I was invited to a wedding of one of my mentors and big industry brothers, Mzontsundu Ntuli and his beautiful wife Obakeng. I travelled to East London and made it to the Tsholomnqa for the wedding, and this is where I would meet the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Zubedia “Zu” Nomasonto Tshankie. She was in a midi-length black strapless gown that had a slit on the side. Her hair was short and her smile warmed the room. She stood out, tall, lean and long legs with the most defined facial features you will ever see. I could not believe how beautiful she was, naturally, and at the reception party, I introduced myself and told her she was certainly the most beautiful woman ever. Now here we are, a cover shoot done and I gained a friend.

“You should be a model” is something I said to her but something she is all too familiar with – everyone says this to her when they meet her. She is a nerd, a reader, deep, spirited and not interested in fame and anything that will bring her attention. I had to convince her to do this shoot and eventually I got an enthusiastic yes. For us, the aim was to revive the culture of models showcasing fashion trends as we would see in leading fashion magazines, using models over the years. The likes of Andiswa Manxiwa, Kwakho Qongqo, Miriam Mngomani, Primrose Molantoa  and more, were faces we got to know from paging through magazines, selling clothes.

Zu grew up in Atteridgeville, a township in Pretoria and her family moved to the suburbs of Pretoria East when she was seventeen. She is often mistaken for being a foreign national because of her features and height, while there is a semblance of truth to that, her great-grandfather is partly Portuguese from Mozambique, but she remains truly South African. She attended an all-girls high school in Pretoria which she says moulded her into the woman she is today. A woman not fascinated by the world’s noise and flashiness, Zu is after the heart, the truth and knowledge. You get this when you sit down with her and hear her speak passionately about the things that matter.

After high school, seriously considering going to the US to be an au-pair, she moved to Johannesburg to study and completed her under-graduate degree, and did so well that she was invited to join the Golden Key Society, graduating with a BCom cum laude. She then did her honours, followed by a  Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and an MBA at the Wits Business School. She is considering a Masters degree in Corporate Strategy soon and who knows, a PhD will soon follow, her passion for education is unquenchable.

“I consider myself a forever scholar and firmly believe in education as a game-changer whose benefits surpass a paper at the end of it all. My studies, particularly business school studies, have benefitted me as a person, gained me solid friendships and showed me the power of being deliberate about the concept of social capital building. There’s also something rather character-building about waking up every Saturday morning to be in class from 8am until 6pm in the evening (this was for the MBA). 

Zu, alongside her sister, runs a charity called ‘Extended Alms’ .

“I’m driven by a sense of purpose founded in making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate and would like to grow my charity. My ultimate dream is to offer scholarships to girls to further their tertiary education.”

She has been working in corporate for a while and in between corporate she took a risk in 2017 by leaving a job and bought shares in a company she ran with three other women, focused on providing human capital and strategy solutions for clients such as PWC, Showmax, Prime Meridian Direct Insurance and Legal Wise. The company did well for just over a year but they soon sold it.

“That break from corporate into entrepreneurship was an enjoyable roller-coaster ride…” A fun ride because she has since returned to entrepreneurship by launching her own communications firm called ZuTsha Comms which was born of her passion for writing and creativity. She also has plans of publishing a book, testament to her love for words. 

Three years ago, Zu started working as a management consultant, which was always the goal for her. She is now with a global strategy and consulting firm which she loves. 

“I am enjoying working in a fast-paced environment which stretches one both intellectually and in terms of creatively finding solutions for clients.”

Why is Zubeida not a professional model? 

“People are always shocked that I don’t model, I gave it a try once when I was young and it just didn’t stick in terms of interest but it’s funny, now that I’m older it is a thing I am keen to get back into. This shoot with Nounouche actually pleasantly surprised me as I discovered that I’m a natural in front of the lens and that I enjoy it quite a bit. I was also surprised by just how much work it entails, when models say that their work is hard one would be tempted to roll their eyes but yikes, it actually is demanding.”

Zu also loves public speaking; moderating panels focused on subjects she enjoys such as politics, international relations and mental health are some goals for the future for this brown-skinned beauty.

When she is not working, you will find her with a glass of good wine, a cigar, a book, watching a political documentary or travelling. She has a great sense of humour and is brilliant at chess.

Cover star: Zubeida Tshankie

Cover story: Bonnie Meslane

Editor-in-Chief & Producer: Bonnie Meslane

Managing Editor: Sesetu Holomisa

Photographer: Khotso of RTC Studios

Creative Direction: Lesego Kgosimolao 

Makeup: Caroline Greeff

Wardrobe & Styling: Advice by Kgosilego

Wardrobe Assistant: MrSuave_Dastylistsa

Photography team: RTC Studios

Lighting: Henry King 

Digitech: Tyrone Jhns 

Assistants: Donovan Malema & Tshepo Zitha 

Videography: Dave Kabale

Graphic Design: Herbert Chaunzwa

Social Media Manager: Thandolwethu Khumalo 

Eyewear by Karl Lagerfeld available @preview_accessories 

Wardrobe by @davidtlale