Work, Kids & Marriage... It's All One Big Juggling Act

She’s taken beauty into the boardroom ¬ busy working mom Cindy Nell-Roberts tells Essentials why her motto is, ‘Just get on with it!’

- Libby Allen

Cindy, 35, is best known for being crowned Miss South Africa in 2002, and placing as second runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant a year later. Yet what many don’t know is that she entered the beauty world as a somewhat awkward teenager, and through it discovered a new, more confident side to herself. At 17, Cindy went to Germany to model, and she ended up completing her schooling through a private college back home. An offer to host Pasella on SABC 2 led to her 15-year career in TV presenting, and, this year, she’ll be in her sixth TV show, called Wedding Bashers. Along the way, she met her husband, Clive Roberts, 45, and joined him in his business. The two run a successful beauty-product company, Cosmetix. They live in Camps Bay with their son Ethan, five, and daughter Aenea, four.

As a little girl, I’d command a stage whenever I could find one – even if it was the lounge carpet. If my parents had friends over, I’d march into the lounge and ask if I could sing. My folks have always been my biggest fans; they’d brag about my brother and me, and we developed a healthy sense of motivation from it.

Growing up, we moved around a lot. My dad was in the South African Air Force so we’d move wherever he was stationed – eight or so towns in my childhood. My stay in each school was always somewhat uncertain and I didn’t know what it was like to have long-term friends. But kids are incredibly resilient and I learnt from early on to adapt. I became good with accepting change, communicating, negotiating, and reading people from all walks of life.