow it down to one but a good example would be Bonang Matheba, her professional life is so inspiring she’s always taking on new brands, and new heights. Shooting something, presenting somewhere. She really is an individual who used her talent to open up so many doors for herself, and I would like to do the same.

4. At such a young age you have achieved so much. You’re a social media influencer, brand ambassador, a model for Nike – the list goes on – how did all these doors open up for you?

My followers definitely helped. A lot of brands pay attention to how well you carry yourself on your social media platforms, and how many individuals interact with your account. The Nike gig was by luck one of my friend’s older brother works at Nike, so he was like “would you like to in a Nike campaign?” They thought I would suit the part so I took up the offer.

5. Would you say that you are living the dream at this moment?

Not at all. I’m nowhere near where I would like to be. People need to remember that followers do not equal success. We can all have a large following base, but never let Instagram lie to you. It’s about utilising that platform. Everything I do is on and off, because people or brands won’t always want to work with you so you are constantly waiting for the next well-paying job. You aren’t guaranteed business this week, or the following one.

6. Is there anything else you would like to achieve? Are there more goals that you want to accomplish?

So many! A lot of people may not know, but I am very passionate about giving back its been something I have been involved in for the longest time, but I want to take it further by starting my own organisation, and focusing on various under privileged schools in townships providing meals, books etc. and school shoes for the children. Also starting my own shipping company is a goal I would love to achieve, and possibly a company that manages social media influencers being that it’s the most rapidly growing platform for marketing. There’s much more, but I won’t get into it all.

7. I know that being a make-up artist is your main focus at the moment, why did you choose this profession?

I’ve been passionate about make-up for the longest time, I remember when I discovered YouTube (at the age of 14) I would sit in the computer room at school watching make-up tutorials until the security came to lock up. It’s a form of art in my eyes, and now that the beauty industry is booming I would love to leave my mark. People often underestimate how far you can go in the beauty industry, it doesn’t just stop here. There are legendary international make-up artists such as Pat McGarth who works with designers such as Donatella Versace, Dolce & Gabanna, and Giorgio Armani, the list is endless. She’s the world’s most influential make-up artist (even stated by Vogue). She travels on her private jet between all the fashion capitals (New York, London, Milan and Paris) during fashion week, and has a team of young make-up artists that she trains and they are taking over the industry. Armani actually requested that she designs their make-up line, so she is doing incredibly well for herself. She is truly an inspiration.

8. When did you decide that “okay, this is it, I’m going to be a professional make-up artist?”

There are many other things I would like to do but I decided on doing this when my parents actually let me enrol in a make-up course last year. They will never let me study make-up alone, but it is better than not doing it at all.

9. As a young South African woman, what would your words of encouragement be to other women trying to make it in South Africa?

Focus, stay focused. Don’t get lost in who’s doing what, and a hunger for relevance. I’d much rather be known for what I do, than for who I am dating etc. It is all about putting in the work until you reach beyond your expectations.

10. On social media, where can people find you?

Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat mihlalii_n.

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