26 Oct 2015

Having started modelling at the age of 16 and becoming the first winner of ‘Gemstones Model Search’ competition at 18, indeed she was on her way to New York to work with the biggest agencies in the world (Wilhelmina Model Agency).

Mmina Gaebonwe has been around the block and she can only get better, and mind you, she is still in her early twenties.

With her travelling around the world and getting to interact with people from all walks of life, Botswana has always been lingering at the back of her mind, and it was this thought that prompted her to start an initiative for her country to nurture and grow the industry that has brought her joy and some type of fulfilment.

BOPA caught up with the young model to hear about her plans and what she has been up to.

“Earlier this year at a Monique Lhuillier runway show, only two out of around 20 models were non-white,” she starts off, indicating that this status quo is what made her develop a concept that will help her fellow Africans to create their own opportunities by promoting modelling as a career that can generate wealth for the youth.

She indicated that the concept she came up with is  model and creative workshop which will be a one day event based around the creative industry in Botswana and Southern Africa.

“Creatives from Southern Africa will be given a chance to showcase their skills, exchange cultural and intellectual ideas to promote our creative industry,” she said.

Mmina further said governments and creative sectors across the world are increasingly recognising its importance as a generator of jobs, wealth and cultural engagement.

“At the heart of the creative economy are the cultural and creative industries that lie at the crossroads of arts, culture, business and technology and what unifies these activities is the fact that they all trade with creative assets in the form of intellectual property (IP); the framework through which creativity translates into economic value,” she said.

“The UK has the largest creative sector of the European Union. In terms of GDP it is the largest in the world, and according to UNESCO it is, in absolute terms, the most successful exporter of cultural goods and services in the world, ahead of even the US,” continued Mmina.

She further said Botswana has the potential to build a successful creative economy and take a leading role in developing the creative economy. 

“The UK’s definition of the creative industries - ‘those industries that are based on individual creativity, skill and talent with the potential to create wealth and jobs through developing intellectual property’ - includes 13 sectors: advertising, architecture, the art and antiques market, crafts, design, designer fashion, film, interactive leisure software (i.e. video games), music, the performing arts, publishing, software, and television and radio,” she said, adding that Batswana have a chance to duplicate the methods used by the UK to build an economy where the youth can generate wealth from their God given talents. 

Speaking about the event and why they choose Gaborone as a host city, Mmina said Gaborone is a very cosmopolitan city that has the best of both worlds. 

“A young and vibrant youth, a soon to be budding economy because of the stimulus package are some of the reasons we choose Gaborone,” said Mmina.

She went on to say that the model and creative workshop will take place from 10am to 6pm, November 28 at Sky Lounge and there will be a panel of creatives to share ideas and knowledge with the attendants. 

“There will also be a stall for attendants to see how to use make up and cameras, a fashion show with an aim to teach models how to walk on the runway and give fashion designers a chance to showcase their designs,” she said, adding that attendants will be able to a QandA to allow them to ask personalized questions connecting to their careers.

Mmina indicated that she has invited the number one sort out model in South Africa whom she cannot reveal now and award winning photographer Stuart Arnold to attend the workshop.

She went on to say that her target audience is the age range of 14-29 years.

“Young and trendy youth that are very fashion forward and want to keep up with the world fashion trends, a young and bold crowd that is futuristic and is daring in their dreams and goals, a crowd that embraces change and is always looking for something fresh in the market, a crowd that keeps up with the digital age, that conducts business on social media and has learned to use social media to promote and source out fashion trends,” said the young model who is set to travel to London in a few days for modelling gigs.

She indicated that the concept of the workshop is a brain child of her company EmIvy Model and Talent Management which also started a campaign in 2013 called ModelsCare which sees models and beauty queens come together and support different charity organisations. 

Mmina said she is currently signed to Boss Models, Johannesburg and before then she was with Outlaws Model Agency in Cape Town.

“I did campaigns for some of the biggest magazines in Southern Africa, ” she said. Ends