Let's Dive In
Sibapiwe "Siba" Hadebe, a name synonymous with resilience, dedication, and empowerment, embarks on a transformative journey as a semi-finalist in the Mrs. South Africa 2024 competition. From her early modelling days to her present-day advocacy, Siba's path is paved with passion and perseverance. This interview explores her motivations, her life-changing experiences in the competition, and the profound beliefs that fuel her mission.
Some Insight
Siba Hadebe entered the world of modelling at the tender age of three, influenced by her late mother's encouragement. Her journey through the fashion and modelling industry paused to prioritise her education and career but reignited with her participation in the Mrs. South Africa pageant. Siba's story is not just about beauty and fashion; it's about community upliftment and relentless pursuit of personal and professional goals.
The Interview
What inspired you to participate in the Mrs. SA competition?
“I started modelling at the age of 3 when my late mother entered me into modelling competitions back home. I then carried on till University, halted for a while to focus on my education and career after my mother passed on and have rekindled my love through fashion modelling and recently entering the Mrs South Africa pageant. My motivation comes from the opportunities that come with modelling especially ones that uplift our community at large. I am also a firm believer of never giving up on the goals one sets for themselves no matter the situation.”
How has your journey in the competition impacted your personal and professional life?
“Personally: My life has changed a lot!! From seeing myself in a different light and being proud of what I have done for myself. I see the impact I have on other people as they also started doing things they have always wanted to do. My time with my Family is not as impacted as such as I try spending as much time as I can with them and I also try involving them in my activities for Mrs SA. At times, I am overwhelmed though as everyone around me always wants to speak about my Mrs SA journey, I however use this opportunity to inspire that little circle around me to do better.”
“Professionally: Due to the support and the nature of my job, I am finding that I am getting recognised for motivating others at work to do better. The amount of support received has also made my professional life to not be affected in any way. I also manage my time wisely so that my work is not impacted.”
What challenges have you faced during the competition, and how did you overcome them?
“This journey has been great and such an eye opener in so many ways from unleashing hidden potential on valuable skills, such as leadership, financial competence, sponsorship management, communications, personal branding and media management. I have been taken out of my comfort zone to press the "restart" button in order to rediscover Sibapiwe as a brand.”
“The most challenging aspect so far has been to find sponsorship to assist me on this journey. I have however, tapped into my close circles as a start, utilised as much media exposure as I can i.e. radio interviews, social media and my community newspapers.”
Can you share your daily wellness routine?
“I am an Early riser in general. EXERCISE is key for me on a daily basis (minimum of 4 to 5 days a week) as it gives me the opportunity to look after my physical, mental and emotional health all at once. I also watch what I eat by doing meal preparations well in advance.”
How do you balance your mental and physical health, especially in preparation for a competition?
“Those who know me personally will attest to my warm, bubbly and welcoming personality. This is mostly driven by the fact that I am authentically comfortable with myself, where I come from and who I am. It took me a while, but I have learnt that accepting me for who I am plays a vital role on how I relate and treat others.”
“Every woman is different, represents the different diverse women we are created to be and we owe it to each other to embrace this to work more to our advantage.”
What's your philosophy on nutrition and fitness, and how has it evolved over the years?
“Looking at my personal journey with food and nutrition, I would say ‘you are what you eat’ indeed. I have learnt so many things about taking care of myself especially after my 1st pregnancy. I got to quickly realise that fitness and food really go hand in hand. When, what and how I eat has evolved with my age and obviously times. I am now a firm believer that what you put in your body can either improve or mess up one’s fitness journey.”
“There are so many theories on food over the years so much that we get confused as to what’s good or bad for our bodies. My opinion is that one should focus on what works for them, we now even have tests that can be conducted to recommend the correct diets, exercising methods and even mental support.”
What are your go-to beauty and skincare routines?
“The simpler the better for me, I am a natural girl of note! My routine involves a simple face cleanser, toner, serum, day cream and sunscreen for the day. I use my tissue oil at night together with the night cream.”
How do you define beauty, and how does it reflect in your lifestyle?
“Beauty for me is way deeper than the outside looks for me. It’s about the way one present themselves daily, how one dresses up (dress to reflect how you would like to be seen), how one treats others through how they speak to others or how they relate to others.”
What beauty trends are you currently loving, and which ones would you like to see make a comeback?
“I am loving the natural look trend that is currently making rounds as it promotes self-confidence, acceptance, and relevance. Comebacks, mhhhh maybe the looks from the 1950’s or so. I personally loved how they dressed especially women in those classy looking dresses.”
How would you describe your personal style, and how has it evolved over time?
“I never used to focus on dressing for the occasion, especially while growing up, but I have always been a lover of fashion and trends that come with being a liker of things. I now dress according to where I am. If I am at work, you will find me in heels, dressed for corporate and showing up as the boss lady that I am. At home, you will find me in my leggings cos that’s what I perceive as comfort especially in my space. A night out definitely calls for some effort and I bring the “snazzy” side of me.”
Can you share a memorable fashion moment from your participation in Mrs. SA?
“I would say during the casting weekend. My sponsor, Qhawekazi made a piece for me and I took it with me to JHB. I then changed to be on stage and damn, I felt like the world was my oyster.”
What fashion advice would you give to someone looking to find their own style?
“COMFORT!! Never go for what’s trending but does not speak to you as a person. Always take it back to what you are comfortable with as a person, what resonates with your values and always attach your style to who you are.”
As a role model, what message do you want to convey to women and young girls?
“To the women: Stop procrastinating and start your journey to new life no matter what it is, as soon as possible. There is a lot to learn and explore out there. Starting something new, gives one an opportunity to discover things they never knew about themselves. This might also be your destiny that you have been searching for. It’s also never too late to follow your dreams, stand up and get on with it. Remember to have fun!!”
“To that young girl and boy: Your future is so bright because you are going to make sure. Leverage through the positive experiences in life and pave your way to success. Remember to always ask for help, seek advise and most importantly take care of yourself. We are also here as adults to share our experiences and advise you the best way we know how.”
How do you use your platform to advocate for causes you're passionate about?
“My heart beats for early childhood and youth development, imagining a path from toddlerhood to adulthood that promises longer lives, lower crime rates, and more fulfilling life experiences. With a passion for children's holistic development, constructing a story that effortlessly intertwines education with self-care from the beginning of life to adulthood.”
“More on “adopting a child” concept and coaching our children (emotionally, physically and mentally) from a young age, youth stage and especially the transition from school to choosing a sound career for themselves (very critical for long term as this is for their whole life).”
“I intend to utilise Mrs South Africa to continue with my projects (which I have started on a personal capacity before the pageant). The platform will assist me in providing various resources for the organisations I work with by using the skills gained from the pageant such as working with sponsors, public speaking and producing a sound proposal for partnerships.”
Can you share an instance where you felt you made a significant impact through your advocacy work?
“I have been involved in many projects on a personal capacity including assisting with feeding children through my friend’s, Bongi Nzama, NGO (Imbali The Village). The most significant impact I can think of is when I assisted a young man who had great matric results to get some money so he can travel to CPTN to start his University degree. I long so much to reconnect with him to find out how he is doing as I can no longer get hold of him on his/his Mom’s cell phone number.”
What are your goals and aspirations beyond the Mrs. SA competition?
“Continue my dream to empower children and the youth. In addition, of course to bring the crown home, inspire, grow and share my enthusiasm for life. This is where my focus is and aiming to utilise this platform to implement my passion.”
“I am also looking at continuing with being an authentic and realistic influencer. I am hoping for a few brands that I can work closely or partner with beyond this competition as I have really developed love for this.”
How do you plan to continue making a difference in your community or field of work?
“I plan to establish my own NGO focusing on my passion for childhood and youth development. I also plan to associate myself with a modelling agency that can assist all modellers to be the best version of themselves.”
Is there a project or initiative you're currently working on that you'd like to share more about?
“I am working hand in hand with my friend as mentioned above to provide food for the children of Imbali Village.”
What's a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
“I would like to believe that I have a very funny side within me that tends to give giggles to my friends, colleagues and family. I’m also a very outgoing person who enjoys time out with good company of course.”
If you could have dinner with any three people (dead or alive), who would they be and why?
“It would definitely be my late Mom and Dad. The main purpose would be to give them an update on my life, especially regarding the dreams I had as a young girl which have come true and beyond my expectations.”
“Alive, definitely Connie Ferguson. She is one of the inspirational women I follow especially because she is such a rounded person family wise, healthy and a leading business woman.”
Can you tell us about the inception of your business/ entrepreneurial journey? What inspired you to start?
“My business side of things comes from the passion I have with modelling from a young age. I tried to find something that can still talk to that but at the same time giving me extra income and exposing me to other opportunities unknown to me. Modelling has also carried me through obstacles of life as being part of it builds self-confidence, self-awareness and networking opportunities.”
“I tend to continue with this for other women and young people (both male and female) as I believe in the difference it can make to this world.”
What unique challenges have you faced as a woman in business, and how have you overcome them?
“Most of us have big dreams for our businesses but funds always play a big role. I find that this hinders progress, however, I have learnt to bite small chunks of milestones at a time. This alleviates pressure that comes with being in the business world.”
How do you balance the demands of your business with your personal life and commitments, especially during the Mrs. SA competition?
“Due to the nature of the work I do outside of my professional job, I find that it’s easier to schedule time for shoots, appearances or even tasks well in advance. This allows me to focus on my 9 to 5 during working hours and then do my business activities before/after work and during weekends.”
As a leader, how do you foster a positive and productive work environment for your team?
“I have a very good quality that God blessed me with, the power of being a “Bubbly” human being. My personality really works to my advantage in many ways. I tend to focus on positive vibes EVERYWHERE I go as I genuinely love to be happy myself. This automatically creates a great working environment for myself and the team at large.”
What does empowerment mean to you, and how do you empower others through your work or business?
“Empowerment for me means sharing any resources that I have with others. It could be knowledge related, day to day needs or even lending an ear/shoulder to cry on. Its about being there for others and lifting each other up as I rise.”
“From self-empowerment perspective, it is the ability to realise that each day is an opportunity to learn something new. The ability to take constructive feedback and use it to grow myself as a person.”
“I practice the above to empower myself and others on a daily basis.”
How have your experiences in the Mrs. SA competition influenced your approach to leadership and business?
“I have learnt to embrace diversity that comes with leading a team. A true leader recognises effort made by each team member no matter how small. At the same time, the importance of giving constructive feedback is one that should never be ignored. From a business perspective, I never realised how a network platform could open opportunities for one to explore as much as possible in order to find their niche.”
Wrapping Up
Siba Hadebe's participation in Mrs. SA 2024 is more than a competition; it's a platform for advocacy, leadership, and community engagement. Her future aspirations include continuing her empowerment efforts through a new NGO and furthering her influence in the modeling industry. Through her journey, Siba exemplifies the power of resilience, the importance of community, and the profound impact of living one's truth.
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With Love and Empowerment,
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Shine wena gal!!! All the way up! ❤️❤️
You go girl , you got this , you will win because you deserve it . You are going gold 💕💕💕