Many celebrity spouses often don't get the recognition they deserve. But successful businesswomen and philanthropist Rachel Kolisi has gone on from being referred to as 'Siya Kolisi's wife' and mom to four kids to a role-model of her own right. Rachel is passionate about giving back and channels her energy into The Kolisi Foundation, a non-profit organisation she co-founded with her husband to support people in under-resourced communities all over South Africa.
1. SHE DREAMED OF BECOMING AN EVENTS PLANNER
Long before she was running a charity, Rachel aspired to one day become an events planner, but couldn't afford to pay for her university tuition. Unfortunately, she wasn't academically strong enough to get a bursary, so she ended up juggling multiple jobs to put herself through an events management course at the Stellenbosch Hotel School. After graduating, she worked as a marketing executive at a Cape Town-based firm and then had a stint as an events manager before giving it up to become a full-time mom following the birth of her first child, Nicholas.
2. SHE STARTED HER OWN FITNESS PROGRAMME
After seeing a lack of fitness spaces that catered to women of all shapes and sizes, Rachel co-founded Rise, a ‘community-based transformation guide for women’ with her friend Tammy Rawstron, a health coach and personal trainer. The five-week holistic fitness programme is designed to not only help women get fit, but also inspire them to be better versions of themselves. As someone who has struggled with her own body image, especially after gaining weight during her second pregnancy, she was determined to create a safe space for women from all walks of life.
3. SHE CO-FOUNDED HER OWN CHARITY
When she was a teen, Rachel volunteered at an orphanage, and this experience helped lay the foundation for future charity projects she would later head up. In March 2020, Rachel and Siya founded The Kolisi Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to give back to the community by supporting projects related to food security, gender-based violence, education and sports development. Rachel continues to use her fame as a platform for social change, often using Instagram to create awareness about systemic issues and share the personal stories of those who are less fortunate.
4. SHE'S A GOD-FEARING CHRISTIAN
Rachel regards her faith as a cornerstone in her life and attributes her faith in Christ as the reason she has been able to overcome many obstacles, such as her struggle with mental illness. She was diagnosed with post-partum depression (PPD) following the birth of her son Nicholas, who was born two months premature.
5. SHE'S AN INTROVERT
It's hard to believe, but Rachel is actually an introvert! Despite the bubbly, outgoing personality that she exudes on social media, she likes to be out of the limelight and prefers the company of her family. She enjoys documenting her life online, and often shares clips of Nicholas and her daughter Keziah, and Siya's half-siblings Liyema and Liphelo, whom she and Siya adopted after their mother passed away in 2009.
5 THINGS ABOUT RACHEL KOLISI THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
Reviewed by Amaarah
on
April 24, 2023
Rating:
Reviewed by Amaarah
on
April 24, 2023
Rating:
