Who is Candice Swanepoel? Meet her family, ex, and kids, and watch the South African supermodel’s sizzling comeback at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

Candice Swanepoel, the South African supermodel and former Victoria’s Secret Angel, has made waves once again as she appeared for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on October 15 in Brooklyn, New York. With her black lingerie and stockings, she elicited cheers from the audience.

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Born on October 20, 1988, in Mooi River, South Africa, Candice was discovered at the age of 15 by a model scout at a local flea market, a moment that marked the beginning of an extraordinary career. Over the years, she has become one of the most recognizable faces in fashion, best known for her long-standing association with Victoria’s Secret.

She walked in nine Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows from 2007 to 2015 before officially earning her wings as an Angel in 2010. Beyond Victoria’s Secret, Swanepoel has fronted campaigns and walked the runway for some of the world’s leading designers and luxury brands. A consistent fixture on Forbes’ list of the top 10 highest-paid models since 2010, ranking eighth in 2016, she has also graced the covers and pages of major international magazines, including Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Candice Swanepoel’s parents

Born to Willem and Eileen Swanepoel (née Green), Candice was raised in an Afrikaner family of Dutch descent in Mooi River, South Africa. Her father hails from Zimbabwe, while her mother is South African. She has one older brother, Stephen. A trained ballet dancer in her youth, Candice attended St. Anne’s Diocesan College, a boarding school in Hilton. Her modeling journey began at age 15, when a scout discovered her at a flea market in Durban.

Over the years, she has graced the pages of leading fashion magazines across the globe, including Vogue (American, Italian, British, Spanish, German, Russian, Australian, Brazilian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Mexican editions), Elle (Brazilian, British, German, and South African editions), and GQ (British, South African, Romanian, Mexican, and Chinese editions). Her editorial credits also include Harper’s Bazaar (American, Spanish, Czech, Argentine, Turkish, and Korean), as well as V, Allure, W, and i-D.

Candice has walked the runway for some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses, including Fendi, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, and Jean Paul Gaultier, among many others.

Who are Candice Swanepoel’s kids?

Anacan, 9

Born on October 5, 2016, Anacan’s name comes from an indigenous word from Brazil’s Amazon region, honoring his father’s roots. Candice once explained, “It was the first name we both liked.” He appeared alongside her in a 2017 Gap campaign supporting Every Mother Counts and is described by his mom as an “amazing big brother.”

Ariel, 6

Born on June 19, 2018, Ariel quickly earned the nickname “little lion boy” for his sunny personality. Swanepoel calls him “the happiest baby you’ll ever meet” and says he’s “so cool, so strong, so carefree, funny, and loving.” Both boys recently joined their mom for a Vogue winter 2025 photoshoot, which she captioned, “Mother & SUNs.”

Who is Candice Swanepoel’s ex, Hermann Nicoli?

Hermann Nicoli is a Brazilian model best known for his longtime relationship with South African supermodel Candice Swanepoel. Born on July 8, 1982, in Brazil, Nicoli met Candice in Paris when she was just 17, and the two began dating soon after. After nearly a decade together, the couple got engaged in August 2015. Despite their engagement, Candice once said she felt “already married,” explaining, “Ten years is kind of a marriage; I don’t really need papers to tell me that,” quotes The Sun.

The pair welcomed two sons, Anacã in October 2016 and Ariel in June 2018, before reportedly splitting later that same year. Their last public appearance together was in 2017 for Vogue Italia, and they later unfollowed each other on social media.