Joëlle Kayembe: A journey of representation and resilience in modelling

Iconic model Joëlle Kayembe’s cultural impact spans two decades. South Africans can still remember Kayembe’s unforgettable entrance onto the scene in the early 2000s.

She starred in a now-legendary Sprite Zero ad with Mandla N in the driver’s seat and a single can that sparked nationwide conversation. At a time when representation of darker-skinned women was nearly invisible in mainstream advertising, Kayembe’s appearance was more than a modelling gig. It was a moment.

​Now, two decades later, Kayembe lives in Oslo, Norway, and continues to model, while also working as a painter and theatre artist. Her journey as a model began when she sought a job that would allow her to do her art, and she ended up finding that and more.

Kayembe remarks in her interview with IOL that she hasn't been taking stock of all that's been happening in her life; she has been living with intention and growing in her life.

​Living in Norway has been an experience for Kayembe, one she is loving. “I feel appreciated here and I'm not tolerated.

​“The intention when moving here (Norway) was obviously to try to uncover new territories and experience a new culture, experiencing a new ecosystem.”

​As a minority living in Norway, Kayembe acknowledges that the experience has been a bit more challenging, but she is learning all kinds of new things, including a new language.

​“I'm learning how to represent myself in a country where Norwegians are very conservative people. They're law-abiding citizens and they go by the moral compasses. I'm learning to present myself in an industry that's all about peacocking, but in like a very toned-down way.

​“I feel the challenge is how to do you present yourself without all the aesthetics and just be you? And I love that invitation to just be yourself.”

​In the early days of her career, it was about getting booked for jobs, but as her career developed, Kayembe and her agent became intentional about the jobs that they wanted.

​“I've wanted to work for Nivea for a long time because it's one of those brands that the brand image and brand ethics have just really resonated with me. I'm a little bit of a geek about this stuff,

​“I research the brand and look to see the brand ambassadors they’ve endorsed, and then you sort of try to figure out a way to position yourself and mirror that.”

​Kayembe has partnered with Nivea to front a campaign that speaks directly to the skin that has long been underrepresented in global skincare conversations.

​“I've been intentional in that I've made, I've made career choices that would make it acceptable for me to be part of this journey.”

The modelling industry and where it is now and where it used to be, when Kayembe is a massive transformation. Social media has democratised the entire industry, allowing more people to enter the industry.

​“I've just been working, I think it would be arrogant for me to say, I've known that this is what I'm doing. It would be arrogant for me to assume that I had any kind of choice in it.

​“I was just really lucky and fortunate to have had a brilliant agent who saw me in the right places, put me in the right places and pushed me in the right direction and guided me and worked hard to get me in front of clients that she felt deserving or I deserved.”

​Kayembe acknowledges the shift in the industry where a lot of girls are doing wonderful things and isn’t naive to the fact that there was once a time when being the first to do something was a big deal. 

​“I'm just so grateful when I look back at those days when representation wasn't a buzzword. It was a necessity, I look back to those days and think, oh my goodness, I was there, I was part of that.”

Earlier this year at the SA Style Awards, Kayembe presented the Most Stylish Model award to winners Denetric and Lebo Malope, who have garnered international recognition on the runway.

​Kayembe recalls when she received the accolade and what it meant for her to be recognised, especially at a time when people didn't know her name.

“I felt seen in my own, by my people. There's something profound that happens when your own, your tribe, your own family, the people that raised you, recognise you. That recognition for me landed, and I hope the brothers felt the same way.”

​As the eldest of four sisters, a role Kayembe takes very seriously, and in the spirit of Women’s Month, gives young girls the same advice she would give to her flesh and blood.

​“Surround yourself with people who light up when they see you in the room. It makes a world of difference when the people around you love you, care for you, and are invested in seeing you succeed.

​“If you were going the wrong way, someone loves you enough to pull you back and say, 'Don't do that.' And if you were going through a hard day, there's somebody who loves you enough to lift you.

​“If you're making terrible life choices, there are people around you who can, in a way, stop you from doing that. It makes a world of difference in whatever, especially coming into this industry, if that's your intention, you're gonna be tempted.

​“It's one of those industries that's famously known for being a wrecking ball in girls' lives. You're going to get tempted, you're gonna get persuaded, you're gonna get misguided, misdirected, and so on.

"You're gonna be disappointed too, because there's a lot of rejection, but if you have a core tribe of people that love you fiercely, you'll get through that.”

IOL