From bullied girl to inspiring leader
28 August 2026
For Immediate Release
She was once the young girl who endured bullying because of her albinism. Today, Megan Stevens confidently takes to the stage, addressing audiences with the presence of a skilled public speaker and using her voice to create opportunities for others.
This Women’s Month, #MISAtv, the YouTube channel of #MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, profiles Stevens’ remarkable journey from a small-town girl who felt constrained by her circumstances to an albinism activist, devoted single mother, role model and emerging leader in South Africa’s male-dominated retail motor industry.
Stevens is the Chairperson of the #MISA Young Workers’ Forum, works as a Receptionist at Volvo South Africa and was named #MISA Woman of the Year in 2022.
Her journey has given her a particular passion for young people who believe their circumstances determine their future.
“I come from a small town and there are not a lot of opportunities. You are always confined by your situation and then that’s where you end off. But with #MISA I can bring this to the kids to let them know that there are learnerships and apprenticeships that kids don’t know about.
“And this is why I personally got involved because I want kids to know that life does not end where you think it will,” Stevens says.
It is a message she now delivers with confidence, something that would have seemed almost unimaginable to the girl who was once bullied.
Instead of allowing those experiences to silence her, Stevens found her voice. Today she uses it not only to advocate for young workers and women, but also to challenge the discrimination, misconceptions and harmful myths still associated with albinism.
She wants South Africans, particularly young people, to understand that albinism is a genetic condition and not a curse. Education and greater awareness, she believes, are essential to replacing prejudice with understanding, dignity and acceptance.
Her leadership through #MISA’s Young Workers’ Forum has also provided a platform to turn her passion into action.
The Forum has been involved in career expos, Child Protection Week initiatives and job-shadowing programmes aimed at exposing young South Africans to opportunities they might otherwise never have considered.
Stevens is particularly passionate about encouraging young women to pursue careers throughout the retail motor industry, including technical fields traditionally dominated by men. She encourages women to consider apprenticeships and technical training and believes they can succeed everywhere in the industry – from parts divisions to roadside breakdown services.
Behind her public role is also the daily reality of being a hardworking and devoted single mother, balancing motherhood, her career, activism and her responsibilities within #MISA.
Martlé Keyter, #MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says Stevens represents what Women’s Month should celebrate: women who overcome barriers and then use their experiences to create opportunities for others.
“The rising unemployment rate is not just a statistic; it represents families under pressure and communities losing hope. We must act with urgency and compassion to restore dignity through decent work,” Keyter says.
For Stevens, creating those opportunities starts by showing young people that where they begin does not have to determine where they finish.
Her transformation from a bullied young girl into a confident public speaker, albinism activist and leader demonstrates the power of opportunity and self-belief.
This Women’s Month, her story carries a powerful message to young women, young workers and people living with albinism: your circumstances do not define your potential, and your difference does not diminish your worth.
Megan Stevens found her voice. Now she is using it to help others find theirs. Click on the link to watch her interview with Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, Spokesperson of #MISA and host of #MISAtv: https://youtu.be/_Wfcmbpgzrg.
Issued by Sonja Carstens, Manager: #MISA Media & Communication Department, on behalf of the Union. For media enquiries, contact Hlubi-Majola on 083 367 6417 or email [email protected].
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