The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
THE local modelling industry which has been at sixes and sevens due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as lack of corporate sponsorships, among other factors, is set for a rebound following the coming in of new players who are determined to stir the ship to dizzy heights again.
Even before the Covid-19 induced lockdown which saw gatherings being banned, the industry was teetering on the brink of collapse with little or no sponsors coming aboard.
However, things seem to be looking up in the industry as new players try to devise new ways of showcasing the pageants online.
Youthful Mutare artiste and model, Flot “FlotBoi” Mabaso who is behind the Miss Supernatural Mutare pageant that is set for September believes the coming in of new players with fresh ideas is the way to go.
“We really do not know when people will be allowed to congregate in large numbers again. There is need to think outside the box and come up with critical ideas to revive the modelling sector, that is why we have come up with the Miss Supernatural Mutare project.
“The beauty pageant will search for the brand model for our scenic City of Mutare, with 14 models denouncing early child marriages and sexual harassment. The youngest model is 18, while the oldest is 25,” said Mabaso.
“The pageant is scheduled to take place during the first week of September, subject to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation.
“The voting process for the pageant is currently underway through our official Facebook page. So far, two big sponsors have come onboard to be part of the pageant. We are expecting more individuals and corporates to partner us,” she said.
The models under the Miss Supernatural Mutare project include Yolanda Nyanga, Charmaine Zulu, Rachael Nyakunu, Mitchelle Machipanda, Kudakwashe Machiri, Nyasha Moto, Michelle Zirema, Veronica Samba, Karen Sakupwanya, Grace Mwaziremudza, Ropafadzo Mhlava, Pride Maswande and Dygracious Muzarewetu.
Veteran model and current Miss Tourism Zimbabwe Manicaland licence holder, Carol Marufu-Buwu, believes that just like in other countries, there is need to go digital and initiate online pageants for the province.
Marufu-Buwu said more needs to be done to revive the modelling industry.
“The overall objective is to keep our province and country on the map and make our mark in the world when it comes to pageantry.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting global lockdowns have created unprecedented challenges for the modelling industry, said Marufu-Buwu.
“It has forced us to rethink our systems as people used to attend physically. We are now moving to a more digitally inclined world which has less face to face interactions.
“We are advocating for the use of technology, media platforms and tools to showcase the industry.
“We have seen other countries using these platforms successfully and we believe we can also embrace the same.
“We all desire to go back to our normal way of doing business and we hope it won’t be long before the world reopens and we goes back to live shows,” she said.
Previous editions of beauty pageants used to attract scores of pleasure seekers as well as domestic tourists who would flock the eastern border city to be part of the festivities that would characterise the nights.
The Miss Tourism Zimbabwe national finals were scheduled to be held at Montclair Hotel and Casino in Nyanga in December 2019 before disaster struck.
As the models who were in a boot camp were travelling to Vumba to spend the night, their bus was involved in an accident along the Mutare-Vumba Road, leaving 10 of them injured.
As Zimbabwe continues with its fight against Covid-19, it is hoped that beauty pageants will come back to life soon.
