Keeping Up With Maria Nepembe

When she’s not taking over the world, Maria Nepembe can be found at home with family and friends whom she surrounds herself with.

She recently welcomed us into her Khomasdal home which is constantly filled with members of her family, and this time was no different. Her nieces, who are the spitting image of their aunt and a constant presence on Nepembe’s Snapchat, are also around, filling the house with curious chatter.

Photos of her closest friends and family that fill her home are further testimony of just how much she values those who are close to her. It is after all because of them that Nepembe is who she is today. “I grew up in a household where being humble was very important. We were taught to be respectful, hardworking and to never allow outsiders to have an impact on how you feel,” Nepembe says of the family values that she credits for who she is today.

Being someone in the limelight, Nepembe is often put under microscopic scrutiny with people judging her every move. She has fallen victim to countless rumours about her life, some of which are slanderous. “This thick skin that I have today is because of my family,” she says. Her mother, she says, is the one person who has always taught her to never pay attention to what others say about her, especially if it’s nothing good.

Definitely not one to be pushed around, Nepembe does not hesitate to put bullies and internet trolls in their place. The former tomboy may have long hung her soccer boots up, but she remains just as tough and isn’t afraid to show it.

A testament of her physical strength is her exercise regime which will put many fitness junkies to shame. She trains with a personal trainer and because of her determination, her body has already shown changes. “I was at such an unhealthy weight when I started training seriously. I have always worked out but never this hard. People have no idea of the impact of exercise on one’s body, skin and overall health. Your appetite becomes better, your pores open up and you’re just so much healthier when you work out,” she says. Since starting out with the assistance of a personal trainer, who is strict and does house calls on the days when Nepembe fails to show up for gym, she has managed to pick up weight, going from 47kg to 54kg. “Had it not been for my trainer, I would not be able to do it. He keeps me motivated,” she says.

While she recently celebrated her fashion brand Ria’s one-year anniversary, Nepembe also runs a modelling academy and agency, Pro Model Africa, which is gearing up for its first intake of aspiring models to graduate and possibly be signed to the agency.

Nepembe is also a presenter on Fresh FM and is the face of the olufuko festival. Between all these roles, she manages to keep a rigorous workout schedule that sees her in the gym almost every day.

Where does she find the time? Not even she knows. “I really don’t know,” she chuckles, before adding on a serious note: “I try to manage my time. I have a personal assistant and he tells me where I need to be at what time, which helps a lot”.

After years of walking the ramp and working as a professional fashion model, Nepembe is making her mark in fashion with her brand and through moulding and mentoring the aspiring models at Pro Model Africa. “As a model, I’ve obviously walked in a lot of outfits and I’ve always been astonished as to how designers come up with the concepts for their work. That contributed a lot to me doing this today,” she says.

Although things seem to be going well for Ria, with the brand soon to be showcased at the first Windhoek Fashion Week, Nepembe admits that there are challenges in surviving the Namibian fashion industry. “It’s difficult when you want to attract the Namibian market. Namibians don’t really support local boutiques, it’s mostly tourists, but because of the financial crisis in some countries, it’s difficult to attract them. Coming up with new ideas is also very hard,” she says.

Even though she also acts as an MC for events, Nepembe has cut down on the number of gigs she accepts. “I might be a bit expensive but people don’t really value hosts and what they do and I refuse to be paid less than what I’m worth,” she says. For now, she is happy with the one place where she can put her public speaking skills to test – on radio – a job that she treasures mostly because of the connection she has with her listeners. “It’s really important for me to make an impact on people’s lives and be a companion to thousands of people,” she says.

One of the things that keep Nepembe strong are her friendships. “It helps a lot to have another woman in your life who has similar experiences as you have. It’s also important to have that support from them. We always say that men look down on us but we look down on ourselves as women. We need to support each other and be there for one another,” she says, adding that her relationships with her closest friends offer just that.

It’s clear that no matter what anyone says about her, Nepembe is here to stay and she’s determined to make sure that people continue to remember her name. Even the hate doesn’t bother her any more, she says. “I really think nobody is hated more than me. But because of that hate, all that criticism, my name stays relevant. So actually, people just make my name bigger. So they can keep talking,” she says passionately.

– rukee@namibian.com.na; @rukeeveni on Twitter