Yolandi Van Dyk shares her entrepreneurial journey, her passion for beauty, and how she’s making an impact through YouGlowGirl and makeup workshops.

YOLANDI VAN DYK

Tell Us Your Story

Yolandi Van Dyk: My name is Yolandi van Dyk. I made a name for myself in 2011 when I posed for Playboy SA, which then launched my modeling career. Since then, I have worked with SA Swimsuit, FHM, had a small role in a South African movie, and many more exciting things I had the pleasure of doing! In 2014, I moved to Ceres, started studying again, and in 2016, I opened my own salon. I am a beauty therapist and make-up artist by trade and have moved out of the modeling and film industry.

I got married in 2016 and have two sons. For the last two years, I’ve also started hosting makeup workshops, where I teach women how to do their own makeup in an easy-to-do and easy-to-remember approach. This is one of my biggest passions! This helped me finally breathe life into a childhood dream of starting my own cosmetics line, YouGlowGirl, which launched last year.

What started as an easy-to-use brush line also expanded into lip glosses, setting sprays, cream highlighters, etc. Now I sell for myself when I host my makeup workshops. My mission for 2026 was to scale down the salon business and focus a lot more on YouGlowGirl and the makeup workshops.

I took a leap of faith by entering Mrs. South Africa this year. Though my journey started off strong, it sadly ended 17 days later. My reason for entering was to completely change who I am, to better myself, to be a part of something big, to boost my business, and to change the narrative about my old Playboy career. Even though I had to withdraw because of those images, I have sparked a conversation about women with a past and having the rules of Mrs. South Africa reassessed. Not only am I changing my narrative, but I am also paving the way for women like me. I am advocating for women who are held captive because of their history.

What are the most common challenges you’ve observed facing women entrepreneurs in your industry, and how can we work together to create solutions and resources to overcome them?

Yolandi Van Dyk: The beauty industry is very competitive, and I find that because the market is so saturated, the competition isn’t necessarily healthy. We are out here fighting for our clients, fighting for our little empires. It isn’t nice when salons work against each other. There is enough sun for everyone to shine!

The other issue is also how accessible our products have become to the public, which means everyone can buy blades, needles, and wax, and just start a beauty business. We, the qualified beauty therapists, have to compete with those who didn’t study. I have firsthand witnessed how salons pop up everywhere, make themselves so affordable (cheap is a better word), and then saturate our market even further.

What I would love to happen to help beauty therapists, nail techs, hairdressers, etc., is for our products, stock, and implements that we work with to not be so freely available to the public. Before you sell things that only a qualified person should work with, ask for the qualifications.

What does a typical day in your life as an entrepreneur look like, and how can we share these insights to build a sense of community and understanding among women entrepreneurs?

Yolandi Van Dyk: My days are never the same, but mostly, it starts early with school runs, and then I’m off to the gym for an hour. Then I get home and prep for my clients for the day. I take a break in the middle of my day for school runs and sit down with my kids for homework. Then I see clients again the rest of the day. 99% of the time, I’ll work on a Saturday too.

If there is content to be created, I’ll do this once a week. Sundays I rest. It’s a day for family. Mondays I plan the week ahead—everything from content to scheduling clients, school, sports, social events, etc. It’s basically a constant prep and plan for me! I am a huge planner because I want to be prepared.

I’m not even ashamed to say I can’t work under pressure. I hate it. So that has taught me to plan a week ahead and know what days I’m doing what, where I’m squeezing something in, how I’m going to do this task, and where I am scheduling time for myself. It helps me keep things balanced.

How do you maintain work-life balance, and what strategies or resources can we share to help other women entrepreneurs prioritize their well-being?

Yolandi Van Dyk: I have a diary. I don’t save anything on my phone’s diary. I’m old school, and I work with a book in which I can write things down. And I keep one diary for clients, meetings, school programs, social events, and any other responsibilities of mine.

Planning is key, and planning ahead one week at a time. It also helps to not watch TV because that can take up hours of my time. I am already someone who likes to use my time wisely! I spend a lot of time on my phone, and that must be something you are good at. You can’t leave people waiting for responses or not have an active social media presence. You have to be good at managing the admin aspect of your life/business and have great time management.

What personal and professional goals would you like to achieve in the next year, and how can we create opportunities for collaboration and mutual support among women entrepreneurs to achieve these goals?

Yolandi Van Dyk: My personal goal is to continue going to the gym and looking after my body. I have never been a fan of exercise, but I make a point of doing it every day in the morning so that I know it’s ticked off.

Professionally, I want to spend more time marketing YouGlowGirl and my makeup workshops. It is the most rewarding thing I do. Hosting makeup classes where I show women how to do their makeup and the importance of mastering the skill. I would love to collaborate with other brands and businesses to host more of these workshops through women’s events.

How do you think female entrepreneurs can inspire and empower each other, and what role can we play in fostering a strong and supportive community of women entrepreneurs?

Yolandi Van Dyk: The best way to empower one another is to support one another. I am a firm believer in “don’t compete, collaborate.” Women are so much stronger when they come together. Collaborate! Look for an opportunity to team up, align yourself, and make an impact.