Thando Hopa

South African Thando Hopa is a trailblazing model, lawyer, and activist celebrated for reshaping perceptions of beauty and representation. An advocate of diversity who has made her mark globally, Hopa has a diverse portfolio, which includes her background as a sexual offense prosecutor, international model, and activist. She is currently an MBA candidate at Henley Business School.

Raised in Lenasia South in a family that included a sibling with albinism and a mother who was an early filmmaker on children’s television, Hopa experienced a supportive yet challenging childhood, facing discrimination for her albinism while discovering early passions in the arts and performance. She earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and became the youngest prosecutor in her Johannesburg intake at the National Prosecuting Authority. Her modeling career began when she was spotted by South African designer Gert‑Johan Coetzee at a mall in 2012. Since then, Hopa has used fashion as a platform for advocacy—walking the runway at South African Fashion Week, appearing on the cover of Vogue Portugal in 2019 -- the first woman with albinism to do so -- and being the first person of color in South Africa to feature in the Pirelli calendar.

In addition to modeling, Hopa is a published writer, storyteller, and actor—portraying Artemis in the British-American miniseries "Troy: Fall of a City." and serving as a board member and judge for Miss South Africa, helping select Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi in 2019.

Throughout, Hopa has promoted inclusion, diversity and representation in the media and was listed in BBC's Top 100 Inspirational and Influential Women across the globe. Her various contributions in the cultural sphere have resulted in her current appointment for The Narratives Lab at the World Economic Forum as part of the Cultural Leader Network.