Hunky farmers are doubly blessed
Identical twins Charlie and Alex Kotze, or the K2 Twins, went from farming to taking the fashion runways by storm after they were discovered on a beach holiday. They tell Loni
Prinsloo about their love of farming, and their recent successes in modelling and TV
What did you want to be when growing up?
Can’t remember wanting to be anything else than a farmer. We worked from a young age on a farm, and that is how we learnt to farm.
Farming is in our blood, and, like all little boys, we wanted to be like our dad and grandad, and that was being a farmer.
We never thought that we would have a career in modelling, TV or even hang out in the gym this much, but the healthy lifestyle has grown on us and we love it.
What did your childhood teach you about money?
The old saying: Money doesn’t grow on trees . . . More importantly . . . money you didn’t earn or worked for won’t last too long. We also believe in not choosing friendships according to social status or financial position.
What was your first job? How did you manage?
Alex: I was lucky enough to go farming in the US for a year.
Charlie: I got the opportunity to work on our sheep farm in Bitterfontein. I learnt a lot about life and what I wanted from life.
What life events steered you into the career you have today?
We’ve always liked keeping fit and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. That steered us into the modelling industry and helped us to achieve our modelling goals.
As farmers, well, we were always working on the farm and grew up with the “farming lifestyle” — so those years on the farm steered us towards becoming farmers.
What do you most enjoy about your career today?
As farmers we love every facet of farming, including any day-to-day and long-term challenges. From a modelling point of view, we enjoy travelling and meeting new people. We learn something new every day.
What are you up to in terms of your career?
The producers of Oulap se Rooi contacted us as they were interested in us presenting the DIY show. As we are quite handy it was a natural fit. The show is flighting on kykNET. We love doing this show. Meeting the homeowners and challenging ourselves to transform a room in just two days. It really is
a lot of fun.
Do you have any role models in business and life?
Yes, what is life without role models? For both of us, our dad and grandad are our biggest role models. They both started with almost nothing and became a huge success. We are so proud of them.
If you hit the jackpot today, what would you do with the money?
First, make sure our family is cared for. And the cliché, giving to charity. We are involved with a charity in Durbanville and would love to do more. Do you have any money weaknesses or special
indulgences?
Nope. Only one weakness, and that is food. We love eating.
What has been your best investments in life, if any?
Investing in our bodies from an early age by staying healthy: eating healthy foods and training hard.
We worked on the farm from an early age, which made us appreciate the smaller things in life even more. We would love to buy more property in and around Vredendal.
What advice would you give younger people when choosing what they want to do?
Alex: Live life by what makes you happy.
Charlie: Don’t do something you hate, then you will hate your life. Make mistakes, because only then can you learn from them.
What have been some of your bigger career successes to date?
The TV show Oulap se Rooi is a big career success, and we love doing it. The Men’s Health cover was also a big one — one of our biggest goals from a modelling point of view.
What are some of your future career plans?
Well, for that you have to watch this space. We are working on a few more TV formats — trying to find a sponsor is the most difficult part.