Sanele Junior Xaba prefers not to be labelled, outside of modelling, that is.
A model, activist and exceptionally cool Durbanite, Xaba (22) prefers to be seen as someone “of a different shade,” not an albino.
And while it’s never easy being passed over by casting agents for being too unique, Xaba has learned that “what others have over me is irrelevant, because there’s always someone out there looking for an exact type of someone. A someone that I can completely fulfil.”
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His 18 000 plus Instagram followers would probably agree. Xaba’s international appeal has made him the face of the Bermuda International Collections 2016 fashion event. He has also taken centre stage in international campaigns for top brands like Adidas and Japanese brand Kapital Clothing.
In 2016, he was named male model of the year at the Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards in Uganda, and featured in photographer Justin Dingwall’s internationally exhibited collection, Albus.
As South Africa’s first international male model with albinism, Xaba’s presence transcends the ramp and front covers.
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He frequently visits schools to teach kids about albinism.
His goal is to raise awareness about albinism using the fashion industry’s international footprint, and he is achieving it one confident step at a time.
|Never give less than your best. That’s the key ingredient to any kind of happiness, or success.|
