Actress Simz Ngema has shared her thoughts on the other side of “pretty privilege” in the entertainment industry — the unflattering assumption that a pretty face equals no brains or talent.

The actress, who shared her thoughts in an interview for the upcoming Tropika: Island of Treasure show, said in her career, the biggest challenge she'd faced was the need to constantly prove her capabilities.

“The biggest challenge I have faced throughout my career is fitting in. The minute that you are pretty, people think you are shallow and you always have to prove yourself. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is riddled with shallow people, so it doesn’t make the task any easier. For me, I have had to prove myself time and time again to show the country that I have the brains to accompany the beauty,” she said.

Simz previously shared similar sentiments on social media, after she posted pictures of her new house and car, assets she'd worked hard to acquire. She was praised for making good financial decisions.

The actress also spoke about the importance of remaining authentic in an industry that could convince people to change who they were to fit society's expectations. 

“I’ve remained authentic. I’ve always been myself. There is so much fakeness in this industry and in society in general. We live in a social media world where people want to show you what they own and present a fabulous life, but no-one wants to show you their challenges or their souls, or even to be vulnerable. People always relay a message that everything is great, while I am not afraid to admit that my life isn’t perfect. I have gone through some really difficult situations over the past few years and being authentic has helped me to be strong and, eventually, accept fate and move on,” she said.

Simz will be fighting it out on Tropika: Island of Treasure for a chance to win some cold, hard cash and cool prizes.