Born in Luanda, Angola, Maria Borges spent her early years growing up during the Angolan Civil War, losing her mother at age 11 and being raised by her older sister. In 2010, she placed second at the Elite Model Look Angola contest, signed with Supreme Agency in 2012, and within her first month debuted at Fashion Week, walking 17 runways and landing a Givenchy exclusive in her second season.

Forbes named her Africa's Top Model in 2013. Her runway credits span Chanel, Dior, Versace, Tom Ford, Balmain, and Giorgio Armani, and her editorial work covers French, Italian, and British Vogue, German and Australian Harper's Bazaar, Numéro, W, i-D, and Interview. In 2016, she became a global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, and became the first African woman on the cover of American Elle in 2017.

A defining moment came in 2015, when she became the first Black model to walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show wearing her natural afro, a bold act that became a cultural milestone for Black women worldwide and opened the door for others who followed.

In 2025, she attended the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival, marking her continued crossover from runway to global cultural stages. Most recently, she delivered a masterclass at GTCO Fashion Weekend 2025, titled "The Model Mindset: From Getting Signed to Staying Relevant," sharing over a decade of hard-won wisdom with the next generation of African talent.