Forget everything you think you know about pageantry. Samantha Carelse is far more interested in building confidence, changing lives and raising three remarkable boys than collecting crowns.
Some people instantly make you feel at ease. Samantha Carelse is one of them. She’s laughing about the random Lego pieces permanently living in her handbag thanks to her boys. Admits that a perfect Saturday usually ends at Spur with her fam. And confesses she could happily finish an entire slab of Cadbury chocolate on her own. This is Samantha. Or simply Sam, as she prefers.
Yes, she’s recently been crowned Mrs Supranational South Africa, but titles have never been what defines her. Spend a little time chatting to Sam, and you’ll soon discover that she’d far rather talk about the young people she mentors, the lessons she’s learnt along the way and the joy of simply being mom.
“I’m just Sam,” she smiles. “A wife, mom, and a woman of faith who’s still learning, still growing and still finding beauty in the ordinary.” That authenticity is exactly what makes her so relatable.
Life hasn’t always been kind to Sam. Looking back, she doesn’t believe there was one defining chapter that shaped her. Instead, it was a series of seasons that changed the course of her life. From battling illness to surviving human trafficking and other deeply difficult chapters, each experience strengthened her faith, reshaped her perspective and ultimately became part of the woman she is today. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, she has chosen to let them fuel a life of purpose and service.
“I don’t allow my past to define me. I allow it to remind me of how far I’ve come.”
It’s a perspective that didn’t happen overnight. There were moments she questioned everything. Moments when she simply had to trust that taking the next step would eventually lead somewhere brighter.
One lesson has stayed with her through it all. “Success celebrates you, but struggle introduces you to yourself.” Perhaps that’s why Sam’s greatest passion isn’t collecting titles. It’s helping other people discover what they’re capable of.
“If I can make a difference in one person’s life, the ripple effect will follow.”
As the founder and head coach of Vogue Catwalk Models West Rand, she has spent more than a decade mentoring young people, helping them build confidence, develop leadership skills and discover their own sense of purpose. With a background in psychology and counselling, she’s equally passionate about mental wellness, believing that confidence begins long before anyone steps onto a runway.
Around 60 students walk through her studio each year, many from challenging circumstances. While modelling is certainly part of the journey, Sam believes the real transformation happens long before the first pose.
“It’s about confidence and self-worth. Young people need to know who they are and what they stand for before anything else.”
One of the first lessons she teaches her students is also one of the most unexpected. “I teach them how to lose first.”
Coming from someone who’s spent more than two decades in the modelling and pageantry industry and collected numerous titles along the way, it might sound surprising. But she believes character is built far more in disappointment than victory.
It’s a lesson she lives every day. If she can help just one person believe in themselves, she says, the ripple effect will take care of the rest.
That philosophy eventually became the inspiration behind her advocacy platform, #BeTheImpossible, which encourages women and young people to embrace who they are, overcome adversity and never stop believing that tomorrow can look different from today.
If there is one role she treasures above every title, though, it’s motherhood. Her boys are her biggest source of laughter, her greatest teachers and, judging by the Lego hidden in her handbag, her constant companions. “They’ve taught me patience, unconditional love and that my greatest achievements will never compare to raising such amazing human beings.”
Ask what kind of men she hopes they’ll become and her answer comes without hesitation. Men who lead with kindness, integrity and respect. Men who stand beside the women in their lives, not in front of them.
Like so many mothers, Sam admits she’s still learning that looking after herself isn’t selfish. “I’m often harder on myself than I would ever be on someone else. But I’m learning that taking care of myself allows me to show up better for the people I love.”
She doesn’t pretend to have life all figured out. She still battles self-doubt from time to time. She still has days when motivation disappears. “Oh … motivation comes and goes, but purpose, that stays.”
Away from social media, life is refreshingly ordinary. Late nights. Busy schedules. Trying to balance family, work and everything in between. Add a movie night with her hubby and boys, popcorn piled a little too high and the occasional slab of Cadbury chocolate, and you’ve got a pretty accurate picture of Sam’s happy place.
When asked what chapter of her life deserves more credit than it gets, her answer doesn’t come wrapped in fanfare. “The chapter where I rebuilt my life. No applause. No audience. Just choosing every day to show up and keep going.”
Maybe that’s why her story resonates. Not because she wears a crown. But because she reminds us that resilience isn’t something reserved for extraordinary people. It’s found in ordinary moments. In choosing hope. In trying again. In believing that our hardest chapters don’t have to become the whole story.
And if you ever find yourself sharing a cup of tea with Sam, don’t expect a motivational speech.
Expect warmth. Expect the kind of proper belly laugh that stays with you long afterwards. And expect someone who will gently remind you that your story isn’t over yet.
“You are not behind. You are not broken. Some of the most beautiful chapters of our lives begin after we’ve survived the ones that nearly destroyed us.”
Those words may never earn a trophy. But they might just stay with you long after you’ve turned the page.
Quickfire with Sam:
Always in my handbag: Heidi Couture perfume, hand lotion and a random individual set of earrings.
The phrase my boys hear most: “Who’s my favourite guy? This guy! Just don’t tell the others …”
Comfort food: This might sound a little unusual, but whenever I’m feeling nostalgic or under the weather, it’s raw rice with salt in hot water.
My perfect day off: Sleeping in, enjoying a cup of tea, making progress on my book and spending time with my family before ending the day with reruns of Suidooster.
Biggest pet peeve: Honestly? Raising three boys has taught me to let the little things go. I think I’ve outgrown most of my pet peeves!
The best advice I never took: Play it safe. Growth has never happened inside my comfort zone.
Follow Sam’s journey @samantham_carelse on Insta.
Text: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG. Image: SUPPLIED.
