Mallex Shipanga
At just 24 years old, Ruan Potgieter has quickly made a name for himself in Namibia’s fashion industry.
Born in Swakopmund and raised in Windhoek, Potgieter began his modelling journey in 2019, just a year after finishing secondary school.
Now, as he approaches his 25th birthday, he reflects on a journey that has transformed him into a local supermodel.
“I was inspired by friends to start modelling, and I also really enjoy fashion. So when the first opportunity knocked, doing a small shoot for an acquaintance, my love for the posing arts had quite the jumpstart. I was impressed with my ‘model face.’ I didn’t know I had it in me to perform well in front of a camera,” he said.
All these years later, Potgieter’s modelling career now spans commercial, editorial, and runway modelling, along with some experience in the music video industry.
Potgieter shared various brands and designers he has worked with.
“I’ve worked with quite a few local brands. Zuriel by Luis Munana, House of Poulton, MN Creations, Johanna Nambinga, MTC, and more.”
Potgieter also teased an upcoming project.
“I also had the honour to do some work with Jean-Claude Nazari, a very talented local creative. The project is still unreleased, so keep an eye out for that,” he said.
Potgieter started his own fashion brand, Ra by Ruan.
“Currently I’m a salesman at Nictus Furniture, but I’m working towards becoming more independent in my career. For that, I started my own brand last year, called Ra by Ruan. And that’s only the start,” he said.
Potgieter commented on a memorable experience he has had as a model.
“One of the most memorable experiences was when I played in Kurzca’s ‘Dat is good’ music video. We had so much fun. The energy was electric, and the people were humble. That was one fantastic start to the summer,” he said.
Potgieter opened up about the biggest challenge he has faced while working in the modelling industry as well as how he overcame it.
“My biggest challenge in the industry was becoming more confident in my abilities. This I overcame by allowing myself to try new things, to learn and grow through a lot of new and different experiences in modelling,” he said.
Potgieter also shared a recent major accomplishment in his modelling career, namely his invitation to New York Fashion Week 2025.
”In November 2024, I attended a Talent Namibia event. It was truly amazing to see all the young Namibian talent in dancing, singing, modelling and acting. They started announcing the four models scouted for New York Fashion Week. My heart sank to the floor when they announced the last name. Just for them to yank my heart up again and announce my name as a wild card! I was absolutely flabbergasted, to say the least,” he said.
In order to make his New York Fashion Week dreams come true, Potgieter is seeking funding.
“My current mission is to secure a sponsorship before the 28th of January, as I’m supposed to fly on 5 February already,” he said.
Potgieter gave some words of advice to aspiring models nationwide.
“Learn to love yourself and stay true to who you are while being the best version you can be. And don’t forget to put yourself out there! Remember, every shot you don’t take is an automatic miss,” he said.
