Face of Africa scouts coming

MAUREEN ODUBENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday August 12, 2008 00:00

 

And the good news is that Botswana's Kaone Kario, who scooped the Face of Africa crown in 2005, has been named as one of the scouting judges. Kario joins 'successful model and catwalk veteran' Andiswa Manxima.

A press release from M-Net explains that Kario with her experience is better placed to help select the next Face of Africa finalists.

'With first hand knowledge of the Face of Africa casting process, and with experience gained on the catwalk, in front of the camera and behind the scenes, Kaone is uniquely placed to understand, evaluate and select the next Face of Africa finalists,' M-Net says.

Kario made her mark as Face of Africa winner. Her stunning looks made her fashion magazine star in Africa, featuring in quite a number of periodicals.

While Kario, went on to make Botswana proud by scooping the ultimate crown, there is another Motswana, who also reached the top 10 stage in the 2006 Face of Africa.  Keamogetse Basima was one of the aspirants who battled for the crown at Sun City in Rustenburg, South Africa. The crown, however, went to Venantia Otto of Namibia. 

The model search contest is a pan-African talent search, showcasing Africa's immense talent, and this year it is open to 12 countries, namely; Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. As previously mentioned, the scouting team is expected in Gaborone at the end of this month, which has been selected as the first scouting city.

Thereafter, the team will move on to other countries. Each country will have only one open casting session, so interested Batswana must make it a point not to miss the opportunity.

The  contest is open to young women between the ages of 17 and 24 from any of the participating countries. Furthermore those interested in trying their luck are reminded that the minimum height requirement is 1.72m, the maximum hip measurement is 96 cm. Entrants should not have an existing modelling contract.At the end of the 12 casting sessions, approximately 24 finalists will be selected to participate in a Model Bootcamp to be held in one of the popular African spots, the Island of Zanzibar in Tanzania.

During the Bootcamp, a selection team that includes the first ever Face of Africa winner, the fashion savvy model Oluchi Onweagba will conduct the second round of auditions, at which the top 10 finalists will be selected. The grand finale is scheduled for November 29, at which one winner will ultimately be chosen.

This year's ultimate Face of Africa winner will scoop a cash prize of USD 50, 000 (P 329, 000) and a three- year modelling contract with Oluchi's dynamic O Model Africa agency.'Before Idols conquered the continent, before Big Brother dominated the headlines before Studio 53 united our audiences, before all of this, Face of Africa was the start of our investment in Africa.

Since launch, it has captivated the imagination of our audiences, inspired countless entrants and turned dreams into reality for several dozen young models.

Its legacy and its success is the reason it returns in 2008, and M-Net is proud to launch a new season,' the M-Net director of Original Productions, Carl Fischer, notes.