The continent’s most established model talent search, the Nokia Face of Africa begins its 6th season this month as pioneering African TV channel M-Net and leading mobile company Nokia have renewed their commitment to popular initiative.

This time round the project has selected 13 cities in which it will hold open castings for aspiring models. The cities on the casting route are Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Lagos, Luanda, Lusaka, Nairobi and Windhoek.

A revised competition format now means that any female from anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, who is a citizen of a country in sub-Saharan Africa and who meets the entry requirements, can participate. These would-be contestants need simply attend a casting in one of 13 specified cities.

Once again, as in the case of striking Nokia Face of Africa 2005 Kaone Kario, the winner of the competition will walk away with an international modelling career, courtesy of Storm Model Management, at the Nokia Face of Africa 2006 Final at Sun City on August 13.

Carl Fischer, Director of M-Net Local Productions, says that since launching the project several years ago, M-Net has continued to drive its development. “M-Net’s long-standing commitment to this project that it initiated several years ago is born from an enduring desire to provide a stage for African youth, African talent and African imagination. It’s an ambition we have had for many years and a tradition that we are proud to continue.”

According to Nokia’s sales director Mika Niemi, Nokia decided to continue its involvement with the project after the success of the last search, which culminated in a high-fashion final at Sun City in July. “Nokia has long been committed to African development and African style. To see both these remarkable ideals come together on an African catwalk earlier this year was living, vibrant proof of an African future.”

Meanwhile, entry into the competition has never been easier - this year there are no entry forms to complete and no photographs to submit. Would-be entrants need to only attend a casting session in the city closest to them to meet with one of the Nokia Face of Africa scouting judges. Details of these casting sessions will be available from February next year in local press, on M-Net and on the M-Net website (www.mnet.co.za/faceofafrica). Interested candidates are advised to keep a watch out for this information.

Entry requirements are similar to previous years. Any female from anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, who is a citizen of a country in sub-Saharan Africa, can enter the Nokia Face of Africa 2006 providing that she is between the age of 17 and 24 (as of 31 August 2006); is at least 1.74m tall and has a maximum hip measurement of 36inches.

Now well on her way to success Kaone Kario, Nokia Face of Africa 2005, encourages anyone who thinks that they have what it takes to enter the competition. “I changed my life by entering this competition. I travel, I work, I meet new people, I have more friends and I have discovered a world of possibility. All because on one day in one moment, I found some courage and some confidence to take the opportunity offered.”

Once again this year, the search for the Nokia Face of Africa 2006 will be filmed by an M-Net production team who will follow the triumphs and tears of what is always an emotional, entertaining process. M-Net will broadcast this footage as a series of special shows in July 2006 before the Nokia Face of Africa final in August. Who will be the Nokia Face of Africa 2006? It could be someone you know. It could be you!

Source: Mmegi/The Reporter