Living the reality of her dreams
AYANDA THABETHE: THE NEW FACE OF PONDS IS DEALING WITH THE FAME
I navigated a long path to get to where I wanted to be. I started as a sales rep, then moved into pharmaceuticals, but the end goal was to be a brand manager for L’Oréal
Ayanda Thabethe
‘My mother did an excellent job of raising us because she was independent and strong.’
Atrue living definition of a 21st century woman, embodied by her ambitions, aspirations and faith, Ayanda Thabethe, 31, has come full circle and is unapologetic about it.
Having come from a female-dominated household in KwaZulu-Natal, this dynamic beauty is a proud daughter of the Zulu kingdom.
Growing up the middle daughter of five, raised by a single, strong, hardworking nurse, Thabethe gained her discipline and entrepreneurial skills from her mother.
“My mother did an excellent job of raising us because she was strong and independent,” said Thabethe.
“My sisters are my life. Our age differences are so far apart that we never quarrel, there is always a sense of maturity.”
The smile on her face shines brighter as she talks about her four sisters, who not only nurtured her but reassured her that women can get along and not everything is a competition.
Formerly known as “Blabber-mouth Thabethe” – a name she admits to have given herself as she was always the centre of any conversation at school – young Thabethe realised her destiny was in showbiz at a young age.
“I’m a person who has lived a lot of my life in my imagination and dreams,” she said.
It was this very dream which saw her performing above standard at school and even gathering the courage to study something unheard of in her household like marketing and communications at the University of Pretoria.
However, life has not always been wine and roses. During her high school years, Thabethe was bullied purely because she was a pretty, intelligent girl.
“When you are in high school people can see the potential you possess and as a result want to trample it before you can tap into it,” she said.
“However, through that experience I developed my relationship with God.”
Overcoming her struggles by choosing to focus on her studies, Thabethe went on to obtain a qualification.
“It was mostly in university that I developed my strong work ethic because I had to balance my social and student life. Strangely enough, it was also there where I tapped into how pretty I was because for the first time I was in an institution which celebrated individualism, unlike my days in high school.”
Shortly after completion of her degree, Thabethe, mapped out a career strategy for herself which included becoming a brand manager for international cosmetics company L’Oréal at 28.
“I navigated a long path to get to where I wanted to be, I started as a sales rep, then moved into pharmaceuticals, but the end goal was to be a brand manager for L’Oréal and when it happened exactly as I had planned, I thought maybe I should’ve dreamt bigger. I should’ve said I want to own a company,” she laughed. That position enabled her to eventually start her own marketing agency in 2010. During her time in her “dream” job, Thabethe ventured into modelling as a second source of income, which is when well-known beauty brand Ponds took a liking to her. She then had to make the tough decision to leave the job she had aspired to and enter the entertainment field. “I decided to step out of the corporate world because it had kept me away from great opportunities like being a part of season one of the Rockville drama series. “I am grateful to Ponds, who have waited for me since then. “This brand alignment has been in the pipeline for two years and I have been involved in every detail, as I am so passionate about the brand and product significance in the life of every African woman who uses it,” she said.
I’m a person who has lived a lot of my life in my imagination and dreams