THE SECOND act

The idea of starting a new career later in life may seem daunting but it's not impossible. These four women have proven that it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

-  EULOGI RHEEDER

Did you know that Julia Child was 39 when she graduated from the famous Le Cordon Bleu chef school? She only started pursuing her love of cooking after working as a copywriter and research assistant during World War II. She published her first cookbook at 49, and was well into her 50s when she debuted her cooking show The French Chef.

Renowned designer Vera Wang worked as an editor at Vogue magazine for 17 years before she opened a bridal shop with her own line of wedding gowns at 40. And global bestselling author Bonnie Garmus, having spent the majority of her career working as a copywriter, was just a few days shy of her 65th birthday when her first novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was published in 2022.

Even Martha Stewart pursued her true passion later in life: She was a model and a stockbroker before she became the television personality and homemaker extraordinaire we know today - at 50.

Still on the fence about making that jump to start something new? Take inspiration from these ordinary South African women.

SANDILE SHANDU (64)

Came out of retirement to become a model

Your age shouldn't hold you back. You need to enjoy life to the full, and embrace learning and experiencing new things,' says retired teacher Sandile. She got into modelling in 2023 after her daughter encouraged her to give it a try. 'She showed me examples of other older women doing campaigns, and said I had what it took. She has always been my biggest champion."