In her heartfelt and powerful memoir I Am Tshiamo, Tshiamo Modisane invites readers on a deeply personal journey of self-discovery, identity, and resilience. Growing up as Kgositsile, a name meaning “king,” Tshiamo always knew she was a girl, despite the gender assigned to her at birth.
Born into a conservative Christian family in the townships of KwaThema and Daveyton near Johannesburg, Modisane faced immense pressure to conform to societal and cultural expectations for a boy.
As the child of a pastor, she was expected to embody a narrow and traditional image of masculinity. Instead, she was met with scorn, misunderstanding, and even abuse, from relatives, friends, peers, and strangers alike. But even from a young age, Tshiamo showed remarkable courage, beginning to make bold choices at just five years old.
Her story is one of both doubt and fierce self-belief, culminating in her gender-affirming surgery in her thirties. With unshakable sass, faith, and a sparkle of confidence drawn from her family’s ties to the entertainment world, she transitioned from male to female while establishing a successful career as an actress, celebrity stylist, and Lux’s first gender-non-conforming brand ambassador.
More than a tale of transition, I Am Tshiamo is a meditation on faith, defiance, pain, and hope. Modisane writes with both vulnerability and strength, dissecting the scars of her past and honoring the truth of her present.
