Toffee’s sweet modelling success
Faith Maimela, known as Toffee in the modelling industry, had to endure many challenges while at high school and said modelling helped her regain confidence.
LIMPOPO – The 27-year-old model, Faith Maimela from Ha-Mashau Matsindevhe in the Vhembe district told CV that she was bullied and a rape victim.
She isolated herself from society as she felt she could not be herself. “I was labelled by society as an example of rape and this was destructive and painful,” Maimela said.
She matriculated in 2013, worked as a peer helper at a local clinic in 2014, and then joined Hlanganani community radio as a volunteer news anchor between 2015 and 2016.
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“I decided to further my studies and applied to study film production at the University of South Africa. At the same time, I worked at a retail store in Gauteng and that is where my friends and colleagues encouraged me to pursue modelling as they said I had features that make me stand out from the rest,” Maimela explained.
Modelling helped her regain her confidence and she was able to love herself.
“I have worked with so many big brands but my big break came when I shot commercials for Johnnie Walker and the Africa Cup Of Nations. My love for being in front of the camera grew in such a way that I now work at Zeefilms24 Production to upgrade my skills. I also transferred to Tshwane University of Technology to continue my degree in film production,” she said.
Maimela said she never considered modelling as a career and that she only started doing modelling to boost her self-confidence and raise her low self-esteem.
She had a message for those who had a tough upbringing and had to go through traumatic experiences: “Don’t shut yourselves out. Go out there and heal by finding yourself.”
Her dream is to one day own a film production studio and claim an award for filmmaking. “I want to empower women and be a voice for the voiceless throughout my career. I am motivated by the desire to see myself as Miss Universe. I work hard towards my dreams and this gives me a sense of accomplishment. I have a great work ethic and will keep on pushing boundaries,” she concluded.
