A series of stories about inspirational South African Women
#4 Eloise Cupido, TV personality, actress, voice artist, singer, and presenter

Men can’t braai. We said it, men can’t braai! Women are the energy behind any get together, the flavour behind a Sunday Roast, family breakfast, or quick dinner braai. Women are the backbone, the foundation, and the source of life for our children. We checked in with Eloise Cupido, a dreamer, passionate about the arts and drama.

Anyone meeting Eloise for the first time will tell you that she is a ball of energy. An energy that is so contagious that you feel like you can conquer any obstacle in your way. And that was the case for us too. Eloise is a vibrant personality! Authentic. Raw. No pretense whatsoever. She is a strong woman, from humble beginnings that has worked hard to be where she is today. She is a force of nature embracing her feminine energy. She is a wife and a mom with a driven sense of purpose for her career. All qualities that shone from her like rays of sunshine when we met up with her over a coffee.

Working in the entertainment industry has its challenges, as any job does. Long hours, hard creative criticism, and sometimes even a ruthless environment for newbies. For Eloise, it was a matter of creating the space she needed for herself. To be memorable. Unforgettable. It was about owning her presence wherever she was. Embracing her female energy and giving herself the recognition to be who she was wired to be. For her, it’s about the awareness of being female. Of being a nurturer. Of being gentle, kind-hearted, and just a big softy.

Women are confronted with being everything and anything all at once. The pressures of society are so overwhelming as what women can and can’t do. Are women supposed to braai? Or is it a man’s world? Can women also make fire and be proud of it, or is it the men’s job only? It’s an infinite dark hole to fall into to start comparing what men and women are or aren’t supposed to do. The simple solution? Just do it if you want to!

Eloise is passionate about inspiring young women of South Africa to find their worth. To let their light shine, but to also allow for others to let theirs shine. “It’s about women seeing their value, their worth, how fundamental they are in society. That they (we) don’t have to change themselves to fit in.” says Eloise. In braai terms, if someone else’s braai broodjie is better than yours – tell them! Compliment them and do it sincerely. Usually, the people that preach about well-being are people that have been tried in situations where they cultivated a strong mindset about their own worth. That they themselves have gone through trials and tribulations where their commitment to their identity was challenged. Where they also had doubts. Question marks about who they are.

Eloise has powered through these uncertainties that our society has caused her to question, to become an outspoken, authentic, and colourful human being. A true symbol of togetherness. She’s discarded the opinions of others of how she’s ‘supposed’ to be. She’s taken the opportunities hard work has given her and made the most of it (even the stuff that made her stomach turn!). She’s become a presenter whose energy can silence a room. A news reader that can make someone turn up the radio to listen intently. A radio drama voice artist that can convey an emotion of the character she’s playing, just by using her voice.

“I want to be the same, everywhere. The same energetic person you see on TV – that is the same person you’ll find around my dinner table at home. The Eloise on screen is really who I am.”  

To Eloise, we salute you for creating a platform for others to let their light shine. For empowering women and being the ray of sunshine, a kaleidoscope of colours that can truly change a life. 

 Eloise’s secret braai weapon!

To prove that men can’t braai, we asked Eloise for her secret braai weapon! That recipe that she knows her family will fight for when it’s on the dinner table. Her juicy, tender, and flavourful chicken drumsticks – or ‘boudjies’ as she calls them!

Pre-cook your chicken low and slow before you throw them on the braai, especially if you’re low on time. It will make sure you have juicy cooked chicken with a crispy, smokey skin!