mage: Steve Tanchel/Red Hot Ops
Batho ba Modimo ” (which can loosely be translated to God’s people) were the first three words that Michelle Mosalakae uttered on our small screens.

It was a Friday night about a year ago when the young actress made her television debut as the traditional healer Zakithi on the popular local telenovela-turned-soap-opera Isibaya, and she has captured our hearts and minds ever since. She was, understandably, quite nervous about how her character would be received by the public, she admits, but as the weeks went on, it became clear she had nothing to worry about.We’re sitting at a busy Joburg restaurant, chatting away.

The thespian is wearing a trench coat in her favourite colour, pink, over a white vest. Her eyes are hidden behind trendy geometric sunglasses, and her trademark blond locks are loosely tied up in a ponytail.Michelle stands out from the crowd with her perfectly milky skin and ethereal looks. Ever since she was a child, her mother, Sarah, raised her to embrace her difference, she says. “My mom always told me, ‘You’re different, and you need to embrace that, love yourself, and know that there’s something about you that will stand out as long as you have confidence in yourself’,” she says, slowly sipping her cappuccino. Sarah’s ears perk up when she hears her name being mentioned. As Michelle’s manager and close friend, she’s been sitting with us, quietly listening in on our conversation. But now that she’s come up, she ventures to speak, telling me how she remembers the day almost 24 years ago that her daughter came into the world. “Obviously it was a shock for me when she was born,” Sarah says, “but my family was supportive. I remember I prayed in my room and told God, ‘You gave me this child, and I’m giving her back to you to take care of her.