Keynote Topics
Vanessa Goosen hosts Workshops using the experiences and obstacles she encountered in prison, bringing to the fore principles and mechanisms used to overcome it in relation to topics such as:
Vanessa Goosen’s life is a testament to survival, faith, and purpose. A former Miss South Africa semi-finalist and entrepreneur, her path took an unimaginable turn when she was wrongfully imprisoned in Thailand. Sentenced to death for drug trafficking, she endured over sixteen years behind bars, giving birth to her daughter while incarcerated and making profound personal sacrifices. Vanessa’s memoir, Drug Muled: Sixteen Years in a Thai Prison. This became a national bestseller and a beacon of hope.
Upon her release in 2010, Vanessa channeled her hardship into healing. She founded Vanessa Goosen Strategic Empowerment, through which she leads life-skill workshops, motivational keynotes, youth counselling programs, and the Women Building Women initiative. Vanessa also shares her story through ministry, media appearances, and speaking engagements across schools, corporations, places of worship, and empowerment forums. Audiences are deeply moved by her profound resilience and leave with renewed purpose, elevated confidence, and tangible strategies for overcoming personal and organizational limitation.
Her messages blend raw vulnerability, spiritual insight, and unwavering determination, making her a powerful presence at every event she graces.
Vanessa Goosen’s life story is one of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and triumphant transformation. Innocently arrested while pregnant and sentenced to death in a Thai prison in Bangkok, she faced some of life’s harshest trials behind bars. Enduring immense suffering and uncertainty, Vanessa came close to giving up on life altogether. Yet, in the midst of darkness, she found strength in faith and an unshakable will to survive. Choosing not to allow tragedy to define her, she began the journey of rebuilding herself from within, transforming her pain into purpose.
Today, Vanessa is celebrated as an inspirational speaker, minister, counselor, and author who travels the globe sharing her story of hope, forgiveness, and restoration. Her message is clear and deeply resonant: no matter what your past or present looks like, courage, healing, and transformation are possible.
Vanessa Goosen’s testimony has inspired audiences worldwide, offering a living example of resilience in the face of devastating circumstances. Her wrongful imprisonment during pregnancy forced her to navigate some of life’s darkest valleys. Instead of being consumed by anger, despair, or bitterness, she chose forgiveness as the key to her progress. By rebuilding her inner life, she found the strength not only to endure but to rise above her circumstances and inspire countless others to embrace renewal.
As an enterprising motivational speaker, Vanessa addresses both corporate and private sectors, bringing powerful insights into resilience, leadership, and personal growth. She engages with institutions, ministries, schools, and prisons, tailoring her talks to reach diverse audiences including students, teachers, youth, inmates, and women. As a Christian counselor and minister of the Gospel, her approach is both compassionate and transformative, rooted in practical wisdom and deep faith.
Through her community initiatives and empowerment projects, Vanessa actively invests in women and marginalized groups. Her flagship platform, Women Building Women, equips women to heal from within, build confidence, and in turn empower others. Her work extends to keynote speaking at conferences, camps, and seminars, where she brings messages of healing, restoration, and personal empowerment.
As an evangelist and counselor, she continues to inspire people to move beyond brokenness, reminding them that healing must start within. She teaches that true transformation comes when we let go of self-pity, release the blame game, and embrace the courage to live with vision and purpose.
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In April 1994, while South Africa celebrated the birth of democracy, Port Elizabeth–born model Vanessa Goosen entered the darkest chapter of her life. Once a semi-finalist for Miss South Africa and a successful entrepreneur with her partner Felix, Vanessa’s promising future took a tragic turn when a trip abroad to expand their clothing business ended in a nightmare.
Expecting her first child, Vanessa agreed to carry engineering books for a friend of Felix. At Bangkok airport, security uncovered heroin hidden within the spines of the books. Unaware of the drugs and with limited understanding of the language or system, Vanessa was charged with trafficking. Initially sentenced to death, her punishment was later reduced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty on legal advice.
Pregnant, isolated, and thousands of kilometers from home, Vanessa endured the harsh reality of incarceration in Lard Yao Prison. The once-celebrated model’s life became defined by survival, loss, and resilience. Her daughter was born while she was still behind bars, and the pain of separation became another part of her sentence.
Despite the devastation, Vanessa’s story is one of profound transformation. She emerged determined to fight against the same “social poison” that had stolen her freedom—dedicating her life to warning others, especially young people, about the dangers of drugs, misguided trust, and poor decisions. Her journey stands as a testimony of perseverance, hope, and the possibility of rebuilding one’s life after immense tragedy.
00:00 – South Africa’s new democracy vs. Vanessa’s personal downfall
00:35 – Early life, modeling success, and Miss South Africa semi-finalist
01:15 – Meeting Felix, starting a business, and preparing for motherhood
02:00 – The trip abroad to expand their clothing store
02:30 – Request to carry “engineering books” from Thailand
03:15 – Arrest at Bangkok airport and discovery of hidden heroin
04:00 – Shock, language barrier, and the reality of a death sentence
05:00 – Initial court verdict: death penalty
05:45 – Appeal process and decision to plead guilty
06:30 – Sentence reduced to life imprisonment in Thailand
07:00 – Pregnancy, isolation, and emotional abandonment in a foreign prison
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A1. Absolutely her message applies to anyone pursuing purpose via hardship.
A2. She shares both heart and tools real steps for overcoming and growth.
A3. Yes she thrives in roles that blend storytelling with community engagement.
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