To some, she is a digital creator. To others, she is a fashion and lifestyle personality, entrepreneur and creative force. But if you ask her, none of these labels fully capture who she is.
The Eswatini-based creative describes herself as a multidimensional being, someone constantly evolving, learning and embracing every version of herself.
Before she became known for her online presence and carefully curated lifestyle content, Ntuli was building a career in Civil Engineering. On paper, she had done everything right. Yet deep down, something felt missing.
Choosing to walk away from the corporate path was not an easy decision, but it became the beginning of a journey centred around freedom, alignment and self-discovery.
Today, she continues to build a brand rooted in authenticity, spirituality and community, proving that success does not always look the way we imagined it would.
We should spend our time doing things that set our souls on fire, even if it means building and rebuilding ourselves many times over. – Yaya Ntuli
Page 6 caught up with Yaya Ntuli to discuss leaving engineering behind, navigating reinvention and why she refuses to limit herself to one identity.
Q: What was the moment you knew civil engineering wasn't your true path?
Yaya Ntuli: It started feeling like I was trading all my precious hours for something that didn't truly resonate with me on a soul level. I felt like I was meant to be doing something else other than waking up, going to work, coming back tired and repeating the same thing every day.
I also felt like the amount of work I was doing wasn't matching the reward. No offence to corporate spaces, of course, but I constantly felt like I was being held back from my greatness and missing out on something bigger. A lot of things made me question everything.
Q: Were there specific skills or ways of thinking from engineering that help you now in marketing, events and fashion?
Yaya Ntuli: Absolutely. Engineering taught me that every structure starts from scratch and that everything in existence can be broken down into the smallest details.
I learnt the importance of balance and grounding, not only in structures but also in life. I also realised that there are systems to everything and once you understand them, you can navigate them much better.
And lastly, I learnt that everything is calculated. At some point, I genuinely started thinking in numbers.
Q: What did the transition period look like? Did you leave engineering immediately or was it gradual?
Yaya Ntuli: It was gradual because while I was still working, I kept asking myself deeper questions about life and purpose.
I remember reading Robin Sharma's The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO, and that book changed everything for me.
It was about leadership, personal growth and life management. It encouraged me to make the bold decision to step into the unknown and discover what I felt I was missing.
To other people it sounded crazy, but to me it made perfect sense. I needed to find the leader within me and discover who I was beyond who I had always been told to be.
Q: What did people around you say when you made the switch and how did you handle it?
Yaya Ntuli: Many people felt like I was throwing my life away and making the worst decision possible.
There were moments when I questioned myself because it felt like maybe they were right. But deep down, my soul knew there was so much more waiting for me, even though I didn't know exactly what it looked like.
I craved freedom. I craved expansion and alignment.
This was a risk I was willing to take despite the limitations people place on themselves and others. I chose the road less travelled because it felt more appealing to me than any job ever could.
Q: You often reject labels like 'influencer' or 'model'. What gets lost when people try to box you into those terms?
Yaya Ntuli: I believe I am on this planet to experience life in its rawest form and expand beyond what confines human consciousness.
Labels can be limiting because they confine you to one thing when you can be many things at once. I believe I am simply an expression of art that was created to create and heal in different ways.
I just happen to possess skills that place me in the public eye, so influencing and modelling happen by default. But in my pursuit of greatness, I know I am much more than those labels.
Q: You describe yourself as a multidimensional being. What does that mean in practice?
Yaya Ntuli: To me, it means experiencing life both physically and spiritually at the same time.
It means embracing my ability to feel deeply and understand things on different levels and frequencies. On a daily basis, it means being able to navigate different aspects of life while remaining connected to myself and the collective.
Q: How do you keep evolving without losing a consistent sense of who you are?
Yaya Ntuli: When I left my job, I set the intention to find out exactly who I am.
I believe I have been on that journey ever since. For me, consistency is not about staying the same. It is about continuously finding my way back to who I already am.
It is exciting because every day I discover another piece of myself. The puzzle keeps getting more interesting.
Q: What drew you to gemstones and mystical products? Was there a personal experience behind it?
Yaya Ntuli: There were many events that led me there, but one moment stands out.
I came across a crystal shop in Johannesburg and something inside me told me to go in. I remember looking inside and immediately feeling like I had finally arrived somewhere, even though that wasn't where I was originally going.
I spent hours there. It felt familiar to my soul. Because I feel things deeply, I could sense the energy and frequencies of the stones.
They helped me channel my emotions and energy into something tangible. That was the beginning of the journey.
Q: How do you decide which brand collaborations align with your values?
Yaya Ntuli: I turn down brands that don't have a clear vision or expect me to compromise my time and values.
I prefer working with brands that recognise my value, genuinely contribute to communities, align with ethical standards and reflect a clear identity and vision.
Q: Walk us through how a typical brand partnership comes together for you.
Yaya Ntuli: Usually, a brand approaches me and we first establish whether our values and objectives align.
From there, we discuss campaign goals, deliverables and expectations.
We define usage rights, exclusivity periods and pricing before moving everything into a formal agreement.
Once the brief is provided, I usually script and create the content while adding a little Yaya effect to make sure it still feels authentic to me.
Q: How different is the private Yaya from the public one?
Yaya Ntuli: Honestly, not that different. What I share online is often a reflection of my inner world. I can be playful, and my inner child and I will always be best friends.
But I can also be serious and professional when needed. I still stand up for older people. I believe in prayer, boundaries and solitude. I am simply a girl learning and unlearning while understanding that life is short.
We should spend our time doing things that set our souls on fire, even if it means building and rebuilding ourselves many times over.
It is still your story. Still your existence. Honour it with everything that you are.
Q: What role do travel and nature play in your creative process?
Yaya Ntuli: Nature feels like home to me. It grounds me and brings me back to myself.
At one point, I even considered relocating to the forest because of the peace I feel there.
Travel is equally important because I have an expansive mind.
Experiencing new places inspires me, challenges me and reminds me how much more there is to see and learn.I genuinely cannot wait for the day I get to travel the world.
Keep in touch with YaYa Ntuli here: https://www.instagram.com/yaya_lantuli?igsh=aDc3anV5b2U4bzRx
