- Thando Hopa became the first woman with albinism to appear on a past Vogue magazine cover
- The historic cover was part of Vogue Portugal's 'Africa Motherland' edition, celebrating African beauty and identity
- Hopa's story resurfaced seven years later, moving South Africans online who celebrated her trailblazing legacy
Thando Hopa is a South African lawyer, model and activist who changed the face of fashion when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Portugal in 2019. She became the first woman with albinism ever to grace the cover of any Vogue edition, and the moment continues to resonate years later.
Source: Instagram
The cover, part of Vogue Portugal's April 2019 "Africa Motherland" issue, was unveiled on 2 April 2019. Photographed by Rhys Frampton, the shoot was a deliberate celebration of African beauty and identity.
For Hopa, it was also a platform to push back against the discrimination people with albinism face and to challenge the narrow definitions of beauty that have long dominated mainstream media. Her work spans law, modelling and advocacy, a combination that has made her voice particularly powerful in conversations about representation, disability rights and beauty standards in Africa and beyond. According to Glamour, she celebrated her Vogue cover by writing:
"I once said to a close friend that it would really be lovely to see a woman with albinism on a Vogue cover. I would not have imagined that that woman would be me. We are the ones we've been waiting for."
Read a post by African Folder about her achievement below:
Mzansi celebrates Thando Hopa's legacy
When the Instagram account @african.folder shared Hopa's story recently, South Africans flooded the comments to celebrate her:
@pinkytsautse412022 wrote:
"You are so beautiful ❤️🙌"
@global_princess5981 said:
"Radiant beauty and a voice to so many 🌟💞🙏"
@diano_7777 added:
"Never seen such beauty ❤️🔥👏😍❤️"
@bushybones wrote:
"We just WIN, consistently 👏"
@shjay153 said:
"She is a beauty"
@kwanelejafta commented:
"She's beautiful 😍"
Other Briefly News stories about national pride
- A viral video captured a choir performing soulful, multi-part Xhosa harmonies while proudly wearing national Springbok rugby jerseys.
- South African car builder Taariq Moosa brought his famous custom BMW E30 Cabriolet, nicknamed "Celeb GP," to an international automotive exhibition.
- Following Bafana Bafana's triumphant performance on the international soccer stage, a viral TikTok clip captured a group of mature Zulu women celebrating in KwaZulu-Natal.
Source: Briefly News
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