Rolene Strauss, former Miss South Africa and Ms. World 2024, is the proud founder and owner of RS Sunglasses. (Photo: Provided)
One of the first things that Rolene Strauss, former Miss. South Africa, at the time with her new salary as a newly crowned Miss. World bought was a pair of striking designer sunglasses.
As a self-confessed “sunglass snob”, this former beauty queen also knows exactly what she wants in this accessory: something practical and beautiful, but especially something that carries meaning.
After all, this was also the inspiration that led to the launch of her local sunglass series, RS Sunglasses, two years ago.
Where they started in 2024 with one style of sunglasses and one member of staff – Rolene herself – today the brand boasts a wide range of designs and a close-knit team of seven employees.
“I want to remind women to see themselves through God’s lens, and not the world’s,” Rolene tells Maroela Media about the deeper aspects of RS Sunglasses.
Rolene says she is a self-confessed “sunglass snob”. (Photo: Provided)
“At the time, as part of my master’s degree in philosophy and life coaching, I came across a study that says that everyone’s reality is determined by the lenses through which they look at the world.
“So you have the power to determine your outlook on life, and that’s something we as a company also want to radiate.”
Empowering women to have self-confidence and to pursue their own dreams, according to Rolene, has been in her heart since her days as Miss. World hot beat. But as a wife, entrepreneur and mother of three children, she also has great understanding for women who struggle to achieve this goal in the midst of a demanding life.
“We as women don’t always give ourselves the time to read a book or complete an online course. What we often like is something beautiful that we can physically use to make ourselves feel better or more beautiful immediately.
“That’s exactly what we hope women feel when they wear one of the sunglasses. We pray every day about every pair of sunglasses that go out and ask that the woman who wears them will see herself through the Lord’s eyes.”
Business world not always rosy
Although RS Sunglasses is her first major enterprise, Rolene says that an entrepreneurial spirit has been burning in her for a long time.
She previously focused on books and online courses and set up a health center with her sister-in-law.
However, according to Rolene, her husband of ten years, the businessman and venture capitalist D’Niel Strauss,’s passion for entrepreneurship and the business industry also took hold with her early in their relationship.
Her business journey, like that of many other entrepreneurs, was not without challenges.
(Photo: Provided)
“The start of a new business is always busy, but we also opened RS Sunglasses a month before the birth of our third boy. I made my life a little difficult with that timing,” confesses Rolene.
“But delaying or giving up was never an option.”
Her decision to focus specifically on sunglasses initially raised a few eyebrows – especially because of her decision to have the first RS sunglasses designed according to her own taste and face shape.
“There were a lot of people who questioned my decisions. I made myself a pair of cat-eye style sunglasses, and many people’s reaction was that it was too extravagant or that they would never be able to wear such a design,” she says, referring to her first sunglasses, which are referred to on her website as “The original one”.
Rolene and her husband, D’Niel. Here she wears her first sunglasses, “The original one”. (Photo: Instagram/@rssunglasses_
“In the end, it was precisely the design that is the most versatile and that suits the most faces. Now these sunglasses are our top seller, and of course it’s also the one that I like to wear the most,” she adds with a laugh.
The quality and design of each pair of glasses is extremely carefully thought out. Rolene also constantly had a “busy South African woman who has to keep a lot of balls in the air” in the back of her mind.
“I hate it when sunglasses get stuck in my hair or lie on my cheek and wipe off my makeup. I also don’t like it when they press behind my ears and give me a headache, and every design takes all these factors into account. The protection our lenses offer for women’s eyes is also very important to us.”
Her product’s balance between “being practical and beautiful” is one of the aspects of which the former beauty queen is most proud. She even enlisted her husband to try to bend and damage a pair of RS sunglasses, which cost between R2 000 and R4 200, with his clipper to emphasize their quality.
(Photo: Instagram/@rssunglasses)
“My time and platform as Miss World definitely had an advantage for a business career, because people could get to know and trust my name. Even so, I was unsure if I wanted to make my name part of the brand,” she says.
“This meant that there was much more pressure to make a big success out of this. The platform and opportunity that Miss World offered me, I will never take for granted, because I realize that responsibilities come with it. This is also why I work so hard to deliver top quality products.”
Balance needs context
Living a balanced, healthy life with good habits and even hobbies is also important to this versatile businesswoman.
She gets her sweat sessions out of the way early in the morning before her busy day begins, and these days is also more and more at home on the golf course at the Val de Vie estate where she and her family live.
“My key word for the year is ‘balance’, because that’s something that was simply not possible in the past two years with the birth of our third boy and the business.”
She does emphasize that balance must be pursued “within context”.
Rolene Strauss, Miss. SA 2014. (Photo: Jhua-Nine Wyrley-Birch/Maroela Media)
“It’s so hard to have a perfectly balanced life, because some days your business gets 90% of your energy and your family 10%. Other days your family gets 95% and your business 5%. I encourage people to look at their whole year and the bigger picture, rather than each day individually,” says Rolene.
“Instead, ask yourself whether you have grown spiritually this year, are physically healthy, have good relationships with your loved ones and have built a successful business in addition.”
Regarding the future of her own company, Rolene says she is excited about RS Sunglasses’ “bright future” and that she will soon expand her business portfolio further.
She hopes that her brand can also make its stylish mark on the international market.
“I think today there are much bigger things that drive me than simply having my own business. The idea that we can really make a difference in women’s lives and that I now have a team that depends on salaries motivates me tremendously.”
The biggest lesson she learned as an entrepreneur is that you overestimate what you can do in a day, but often underestimate what you can do in a year.
That’s why her advice to other aspiring businesswomen is to always “dream big, but take small steps” on their journey to success.
“I am very driven and motivated and sometimes get frustrated because I want to get a lot of things done at once. If you prioritize well, give your best and have mercy on yourself, you can move mountains. Remember, it’s also okay to learn certain things first along the way.”
