From Lambton to London – local beauty makes strides in the modelling word

International model Lindiwe Dim (26) from Lambton recently talked about all things high fashion and growing up in Germiston and lockdown in London.

Lindiwe has been part of prestigious fashion projects like The Lion King-inspired Black is King production by Disney and Beyoncé.

The local beauty has modelled for the Dark & Lovely Natural Hair Pan Africa Campaign and was featured on a billboard for a Jockey advertisement on the M2.

The model was also signed in the United Kingdom and while working there she spotted herself yet again on a billboard of her first UK job in a train station in Paris.

Outside of modelling, Lindiwe said she has a blossoming acting career and a degree in environmental management and geography that she will use to inform and support people in sustainable urban subsistence farming.

Lindiwe was born in Polokwane and moved to Germiston in 2005 with her family. “I grew up with a great sense of community and I learned so much. I went to St Catherine’s, Colin Mann and Germiston High. I had a happy childhood. We were close to our neighbours.

“I had friends from the different schools I attended that lived in my neighbourhood. We are still friends now.” The model said her favourite place is Germiston Lake, for walks and sunsets at the lake.

“The peaceful environment played a big role in my life,” said Lindiwe. Her modelling career started at the end of 2013, during her first year at university. “Modelling opens your mind. It compacts a lot of new experiences in a short space of time and teaches you how to engage with all kinds of people.”

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She added it’s not an easy job. “I’ve been all over South Africa and London for work. I love how much of the world I get to experience through my shoots and castings. We attend castings and sometimes shoot in interesting places,” said the model. “You get to see different parts of whichever city you work in.”

Lindiwe experienced shoots on a London city centre rooftop, ancient ruins in the British countryside and a castle in Oxford all in the same week. “I love that I experience things that I normally would not.”

Even with the pressure that comes with the job, Lindiwe said modelling was a blessing. When lockdown started, she was in London where the new normal became difficult for her.

“I moved to London at the beginning of 2020 to study drama and establish my career there. Having to remain indoors and not getting to experience as much of the city or grow the way I’d hoped was heartbreaking. It was difficult to go through that by myself in a foreign country. However, I’m happy to be home and healthy with my loved ones now.”

During the lockdown, the young talent started a magazine editorial recreation challenge called #30DaysOfEditorials to inspire creativity for herself and others. “I missed working and the challenge gave me a chance to do that myself. It felt like breathing again. It was even more exciting for me because I have never worked in London before. Learning and experiencing a new industry after being out of work so long reminded me of how blessed I was to be a model.”

She always wanted to be a model. “My friends and family always told me to try even though I was very shy.”
When Lindiwe started modelling, she entered Africa’s Next Top Model when they came to Johannesburg.
“I made it to the second round of auditions and started to believe in myself more, even though that was as far as I got. I decided to get a modelling agency in Johannesburg and the rest is history.

“I struggled a lot with body dysmorphia and self-esteem as most models do.” Lindiwe said the industry is about physical attributes and to be judged constantly affected her mental health and sense of self.

“It was difficult to balance modelling and work outside of modelling. My line of work is demanding and sporadic, which requires one to prioritise well.” The jack of many trades also enjoys photography and editing.

“I create beauty and travel content for my Instagram and YouTube platforms.” Lindiwe sees herself growing and moving to acting, encouraging and empowering women to find a balance between their creative and academic talents.

“I also want to help teach women how to use their creativity so it helps them provide for themselves and their families.”

Her words of encouragement to aspiring models and creatives was to go for it no matter what others say.
“Research as much as you can because all the information you need is available online. More importantly, find purpose and opportunities outside of this career because it is fickle and not easy to have as full-time employment in South Africa.”

Lindiwe shared her 10 tips on how to be a successful model:

• It’s not just about being a pretty face.
• You need to know how to move and express yourself with your eyes.
• In South Africa, models do not make enough money to maintain themselves, so you’ll need multiple streams of income.
• Being kind, good at your job, take your work seriously and being an easy person to work with will get you far more jobs and opportunities than any agency could. Your reputation precedes you.
• Take the risk while you’re still young.
• Research everything you want to do thoroughly.
• Think outside the box and as an international model, follow them on Instagram and pay attention or ask questions when they speak about their work.
• Expect a lot of rejection but don’t take any of it personally.
• Remember that it’s just a career, you’re allowed to stop and change to something else if you find that you’ve tried your best and it’s not working or making you happy.
• Be honest with yourself.

Contact the newsroom by emailing:

Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,  or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za , and Lebogang Sekgwama lebogangs@caxton.co.za.