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Candice Manuel (model)

Candice Manuel (born October 30, 1987) is a South African plus-size model and business woman.

Early Life

Manuel (nee Van Eden) grew up in Portlands, Mitchells Plain, entering local pageants until she turned 18, which allowed her to assist her unemployed parents financially. She has three older siblings. She attended Westpoort Primary from 1992 to 2000 and attended Mondale High School from 2001 to 2005. She was identified in 2019 by Ice Genetics agency. Manuel now resides with Husband Shaun in Panorama, Western Cape.

Career

A Pioneer in her own right as a South African Plus Size Model.

As a teen, Manuel entered local pageants until she turned 16, following her to be signed by a local modelling agency. This allowed her to assist her unemployed parents financially. In the years that followed, the weight crept on and she was no longer marketable as a "regular" model. In 2016, Manuel signed with Cover Models as a Plus Size Model and has since moved to be signed at Ice Models - till present.

Between the years of 2006 and 2018, Manuel worked in corporate where she completed her studies in Financial Management, Event Planning and Human Resource Management.

Candice Manuel – aka Candashian then founded Embrace Your Curves and is a now a full time Curve Model, a noted Body Positivity Activist, starting her Women Empowerment platform in 2016. She is also a Philanthropist and hosts quarterly non profitable events in aid to better the communities in and around Cape Town. Candice is also known for being a Radio Presenter on Yoh Radio and is a noted all round Media Personality.

Some of her highlights includes:

Walking in African Fashion International (AFI)

Doing various radio, newspaper and magazine interviews

Appearing multiple times on the Expresso show, Spice TV, CTV and Kyknet

And being one of the 1st Cape Townian Plus Size models to feature in Women’s Health SA.

Candice has also won the face of Miladys in 2018, has had clothing lines with various designers and recently launched plus size active wear.

Body Positivity

Manuel was signed as a teen to a local agency and her contract got terminated due to her weight gain. Her confidence plunged, which took her years to regain. And now she has made it her mission to help women to cultivate a positive selfimage and love the body they’re in. Manuel says “The most rewarding part of what I do is seeing how much it inspires other women. We’re all grappling with one or other gripe we have about our bodies, or features we see as flaws. But according to whose standards are these flaws? We need to redefine standards of beauty because our differences make us unique and beautiful. “And brands need to get on board to remain relevant. We don’t live in a cookie cutter society anymore. There is a space for women of all shapes, sizes and races. Whether you’re petite, tall, short, slender or voluptuous, why shouldn’t you be able to feel unapologetically confident in your own body…as long as you’re healthy, and not subjecting your body to any dangerous extremes."

Manuel is the founder of Body Positive movement - Embrace Your Curves Embrace Your Curves started as a movement for women of all shapes and sizes to openly and unapologetically Embrace who they are. It has fast become the hashtag on everyone’s lips and has grown into a small business owned by herself. Apart from her community work and quarterly no profitable events, she hosts an online store with an apparel raging from T-shirts, Mugs, Bodysuits and recently adding an All inclusive active wear and Bike Shorts. Her items are all branded with catchy phrases for women to openly share their love for Self-Love and Self-Acceptance in a world where doing just so can be hard at times. Along with this Mauel goes around doing talks at schools, corporate events as well as many women events, sharing her journey to self-acceptance and encouraging women to never give up on a dream.

Personal Life

Candice Manuel formally known as Candice Van Eden does her community work. She has mentored Media and PR students from UWC who has worked hand in hand with her on a few press releases and media kits. Also, every 3rd month she joins forces with a non-profitable organisations in need of assistance and hosts events in their aid. To name a few she has assisted in Sanitary towel drives, collection of nonperishable food items, collected water during the drought, toy drives for orphanages in Mitchell’s plain, blanket drives and has issued a cheque of R10 000 to Little Brinks Orphanage. Shes also run food pack drives during the covid out break and has contributed to Old Age homes in need of personal protective equipment (Covid 19 PPE). Apart from this she has sponsored 5 unemployed ladies with bursaries to further their studies through False Bay TVET College and has sponsored an A-student girl for her matric ball dream (2019) with prizes totaling over R50 000, who's mother was unable to support her due to having a stroke in the past year.

She met her husband, Shaun Manuel in 2009; they married in 2005.

Filmography

Music Videos:

Devdondidit - Kopple Feelings

Afrikaans Ruk - Jellytot Baba

Youngsta - Coloured Girls

Claire Phillips ft Youngsta - Champion