Burgeoning model Makobo Kubie Rakgwahla has had to fight bullies and skeptics en route to realizing her dreams.
When she was young, the Tzaneen born beauty was made to believe she was ‘ugly’ by bullies who subjected her to horrendous experiences, where all sorts of insults were hurled at her.
“It has been difficult for me growing up being dark. I was bullied and all that. It was so difficult to just adjust. Even when my mum told me you are beautiful I wouldn’t believe it because outside I was told otherwise. Immediately when I went outside I was told the opposite,” said Kubie.
Once she was done tolerating the bullies and feeling sorry for herself, the lass from Khetlakone Village in Ga-Modjadji stood up for herself.
“So it started with me. When I got to high school I decided it ends here. I’m gonna start believing in myself that I’m beautiful. Since then people just fell in love with me.”
Buoyed by her confidence, Kubie tried her hand at beauty pageants in 2014 but it didn’t work out. Two years later she went into modeling. It wasn’t easy for her as people around were skeptical about her new path.
“I am a Christian so there have been a lot of people who come up to me and say ‘you are a model and a Christian, these things don’t go hand in hand. It’s ungodly’. People think this modelling thing is prostitution and it’s not about that. You know I’ve been doing my modelling throughout for so many years and people would assume that ‘she is whoring’. People tend to judge things by just looking at them from outside,” she said.
In her quest to make it in modelling, there were times when she doubted herself and wanted to quit but her mother Agnes Rakgwahla kept her hope alive.
“She has always believed in me. This modelling thing is uncommon especially where I am from but my mom’s faith has just been too deep. Sometimes I felt like giving up and she was like ‘God’s timing is perfect and when it’s not your time you don’t give up and your time will come’. And it did.”
This year things began to look up for Kubie. She got signed by fabulousdotcom models, one of the big modeling agencies in Africa. The 21-year-old is on cloud nine as she has had to work with top photographers and designers. She has ambitions of walking the ramps in New York, Paris and Milan.
“I believe that I’m gonna make it international one day. It starts with you if you believing in yourself that no one can limit you and your dreams. Besides being an international model, I want go to into business. Maybe someday I would like to have an organisation that teaches young girls to love themselves,” said law student at Unisa.
In the meantime, Kubie will have to continue slaying with her God given beauty and modeling skills until rocking the big stages.