BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

SOME top African models, both male and female, are set to battle for honours at the Battle of the Models Africa (Boma) series. The series has been shelved for about four years, with the brains behind the project, modelling guru and Zim Gossip Models Agency founder Mercy “Catwalk” Mushaninga (pictured), claiming she was waiting for the right time to host it.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Mushaninga, who is also the Zimbabwe Models Awards founder, said Boma is a reality television series, with 13 episodes for each participating country, which would be screened on local and international television stations.

“The Battle of the Models Africa competition is different from other ordinary modelling competitions as it is moulded along the lines that will help most models to discover themselves and work towards achieving their lifetime goals,” she said.

Mushaninga said scouting had started in other African countries and the response was overwhelming.

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“We started our first series in Zambia, where we selected our best five models, both male and female. We have now opened the platform to models who want to challenge our top five locally, as we want new faces of the industry. We also want to market Africa through fashion and beauty,” she added.

“After the challenges, we will choose Zambia’s best two who will battle it out with other African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana.”

Mushaninga said for the selection criteria, judges would select the best by looking at qualities that make a good model, among such which would include talent, intelligence, knowledge of the modeling industry, natural beauty, skincare, posture, presentation of their country, catwalk or runway and themed designer wear.

“Most teenagers think modelling is a walk in the park, but Battle of the Models Africa will expose who the real African models are. I would like to encourage models to take part in this battle as it will boast their confidence and knowledge about other African countries’, market Africa to the world, as well as understanding cultural backgrounds,” she said.

“The models who are registering have to brace themselves because the competition is going to be tough. We have models who will battle with teams from well developed countries, and it will be a battlefield.”