Photographer: Marilize Coetzee photography
Her smile stretches from ear to ear and it’s hard not to miss the twinkle in her eyes when she speaks. Heads definitely turn when Jaenette Jacobs walks into a room, making it very easy to see why 32-year-old Jaenette is a successful model and television personality.
But don’t think it’s all glitz and glamour. Life has knocked her down more than once and Jaenette is no stranger to heartbreak.
In 2004, when she was in grade 11, Jaenette’s dad passed away after being killed in a freak shooting incident that took place at the family’s home. “We were having a Sunday braai and our neighbour at the time was for some reason fiddling with his gun. It accidentally went off when he turned in my father’s direction and my dad was tragically ripped from our family,” Jaenette says.
Her dad was her role model who loved and cared for everyone around him. “The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from him was to always stay humble, know the value of manners and to unselfishly care about others,” the beauty says.
She always knew she wanted a career in the entertainment industry. “I think my love for the industry comes from the many music videos I featured in over the years, a love for the camera, old romantic relationships and of course, the many businesspeople I was fortunate enough to meet throughout the years also contributed,” Jaenette says.
She was discovered when she was 19-years-old while working as a waiter at Wimpy in the Moot. “I used to serve this one lady who was a photographer. One day she gave me her card and told me to go to her studio for a photo session. After a two-hour session the images appeared in the PIX magazine, sold in CNA at that time. After that I was regularly invited for workshops in Swaziland and that’s how my career as a model started,” she says. She was favoured by some of the best photographers in the business and even appeared in FHM.
For three years in a row she was listed on FHM’s Top 100 most beautiful women in the world and graced the pages of the magazine alongside other well-known celebrities like Minki van der Westhuizen and Jennifer Lopez. Her career took off and she’s since then appeared in 18 music videos.
In 2019 after her relationship with local singer Juan Boucher came to an end, Jaenette decided to enter Apprentesses 2019 (Sterstatus), a competition aimed at giving one lucky lady a foot in the door of the entertainment industry, and her whole world changed.
“I went through a very difficult and sad time after my engagement was broken off but I dusted myself off and became the best version of myself I possibly could be. Through the experience I realised that so many women do not have voices to speak out and do not believe in themselves. I entered the competition for those women. To show them that no matter what you go through in life, just look up to God. Even when you fall, it is never too late to start over. It is never too late to chase your dreams and make a difference. You are blessed so you can bless others,” Jaenette says.
The competition ran for six months whereby the contestants had to go through numerous tests like acting, ramp walking, photoshoot challenges and many more. The contestants were constantly watched and evaluated until a winner was finally announced. As winner, Jaenette got sponsors for nails, hair, events, clothing, and much more. She will be the presenter for Apprentesses (Sterstatus) 2020 series to be aired on VIA channel 147.
“The challenges had me stressed quite a lot. Not everyone does well in all the challenges and if you didn’t perform you were voted out,” Jaenette says.
For others wanting to make it big in the industry the model and television personality has some sound advice. “Never change your values and norms or lose yourself as a person. Be yourself, believe in yourself, keep dreaming, work hard and grab every opportunity that comes your way with both hands. And of course, most important of all – stay humble.”
But it’s also a lot of fun. Like being able to attend some of the biggest and glitziest events, meet your favourite celebs and learn from the best. Jaenette even had the opportunity to visit the stage production Aspoestertjie and mingle with the cast and crew behind the scenes.
Apart from her work with Apprentesses (Sterstaus) and modelling, Jaenette who boasts a BCom Accounting degree is also an entrepreneur working on her own marketing company. She’s also involved in the health and security services.
Her dream is to one day open her own modelling school but for now Jaenette is focused on her new business venture, her book and a brand new blog.
More about Jaenette Jacobs…
Favourite hair salon…. Dimension Hair Design in Silverlakes
Favourite coffee shop… Grounded at Echo in Villieria
Favourite nail salon… Tammy Taylor Irene Village Mall
Must have fashion items for autumn… A long black jacket and leather boots. You can even add a colourful scarf (like Hilda from 7de Laan)
