GQ: Where are
you from and what
are you currently
working on?
Mihlali Ndamase:
I was born in KwaZulu-
Natal and moved to Joburg
in 2015. I’m studying
a BA in Strategic Brand
Communications at Vega
School in Cape Town.
GQ: How would you
describe yourself?
MN: Young, fun,
determined, a
perfectionist.
GQ: What are the
most important
aspects when
cultivating a
personal brand?
MN: Defining and
understanding who your
target audience is and
how to make yourself
more relatable to them,
setting the tone for how
you want your brand to
be perceived, and
taking the time to craft
a pitch and communicate
that throughout your
platforms. It’s vital that
you’re authentic and
create quality content that
encourages your audience
to engage with you,
network and attend events,
and conduct yourself
professionally.
GQ: What motivated
you to start your own
YouTube channel?
MN: The YouTubers
I grew up watching- Aaliyah Jay, Nicole
Guerriero and
N i k k i e Tu t o r i a l s - inspired me to follow
in their footsteps.
GQ: How have
you grown,
personally and
professionally, since
you started out?
MN: Personally, I’ve
built a huge amount of
confidence in myself and
in my craft. I’ve invested
in equipment that allows
me to produce content
that’s up-to-standard.
I’m always researching new
techniques that I can apply
to my content to improve
it. Now I know the ins and
outs of the business, I can
choose which brands
I work with based on how
the partnership will grow
and benefit my brand, as
opposed to affiliating with
a big brand just because of
the excitement of having
been noticed.GQ: What’s most
important to you
when you pursue
brand partnerships?
MN: It has to be a brand
I genuinely like. I only
create content about
products that I would
spend money on myself. It
wouldn’t be ethical of me
to “sell” brands or products
to my audience that
I know aren’t good quality.
I wouldn’t want to lose
my audience’s trust.GQ: Your favourite
collaboration so far?
MN: I love working with
Revlon South Africa.
When influencers are
given creative freedom,as they are by this brand,
the result is an honest and
successful collaboration.
I was recently involved in
a campaign for Revlon
that I’m super excited to
share with my supporters.
Watch this space.GQ: What does
beauty mean to you?
MN: Self-confidence,
self-expression, self-
acceptance and self-love.GQ: And your
favourite
beauty trends?
MN: Glossy makeup, bold
eyeliner and rainbow-
coloured eyeshadow.GQ: Your biggest
beauty influencers?
MN: Jaclyn Hill, Kylie
Jenner and Jackie Aina.GQ: Tell us about
the Siyasizana
Foundation.
MN: It’s a non-profit
organisation founded
by Dineo Nono and
me in 2017. We’ve
worked closely with the
Thusong Youth Centre
in Alexandra, throwing
annual Christmas parties
for children, feeding them
and supplying them with
uniforms, clothes and
blankets for the winter.
We’ve also held drives
to supply homes for
abandoned babies
with food and clothing,
and collect sanitary
pads for women.
We’re currently working
on an event at which guest
speakers will offer career
advice to boys at a shelter
in Joburg. We hope it“I never used to celebrate
lIfe’s small vIctorIes. I’ve
sInce realIsed there’s a
better way of lookIng at It”
GQ: How do you
stay visible?
MN: I swear by the words
‘No one is you and that
is your power.’ Fans follow
influencers for different
reasons such as personality
and content. Don’t
worry about whose
grass is greener.GQ: A typical
day in your life?
MN: Every day is
different. I attend
events, photo shoots for
campaigns and personal
projects, and film and
edit content. My schedule
mustn’t be overwhelming
because of my studies.will lead to mentorship
opportunities and inspire
these young men to
achieve something they
can be proud of.GQ: Do you
believe you’ve
achieved success?
MN: I never used to
celebrate life’s small
victories; I was always
focussed on the outcome.
I’ve since realised there’s
a better way of looking
at it: every milestone I’ve
reached has been a small
piece of the bigger picture.
I’ve achieved a lot for my
age, but there’s a lot more
work to be done.EssEntials Women
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