Reality TV star and socialite Eva Modika has admitted that the entertainment industry is not for the faint-hearted. 

The co-producer and cast member of Showmax’s Diamond and Dolls has hogged headlines and topped trending topics on social media from her R65k Brazilian butt lift to sparking dating rumours with Master KG. She has maintained that she and the Jerusalema hitmaker are just friends. 

The club DJ started making strides in the public eye in 2013 as a news anchor for a local radio station, Sedibeng FM. 

She grew her footing when she moved to Johannesburg, which led to her amassing bookings as a host for popular clubs and prominent events on the SA calendar. 

By 2016 she had become somewhat of an influencer with a huge social media following. Modika who turned 30 on Tuesday has reflected on the ups and lows of her career.

“The industry is definitely not for the weak. Every now and then people say mean stuff about you and everything you are trying to do will always be questioned, especially if you are a woman,” she said.

“Many industry legends questioned my decision to start a journey as a DJ and because it’s a male-dominated industry, I knew I had to prove myself and be as professional as I could be. 

“That pressure helped me to take my craft seriously and I did so by getting special DJ lessons from seasoned club DJs… this was to help me to hone my skills even more.”

Modika said being dragged on social media has not been easy.

“I regret not starting whatever I am doing now when I was younger, I think I could’ve been far. Fame is a drug and I tend not to pay attention to all this hype or even take it too seriously. My main focus is on the prize. I am fully aware that most of the hype is fake, which I am aware can determine my longevity in the game,” she said.

“Criticism does get to me but in a way, it has helped shape my career; the more criticism I get, the more I improve in everything I do. Constructive criticism helps me grow and shed lighton people’s perceptions of me. It also gives me an opportunity to improve in many ways.”

Modika founded the cosmetics brand Pretty Much Beauty SA in 2022. Her five-year plan includes new music and collaborations with SA’s top charting artists. She also intends to cement herself as more than just an influencer.

“You don’t get what you wish for but what you work very hard for. I want to leave this Earth knowing that my loved ones are secured financially and I hope my legacy will have the ability to influence people in the near future,” she said.