PAW René
Roberts-Patel Born and brought up in the
Cape Flats, Rene made a name for herself in the modeling and fashion industry
from the young age of 13. The former South African Gladiator Lightning graced
South African TV screens in the late 90’s in one of the very first reality
shows on SA screens.

With over 100 beauty titles to
her name, many international modeling campaigns behind her, an actress who
played Paula Patton’s body double in the Mission Impossible 4 movie, still
believes that this was the highlight of her modeling career.
She is the brand ambassador to
Liz Ogumbo, has also just been announced the official brand ambassador for the
Perfect 10 SA Group, Liquid Smile SA, Needlelesstosay SA, and Blendbox SA.
Rene has a diploma in Local
Government Management, and is a certified Sports Psychologist, who owns her own
private gym, runs a chilli business, she makes kid seat buckets, and manages 17
social media platforms on a daily basis.
She is the ambassador for a
literacy initiative called Read to Rise, she contributes towards the Dignity
Dreams via the Mrs Africa foundation, and is one of the founding members of a
woman empowerment programme called Women of Valor.
Rene has partnered with the
biggest Mrs Pageant on the African Continent, called Mrs Africa (Pty) Ltd as
the Marketing Director. Her next level strategies and varse contacts on the
African continent has assisted in growing the brand immensely. She believes
that all women deserve a platform like the Mrs Africa pageant. “Our continent
has so many beautiful married women who are probably the most ignored gender
wise, and that they should be praised more often as they are the backbone of
our African Continent.”
She is the mother of Shanti
and Omala, and the wife to Alpesh Patel. They have been married for 15years,
and as a family they have lived in Dubai, Mauritius and South Africa.
Rene is a God fearing
individual, who always puts her family first above all.
WHAT
FUELS ME?
Recently I lost a dear friend,
she was in her early 40’s and as fit as a fiddle, she ate healthy never smoked
or drank any alcohol. So you can imagine the shock to everyone when we found
out that she just she just never woke up.
So the thing that fuel me most
is Life, and being able to wake up every morning to give praise that I have
been given another day to continue my journey to motivate and encourage other
women in their daily lives.
MY GREATEST INFLUENCE:
My husband Alpesh Patel.
He influences, motivates and
inspires me every second of the day, I have learnt so much from him about
business and about being an entrepreneur in a cut throat environment. He is the
founder and CEO of Africa’s first mobile phone devices brand called Mi-Fone.
There are daily struggles for any African entrepreneur, his brand is 9 years
old, and it’s not been the easiest journey but some how he has pulled through.
To learn from someone who is determined to make his business a success is all
the influence I need, and im the lucky one to have him by my side.
MY
TOP THREE ROLE MODELS:
 
I often get asked who my role models are, I have a
few but the people that always comes to mind is Steve jobs, and think he
started out in his garage, just the way I did with my kids bucket seats. I look
at Oprah, who came from humble beginnings, which reminds me of where I come
from. And then we have Barrack Obama, just someone, who became the most powerful
man in the free world, such an inspirational story. They all inspire me to do
better, to go for the things that I want in life, and to never give up. My mom
however still reigns queen!
IN
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS….
Generally, I’m not a planner,
I like to take things one day at a time, and to help one person at a time. However,
there are dreams, big dreams. I’ve put it out to the Universe that I will write
a book called “Mitchells Plain takes over Africa” and there after the world. My
dreams include seeing literacy difficulties being eradicated, women in Africa
not having to worry about not being able to afford sanitary wear, and to make
sure that I am the best mother and wife to my kids and husband.
THE
AFRICAN WOMAN’S CHALLENGE:
The challenge is that we
forget that we are the most powerful gender wise, African women are the backbone
of the African economy, we look after our families, we buy and choose all the
food required to keep our families fed, we clothe and make sure our homes are
clean, we educate and mentor, we do charity work but at the same time we are
the most ignored in the gender category. We should learn to celebrate
ourselves, and take back the joy, which lives in our hearts. Joy has a home,
and that home starts with reminding ourselves of our worth.
WHAT I DO TO RELAX:
I really enjoy reading motivational
books, but because of work commitments it sometimes is a task. So when I do
have 5 minutes spare I just meditate. Its calms the mind, which is so important
as it helps you refocus on the important things.
MY   –  
I.C.E. [INSPIRE|CELEBRATE|EMPOWER] VISION
Currently my ICE is on
steroids. I’ve been announced Mrs Africa Globe 2016, an amazing Global platform
which im using to create even more awareness about the Literacy program im the
Ambassador to, its also given me the platform to contribute towards Dignity
Dreams via the Mrs Africa foundation, and to help my dear friend
#SallyTheBreastCancerSurvivor. And as the Marketing director of the Mrs Africa
Pageant I have the opportunity to motivate, inspire and celebrate all our
beautiful African women who participate in the pageant.
MY AFRICAN UNION PLANS:
I’ve been approached by so
many women who have watched me over the years helping people and changing
lives, so I wish sometimes that I had a team of people who could go out and
continue on the work I have done, I also sometimes wish I have bank loads of
money to help the poor, and to give all women in the poorer communities in
Africa their Dignity back.
So the plans ahead would be
continuing on with this work, to keep on motivating, inspiring and encouraging
and eventually cause a ripple effect that will in turn change more lives across
the world.
FINAL
WORDS OF ADVICE:
My final words of advice would
be a quote by the one and only Maya Angelo.
“I come as one, but stand as
10 000” –Maya Angelo
We need to stand together,
stand strong, never give up and be that catalyst for change.