Interview with Lisa Du Preez

Few journeys are shaped by such quiet determination as that of Lisa Du Preez. Behind the glamour photographs, elegant dresses, and successful modeling career is the story of a young girl growing up in South Africa at a time when the word transgender was rarely spoken, let alone understood. With no role models to follow and little information to guide her, Lisa simply held on to the one truth she had always known: she was a girl. In this heartfelt conversation, Lisa takes us from her childhood in Witbank and Springs, through the painful years of bullying at a boys-only school, to the courageous decision she made at just twenty-four to undergo gender-affirming surgery in 1999, a moment she beautifully describes as her “re-birth.” Her story is not only about transition, but also about resilience, family reconciliation, love, and the confidence that comes from living authentically.

 

Lisa also opens up about an unexpected modeling career that began with a chance meeting with a photographer in London and grew into glamorous magazine shoots, television appearances, and campaigns for internationally known brands. Yet despite her striking beauty and professional success, what shines most brightly throughout our interview is her warmth, honesty, and wonderfully grounded perspective on womanhood. This is a conversation about becoming who you have always been, finding happiness on your own terms, and never allowing the expectations of others to define your life. It is my great pleasure to introduce a remarkable woman whose journey deserves to be remembered and celebrated. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Lisa Du Preez.

 

Monika: Welcome, Lisa!

Lisa: Hello Monika, lovely to meet you.

Monika: Let's rewind to the very beginning. How did modeling first find you?

Lisa: I met a photographer in London and he asked if I would do a photo shoot with him. As I already knew him, I thought I would give it a try. He was so impressed with my pictures that he passed them on to a well-known photographer, who then did a shoot with me, and that's how it all started.

 

Shoot for ITV 2 show (2011).

Monika: You're not a catwalk model, so let's talk about style off the runway, what do you love to wear, and are there any colors, trends, or eras you're drawn to?

Lisa: By the time I started modeling, I already had my breasts done to a DD cup, and that's not ideal for catwalk modeling, so I stick to photographic modeling. I wear a number of things depending on what I'm paid to wear, but I do love the fifties look that's fashionable again, rolled-up hair, red lipstick, and all the underwear that goes with it.
I became known as a glamour model, and this is where I've stayed. Once you're a glamour model, it's hard to move into fashion modeling, again, my bust is the issue, though I don't mind at all.

Monika: Modeling looks effortless from the outside, but rarely is. How demanding is it in reality, and what's your secret to staying so slim?

Lisa: I watch what I eat, low carbohydrates, and stay active. I don't believe in any diet or miracle pill; the easiest thing to do is track what you eat and get some exercise.

First professional shoot (2009).

Monika: The modeling world has a reputation for rivalry. Once other models find out you're transgender, does that reputation hold true, or is it different than people assume?
Lisa: Models don't mind, I don't think there's as much bitchiness among models as there is in beauty pageants. Other models normally give me great credit for the way I look. It's a big industry, and there's work for everybody, though it doesn't matter much to me either way, since modeling is only a part-time thing for me.

Monika: Let's go back further, whereabouts did you grow up?

Lisa: I grew up in a town called Witbank in South Africa for most of my childhood. We then moved to a town called Springs, on the East Rand of Johannesburg, where I went to high school and college.

Monika: Take me into that childhood a little, when did you first sense that being a boy simply wasn't right for you?

Lisa: Like most transgender girls, I always knew that I was different, and I was bullied from a really young age because I was so feminine. I never really understood what was happening, because there was no information about being transgender at the time.
I have only one sister, and we always played games together where I could be a girl. I always told her that I was a girl, I just wasn't sure what to do about it. As the only son in the family, my dad wanted me to play rugby and do "men's things," but that never worked out. My parents split when I was young, and my stepfather was really supportive of my lifestyle and my change.

Lisa at the age of 7.

Monika: For so many transgender girls, school is where the real hardship begins. Was that true for you too?

Lisa: Yes, I was severely bullied. I was at a boys-only school, since that was how it worked back then in the town I was in, and the abuse I had to endure, name-calling and physical abuse, was unthinkable.
I didn't do too well in school because of this, and I later left to complete my education in college. It was a bit easier there than being surrounded by testosterone-fueled boys who abused any kid who was different.

Monika: And then came the transition itself, at what age did it happen, how difficult was the process, and did you have your family and friends behind you?

Lisa: I had the operation in Pretoria, South Africa, on 21 July 1999. I was 24. It was performed by a consultant from England, Mr. Dalrymple, he's now retired, but I still see him socially from time to time.
The operation wasn't a nice thing to go through, but it was my re-birth, and I was so glad when it was over. The healing process went well, and I had no complications.
I had a lot of support from friends and family, most of them, anyway. I knew I had to be a little selfish and do what was right for me at the time, without worrying too much about what others thought. I did the right thing, because the people who didn't agree with my decision back then understand now why I did it, and they support me.

First professional shoot (2009).

Monika: Passing is something many trans women worry about endlessly. Was it ever a struggle for you?

Lisa: I've been lucky, I've always been mistaken for a girl, even when I was young. My voice never changed, and although I'm 6ft tall, I have a tiny frame and a feminine face.

Monika: Cosmetic surgery has come a long way, to the point where transitioning later in life, even in one's fifties or sixties, is now within reach. Do you think that's genuinely possible, and what advice would you give to trans women considering it at that stage of life?

Lisa: Yes, a lot has changed since I had my surgery. Because of social and family pressure, it wasn't easy to transition years ago, and some trans people lived a life they felt forced into. Now that attitudes have shifted and it's more acceptable for people to make the change, more of them do.
I'd advise people transitioning at this age to plan carefully and set clear goals. Facial feminization surgery and hair removal are more important than the GRS operation and should take priority, I know people in their fifties who did it this way, and it was a great success.

Monika: Looking back at that time, did you have any transgender role models to guide you, and how much did you actually know about being transgender?

Lisa: I had no role models, as the subject was still taboo in South Africa, I didn't know a single transgender woman at the time of my operation. I didn't know much about being transgender or what it really meant; all I knew was that I was a girl, and that this was something I had to do.
In a way, I'm glad I was alone at the time, because I did it my way and dealt with things on my own terms. Sometimes too much advice sets an expectation of how things should go, and if it doesn't happen that way, you start feeling different from other trans women, as if your transition somehow wasn't as successful.

Post-op 1 year (2002).

Monika: If we can call it that, what was hardest about your coming out?

Lisa: I never really had a coming out when I was young, I was always a girl, and there was no mistaking it, even if I tried to hide it. Everybody who knew me knew I was more girl than boy.
Telling my family that I was going to have the surgery wasn't easy, but I knew I had to be selfish for once in my life and think only of myself. I did, and today everybody in my family loves and respects me for who I am. 
Monika: And once it was finally done, what did it feel like to be a woman at last?

Lisa: Having the surgery to complete who I am was wonderful. I soon discovered that the only real change was underneath my clothing, and that mentally, I had already been a woman all along. I really enjoyed my transition, it was like going through puberty all over again.

Lisa with her husband John (2012).

Monika: To close this part of our conversation, what is it that you enjoy most about being a woman?

Lisa: I live a full life as a woman. Most people in my life don't know I'm transgender, and I don't go around telling everybody, I don't mind if people know, but I don't need to share my personal business any more than they need to share theirs. It's difficult to put a value on being a woman, because I have always been one.

END OF PART 1

PART 2

 

All the photos: courtesy of Lisa Du Preez.

© 2013 - Monika Kowalska

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