It was just after lunchtime on a Friday. The ambiance in the Southern Sun Hyde Park Rooftop Bar was laidback. A waiter approached me to take my order as I waited to interview one of South Africa’s rising stars – Blaise Kirsten.
I was thinking of the right set of questions to ask her while allowing myself to be mesmerized by the breath-taking views of Johannesburg city’s skyline on display through the window.
Then, through a silver set of doors, Blaise Kirsten walked in. First thing one notices about Blaise is her timeless beauty (besides her flawless skin) – She’s even more beautiful in person than she looks in pictures. Heads turned as she made her entrance in an elegant long sleeve black dress, which showed off her stunning curves.
On this occasion, she opted to go light on the jewellery but still somehow managed to illuminate the Southern Sun Roof top Bar with the infectious smile she wore. With a future just as bright, Blaise represents the new age South African woman, climbing up the media industry ladder; a hardworking, elegant young professional with brains and the ambition to leave an indelible mark on this world.
Despite being at the embryonic stage of her career, Blaise is firmly in control in her line of business, which veers between the fields of law, the TV entertainment industry and detours to breaking barriers of misogyny in society as a gender equality activist.
As the 22 year-old prepares for the premiere of her long awaited brand new show, Career Chat with Blaise, we chatted with Blaise, who in person is contagiously chatty and funny, about her background, her school days, her views as an advocate for women empowerment and what viewers should expect from her show. The Wits University graduate (who is currently wrapping up her second degree in law) is not only the anchor of the new show but she is also one of the executive producers, responsible for developing content.
READ WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY TO THE WORLD
Who is Blaise Kirsten?
Blaise Kirsten is a TV personality, academic, entrepreneur and total women empowerment freak at heart.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Johannesburg and stayed in Durban for a few years before relocating back to Johannesburg.
As a child what did you want to be in life?
I was always conflicted between going into law and being a model. I loved both spheres equally, but as I grew older, I realized that media and entrepreneurship is where my heart truly lies.
What made you decide to study Law at University?
I was bad at math! (lol) no just kidding-that was one of the reasons though. But on a serious note, as stated before, from a young age, I always knew that law was something I seriously considered going into. Even though my passion has somewhat shifted now in that I don’t think I’ll practice immediately after graduation, the journey of getting the degree has given me so much more than just a “career”. It’s given me tools that I can use and apply to so many other areas of life.
Considering your law background, is it challenging for you to be a TV presenter?
No, I don’t think so. If anything it’s helped me. As much as people may think of law as a purely academic career, I believe there’s some creativity that goes with it as well. If your client comes to you with a problem, it’s up to you to find a way to help him and in most instances the answer isn’t obvious. It requires an eye for detail, and creative thinking, which is what most careers in media and entertainment require.
How has being the deputy secretary General of the law student council and the projects, Media and campaigns officer of the SRC shaped who you are today?
The law student council was my introduction (so to speak) into student leadership at university level. I enjoyed my term, but felt it didn’t challenge me enough, I wanted something bigger. I then ran for SRC and obtained the most votes of all the female candidates which came as such a surprise, a pleasant one none the less. The funny thing about being in SRC is that there really isn’t a “hand over process” from the previous portfolio holder. They kind of just throw you in the deep end and you either sink or swim. That process in itself revealed so much about me that I didn’t know, it was crazy! But I got through by the grace of God. Leadership has definitely taught me how to work and respect people from different backgrounds.
What is your opinion on the student protests at Universities across the country?
I think it’s an amazing movement. Being in the SRC I was privileged to have been a part of everything even before it gained all the traction it did. None of us (In the SRC) thought it would grow that big. We just felt it was time to speak for those students who could not speak for themselves, who were constantly being oppressed by management and its systems. Turns out, universities across the country felt the same way.
Let’s talk about your show, what inspired Career Chat with Blaise?
Coming from a huge family where I’m only the second person to obtain a degree from university, I understand the massive effects of unemployment. I have witnessed it first-hand not only via my family, but in the community I grew up in. I think having a career is so important; it’s something that can give you a sense of purpose. However I also feel that people tend to run away from it simply because they have the wrong idea about it. My goal is to reach, educate and inspire people across the world into finding the right career path for them and for them to excel in what they have chosen to do.
How are the preparations for the premiere coming along?
There are lots of meetings, and lots of writing scripts at this stage. I have a team of dedicated writers and editors behind me…it is a giant machine that makes sure the show runs smoothly. I am happy with our progress so far.
What side of Blaise should people expect on the show?
Well, personally I believe in authenticity. This belief stretches to my brand and the way I interact with people. In order for this show to be a success, I need to be real because people relate to that. We all human, and share similar experience’s at some point in our lives. So with that being said, people can expect to see the real me. I’ll be sharing some of my experiences with the viewers as I too have struggled with career choices.
How do you plan to respond to fame and stardom?
I’m not looking that far ahead. I’m looking at the premiere of the show next week. I’m very nervous, obviously, because it’s a giant undertaking, but I’m excited for it as well. It’s one of those experiences that genuinely are once in a lifetime, so I don’t want to do myself the injustice of not enjoying it. Everything else from there, well, I’ll take it as it comes.
Who and what inspires you?
I’m inspired by strong, confident woman across the worlds who aim to be masters of their craft. So Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington. These are all women who are focused, know what they want and are not scared to work for it. I’m also inspired by women who aren’t afraid to be and act counter to what culture dictates. I think we need more of those women in our society.
You are passionate about empowering women, what challenges do you feel women still face in the world today?
There are two main challenges I feel women face
1. Allowing society and the opposite sex to dictate (to them) what they can and cannot do. I feel as women we allow ourselves to be easily boxed by our exterior and our circumstances. There are still so many women across the worlds who are scared to be who God made them to be simply because the fear of rejection hangs over them. We need to understand that when we flow in the opposite direction, resistance in inevitable, but that’s when we know we are truly beginning to make a change.
2. PHD- commonly known as pull her down syndrome. There’s an uncomfortable but true saying around the male community “Men will never understand women, because women understand women, and they hate each other”. Off the bat this might sound harsh, but as women we need to wake up and understand that this is a reality. Throughout my years at Wits, I stayed at a female residence and there was no culture of building a “sisterhood”. This was hard for me to understand as the same did not apply to male residences.
I feel we need to learn (as women) to spread love, passion, encouragement and a sense of building up instead of breaking down “so I can feel better about myself”. We don’t need to be in constant competition with each other. I feel for as long as we have that mind set, we (women) won’t make any significant changes in our society nor will we get to where we need to be. I encourage all women to plant and grow seeds of love inside them so that we are able to spread that to other women as we cannot give out what we don’t have.
How do you think gender inequality can be eradicated in the media?
Well, the general long term solutions would be amongst other’s to allow more women to occupy senior positions in media and allow them to be in spaces where major decisions are being made. These women then automatically have a duty to make sure more women get into those same spaces they currently occupy. Secondly, we need to educate our women on how exactly the media affects them.
The media paints this horrible picture that as women we need to dress, act, talk and look a certain way. For as long as we believe and play into that, we will never get anywhere. The media needs to start profiling more women who want to make a change and are hungry to inspire others to do the same. Television, in its entirety needs to stop filling our heads with rubbish that only distracts us from the greater goal, which is to make a positive change.
What do you aspire to be in the future?
I want to be a woman who makes a positive change in the world. I want to be a woman who
Transforms lives through my gift. I feel so ready now to make an impact on the world around me.