At just 24 years old, Denetric Malope has traveled to 15 countries (and counting) and is strutting his way across global stages for powerful brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Prada. Being an international model has opened up his world to an abundance of possibilities and opportunities that he otherwise would not have been privy to.
His modelling career has expanded his horizons and turned him into a true global citizen.
True to how you would imagine his personality based on his pictures, Denetric is a very soft-spoken individual with an extremely laid-back personality. As soon as I mentioned this description, he jokingly retorted that he’s always thought that he was quite loud but has had enough people disagree with him to accept that he is a pretty chilled guy. But his sense of humor, on the other hand, is on fire.
Over a 7-hour time difference call, Malope opened up about how being a model was never part of the plan, but 5 years later he finds himself fulfilled in this career that has exposed him to the vastness of the world. A world that is actually open to receiving us all, in all our differences.
“I was a fashion student (at TUT) and would work on fashion shows from time to time. I found myself sharing my input a lot on how I thought the models should work the runway. It was like a vision that I saw, and I decided one time to be the model. Fast-forward a few struts down the ramp, and I realised that I actually enjoyed this side of the coin, and I never looked back,” he said all the way in Korea, where he enjoys some off-season downtime.
Growing up feeling different, he recalls his love for fashion dating back to when he lived with his seamstress grandmother in Limpopo’s Elandskraal. Denetric would play around with his fabrics, and that would be accompanied by sketches of looks that would flood his mind. The love for fashion kept bubbling under.
With the desire to pursue his dream, he unfortunately did not have the funds to study fashion at a certain prestigious fashion school in Cape Town, and that meant settling for IT.
“I would visit TUT from time to time, where I would spend so much time with the students there. I became a regular, so much so that I felt like I belonged. It didn’t take long for me to drop out of the IT course because I really felt forced to be there and pursue what felt more natural to me.”
Years later, he found his true love in modeling.
And more than just being a world citizen, modeling has helped him overcome self-doubt and be more accepting of himself as someone who has experienced a sense of distinctiveness. This difference saw him being bullied a lot while growing up.
He, however, shares that he comes from a home that allowed him to be himself, to express himself however he felt necessary, and was mostly a happy child: “But the world was clearly against the happy child because I was always met with so much bullying.
“You get bullied for being different, for thinking differently, and for looking differently, unfortunately.
“But the more I modeled, the more I felt empowered, I felt seen, and I felt content. That helped me accept myself for who I am regardless of what the world, in this case my immediate surroundings, might say,” he added.
“It didn’t take long for me to realize that I belonged on the international ramps. While watching those revered big shows, I would see myself making it that far, so already my mind was made up that I wanted more for myself. But also, when I was in South Africa, it was how I was treated because of my weight that was really discouraging. I was really skinny, and the South African landscape seemed to only cater to buff guys.
“I knew immediately that it wouldn’t work for me in South Africa, and I think I manifested my jump into the international market. Longing for it hard enough led me to meet Shadrack (his agent), and the rest is history.”
Currently in Korea, he says he is “doing a lot of jobs” but is only there for a few months. Dubbing it one of his most favorite countries in the world, Korea is where he takes a breather, and his love for the place is how it somewhat resembles Limpopo—a very peaceful, very cultured country with very humble people.
But the international market hasn’t been an easy journey, he admits.
“Traveling around the world in my 20s has changed my perspective on life. I am more optimistic; I am more accepting of different people, and when you live among so many varying people, you forget the term foreigner and start seeing everyone as human.
“And although our journey might look beautiful on the outside, it isn’t easy. You have to constantly put in the effort to find ways to make yourself relevant. You need to demand the room to say, ‘I am here’, constantly fighting to get what you want,” he said.
He describes his personal style as hippie-chic-elegant and sexy, and he says he is inspired by the likes of actress Zendaya and actor/comedian Rickey Thompson. And as someone who is mostly based in Paris, he shares that every day is a chance to put your best foot forward, which adds color to everyday life.
But beyond looking cute and ticking off goal after goal, his biggest dream is to take others with him as he rises—through his scouting agency, Scouted by Denetric Malope. He also hosted his first master class last year in November.
“I look forward to showing the world how diverse we are back home in South Africa—finding those hidden gems and opening channels to take our talent to the world. I want to do what Shadrack did for me: bring the beauty of South Africa to the world.
The year has already started off on a great note for the model, as he was working at Europe’s Fashion Week for men’s winter wear.
“I am planning to expand into more territories, going into different markets like Asia and America, but I will be going back to Paris to work there again. I want to take this year calmly but also make very impactful moves, which means doing the important jobs.
“My story is that I did not limit myself to just South Africa; I dreamt big and went for it, and I want to take as many people with me as possible. The more, the merrier,” he said.