About
Candice Swanepoel is a South‑African model whose sun‑bright smile and dramatic runway walk helped turn her into one of the best‑known Victoria’s Secret Angels of the 2010s. After joining the label in 2007 and earning her Angel wings in 2010, she became a fixture of the brand’s televised fashion shows and holiday campaigns. Her résumé, though, stretches well beyond lingerie: she has fronted global ads for Tom Ford, Givenchy, Max Factor and more, and today steers her own eco‑minded swimwear line, Tropic of C. Two decades into her career she is still cover‑ready—gracing V Magazine’s Summer 2025 issue and Elle Italia’s February 2025 fashion edition—proof that her blend of athletic poise and down‑to‑earth warmth continues to resonate.
Before Fame
Candice Susan Swanepoel was born on 20 October 1988 and spent her childhood on a dairy and beef farm near Mooi River in KwaZulu‑Natal, South Africa. Life was simple: early mornings, horseback rides and ballet lessons in the afternoons. When she was fifteen, a modeling scout spotted her while she browsed stalls at a Durban flea market—an unexpected encounter that opened a door to Paris catwalks within a year. She left boarding school, signed with local agencies, and soon found herself juggling magazine shoots in Europe while perfecting homework on red‑eye flights. Those quick pivots from farm chores to fashion studios shaped the calm, adaptable attitude fans notice in interviews today.
Trivia
- Money moves: In 2016 Forbes estimated her annual earnings at $7 million, ranking her eighth among the world’s top‑paid models—an achievement fueled by both runway fees and lucrative fragrance contracts.
- Polyglot life: She speaks Afrikaans and English from home, plus fluent Portuguese learned during years spent in Brazil with former partner Hermann Nicoli.
- Entrepreneurial streak: Candice launched Tropic of C in 2018 after noticing how much single‑use plastic washed up on beaches she loved. The label leans on recycled nylon, plant‑based dyes and small‑batch production, showing that fashion and sustainability can share the same wave.
- Giving back: Since 2019 she has served as a global ambassador for mothers2mothers, a charity working to end pediatric HIV across Africa. Sales of limited‑edition Tropic of C styles have funded mentor‑mother training within the program.
- Cover chameleon: Between 2024 and 2025 alone she has appeared on Elle Italia, V Magazine and multiple regional editions of Vogue, often styling her own beach‑ready hair to keep shoots relaxed and low waste.
Family Life
Candice grew up close to her parents, Willem and Eileen, and older brother Stephen; she often credits their farm for her work ethic and grounded outlook. In 2005 she began dating Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli after their paths crossed during a casting in Paris. The couple became engaged a decade later and welcomed two sons—Anacã in October 2016 and Ariel in June 2018—before amicably separating in 2018. Today Candice co‑parents from her home base in Miami, where she balances photo shoots, school runs and afternoons at the shoreline with her boys. She remains tight with her mother, who flies in from South Africa for long stretches in between cattle‑farm duties.
Associated With
Years on the Victoria’s Secret circuit placed Candice shoulder‑to‑shoulder with icons like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and fellow South African Behati Prinsloo. Off the runway she has teamed up with Naomi Campbell for Fashion For Relief galas, joined Gisele Bündchen in UN environmental campaigns, and walked haute‑couture shows under the direction of Riccardo Tisci and Donatella Versace. In 2024 she returned to a revamped Victoria’s Secret runway special, trading nostalgic wings for Tropic of C separates—a cameo that underlined her role as both alumna and in‑house designer. Through these collaborations she has cultivated friendships that span continents, illustrating how a farm girl from Mooi River can build a global career while cheering on her peers’ wins along the way.
