These sexy, African
models hail from all over the African Continent and are known throughout the
world for their beauty, poise and elegance. This list is in no special order. Enjoy
my list of 20 top African models making us proud on the international scene.
Honorine Uwera

2004: Debuts at the spring Akris,
Costume National, Viktor & Rolf, and Yves Saint Laurent shows in Paris
2006: Appears
in Nordstrom catalog, Appears in
Elle editorial, Walks the spring
Catherine Malandrino and Marc Jacobs shows in New York, Walks the 30-year retrospective of Jean Paul Gaultier
in Paris, wearing a gold lamé bodysuit from his 1992 collection, Photographed by Steven Klein for Italian Vogue
2007: Appears in Nordstrom catalog, Featured in Trace, Appears
in Mixte editorial, Photographed
by Peter Lindbergh for Moschino fall ad campaign, Face of Moschino Hours & Minutes fall ad campaign,
Attends the "Blacks in Fashion"
discussion at Bryant Park Hotel with Iman and Naomi Campbell (14 SEP)
Flaviana
Matata
Flaviana Matata (born June 9, 1987) is a Tanzania beauty queen and fashion model. Flaviana won the first edition of the Miss Universe Tanzania pageant in 2007, and went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe pagent the same year, where she placed among the Top 15 semifinalists and ended up in 6th place after the evening gown competition. She was the first contestant from Tanzania to compete at Miss Universe 2007, and compete with a shaved head.
Flaviana Matata (born June 9, 1987) is a Tanzania beauty queen and fashion model. Flaviana won the first edition of the Miss Universe Tanzania pageant in 2007, and went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe pagent the same year, where she placed among the Top 15 semifinalists and ended up in 6th place after the evening gown competition. She was the first contestant from Tanzania to compete at Miss Universe 2007, and compete with a shaved head.
She has recently modelled print
advertisements for Sherri Hill . In March 2011 Matata won the Model of the
Year award by Arise Magazine at the Lagos Fashion Week, she has also featured
in the US magazines Dazed & Confused, Glass Magazine, L’officiel and also
ID Magazine. Flaviana Matata has also done some runway modelling for brands
like Mustafa Hassanali, Vivienne Westwood, Tory Burch, Suno, and Louise Dray and
has featured in the Alexander McQueen film tribute and Topshop Spring 2011
ad campaign.
Tiguida
Sissoko
Tiguida is a 21 year old Malian model whose flawless
beauty has been featured in several magazines and on several catwalks. She
is currently with Mannequin modeling agency in Paris, France

Ajuma Nasenyana is a Kenyan model. She has worked with Victoria Secret and Carlos Mienes, among other designers.
Nasenyana was born in
the town of Lodwar, situated in the Turkana District of Kenya.
Her first foray into
modeling was in the Miss Tourism Kenya competition
in 2003, where she was crowned Miss Nairobi. Here, she came to the attention of
Lyndsey McIntyre of Surazuri Modeling Agency.
Soon afterward, Gamma
Photo Agency came to Kenya to do a story on McIntyre's scouting work and were
so taken with Nasenyana that she became the main feature of the story, which
later ran in France's Gala magazine.
The pictures taken anchored Nasenyana's portfolio, presented to international
agency Ford Models, who entered her in Ford's Supermodel of the world competition.
In November 2003,
Nasenyana traveled to Europe to
build her portfolio prior to the Supermodel finals in New York City.
Nasenyana participated
in the New York Fashion Week alongside Naomi Cambell and Alek Wek for designers such as baby Phat and Carlos Mienes before traveling to
Milan to model for fashion houses such as Ungaro during the Italian Fashion Week. Paris was the final destination during the
winter show season and British designer Vivienne Westwood made her the lead
model in her show.

Liya Kebede (Ethiopia): Kebede’s modeling career took off once she debuted at the Ralph Lauren and BCBG Max Azria shows. She was also chosen by Tom Ford to walk in the Gucci F/W 2000 fashion show. Kebede has featured on the covers of several magazines including Italian, Japanese, American and Paris Vogue; in ad campaigns including Yves Saint-Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Victoria’s Secret, and Louis Vuitton. In 2003, she made history becoming the first ever black model to represent cosmetic company Estee Lauder.
Kebede has also starred in
three movies, one of which was the film-adaption of the bestselling
autobiography Desert Flower by former supermodel Waris Dirie. Liya Kebede is an
activist and travels to Ethiopia to support maternal health projects, she’s
worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on their Living Proof
Project and currently serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn
& Child Health for the World Health Organization. Furthermore, she founded
the Liya Kebede Foundation, whose mission is to reduce maternal, newborn and
child mortality in Ethiopia and around the world. In addition to being married
with two children, she launched a clothing line in 2007 called Lemlem to help
preserve the art of traditional weaving in Ethiopia and to offer work
opportunities to local artisans. Lemlem is various stores including sold at
Barney’s and Net-a-Porter.com.
Alek
Wek

In addition to
contributing her time to UNICEF, she is a member of the U.S. Committee for
Refugees’ Advisory Council, an ambassador for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan
and a missionary for World Vision, an organisation which combats AIDS. In 2001,
Alek Wek launched a range of designer handbags called “Wek 1933” which is sold
at select high-end stores across the U.S.
Oluchi Onweagba
Oluchi Onweagba (Nigeria): After winning M-Net’s Face
of Africa competition, Oluchi moved on to grace the covers of several magazines
including Italian Vogue; walked in runways of the likes of Chanel, Christian
Dior and Victoria Secret; awarded cosmetics contract with Cover Girl; appeared
in catalogue and print ads for brands including Lancome, Victoria Secret, and
the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in which she appeared on the cover four
times.
Oluchi also volunteers her
time and her image for NGOs such as LEAP Africa, an entrepreneurship incubator.
In 2008, she launched a modeling agency in South Africa called Omodel Africa as
a way of giving back to the continent and inspiring young African women. Oluchi
is married to Luca Orlandi, the founder of luxury label, Luca Luca.
Yasmin Warsame
Yasmin Warsame was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1976. She moved to
Canada when she was 15 years old. Her first modeling job was for a Sears
Catalog and her first big breakthrough came with a feature for Italian Vogue.
She has walked an
impressive list of fashion shows including Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior,
Elie Saab and Alexander McQueen. She has appeared on the covers of Italian and
American Vogue, and American and British Elle. She has featured in ad campaigns
for brands such as Chanel, Valentino Couture, Banana Republic and Dolce
&Gabbana, Shiseido, Escada, H&M and GAP.
Yasmin has worked for Next Toronto/Montreal, Next Paris, Next
London, IMG New York, View Barcelona and Tony Jones Amsterdam. In 2007, Yasmin Warsame was
a judge on Cycle 2 of Canada’s Next
Top Model. –
Betty Adewole

Ataui Deng
Ataui Deng was born in November 11 in Khartoum,
Sudan. She’s a niece of Sudanese-British fashion model Alek Wek. Together with
her family she moved to the United States (San Antonio, Texas) in 2004. Just 4
years later her modeling career started when she signed a contract with Trump
Model in New York.
Since then she has walked the catwalk for renowned names such as
Zac Posen, Lacoste, Christian Dior and John Galliano. In 2010, She closed the
S/S 11 Lanvin show in Paris alongside Ajak Deng, Jeneil Williams, Melodie
Monrose and Jourdan Dunn.
She also appeared in magazines such as Teen Vogue, V magazine, and
appeared on the cover of French Revenue de Mode. Furthermore she was for
campaigns by fashion brands Kenzo and Benetton, among others. She’s currently
signed with Trump Models in New York and with Elite Models in Paris and Milan.
Ajak Deng
Sudanese-Australian
model Ajak
Deng has walked
for Jean
Paul Gaultier, Chloe, Givenchy and
Lanvin,
in New York and Paris since her Melbourne Spring
Fashion Week debut in 2008. At age 12, violence forced Ajak and her
family to flee Sudan for Australia where, inspired by fellow Sudanese Model
Alek Wek.

Badiel, 23, was discovered in her native Burkina Faso. She has since smoldered in editorials inVogue Russia, Interview, Arise and Elle. She’s stomped the prestigious runways of Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, and Tracy Reese, even closing shows for Halston, Phillip Lim and Chado Ralph Rucci.

In modeling, representing a brand is where the money and longevity is. So when Nina Keita landed the plum gig of starring in Old Navy’s spring 2007 campaign—her face being beamed across America and Europe in the brand’s infectious commercials—she was instantly catapulted into an elite club of models. She is so valuable to bookers, the Ivorian was allegedly poached from her old agency, Wilhelmina Models, by her new agency next—eliciting a lawsuit between the two firms. While the agencies duke it out, Nina continues to “smile” all the way to the bank.
Gelila Bekele

Bekele
is signed with Ford Models, and has appeared on several ad campaigns for
Levi's, Pantene, L'oreal, and Colgate, and has appeared in Essence, Marie
Claire, Allure, Lucky and various fashion magazines. She is also featured in
many other print ads, and has appeared in several runway shows.
She has
appeared in a Pantene Pro-V campaign, and leveraged her status as an
international ambassador for aid organization Charity: Water, has since come
around. “Models are not dumb. It’s self-management and brand-building.”
Ubah Hassan
The 24-year-old Somali gained international attention four years ago when Ralph Lauren chose her to be the face of his brand. Since then, she’s covered Arise Magazine, appeared in Vogue Italia’s groundbreaking black issue, and walked for Oscar de la Renta, Rachel Roy, and Ralph Rucci. Explaining her passion to Bethann Hardison, Hassan said, “Everything I do in my life, I do 100% no matter if I’m babysitting, or I’m walking in someone’s fashions.”
The 24-year-old Somali gained international attention four years ago when Ralph Lauren chose her to be the face of his brand. Since then, she’s covered Arise Magazine, appeared in Vogue Italia’s groundbreaking black issue, and walked for Oscar de la Renta, Rachel Roy, and Ralph Rucci. Explaining her passion to Bethann Hardison, Hassan said, “Everything I do in my life, I do 100% no matter if I’m babysitting, or I’m walking in someone’s fashions.”

The Senegalese model made her debut stomping the runway for Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood—an auspicious start the model quickly followed with a Benetton campaign, editorials in high fashion pubs V and W, and later aWWD shout-out. Diouf has since appeared in an ad campaign for Diesel, in the pages of British and GermanVogue, and on the cover of supermodel launch pad pub French Revue des Modes. And she is just getting started.

Discovered in 2009, the Zimbabwe-born, Britain-raised model was introduced to the world on London’s catwalks, sashaying for Jonathan Saunders, Emanuel Ungaro, and Louis Vuitton, among others. Just two years later, now 16, Nyasha has racked up editorial tearsheets in Harper’s Bazaar, V, and Teen Vogue. Amazingly, she has just been announced as a face of Louis Vuitton. Look for her in the brand’s fall campaign, which will be shot by star maker Steven Meisel.
Herieth Paul
Herieth Paul is a 17 year old
fashion model who has
walked for Diane von Furstenberg, Lacoste and 3.1 Philip Lim. She is a Tanzania
model who moved to Ottawa, Canada
at the age of 14 due to her mother being a diplomat. She was discovered when
she went to an open call of Angie's, a model agency based in Ottawa, Canada.
She has now been signed to Women1 management.
Paul has appeared in editorials for Vogue Italia magazine and as of July 2011 was the
cover of Canada's version of Elle magazine.
Paul is a new model in the industry who has been described as the 'next Naomi
Campbell' and is becoming a high-rising new face in the modeling industry, her
most prominent features being her full lips and high cheek-bones. Paul
currently attends online summer school due to her numerous, upcoming modeling
projects.
Joelle Kayembe
Joelle
Kayembe is a Congolese-born South African model best known for her role as a
suitcase model in the game show Deal Or No Deal.
Kayember has appeared in Ludacris’s Pimpin All Over The World music video, she was a finalist in the International Supermodel 2005 competition in China and is included as a Global Honey on SKY TV in the UK
Kayember has appeared in Ludacris’s Pimpin All Over The World music video, she was a finalist in the International Supermodel 2005 competition in China and is included as a Global Honey on SKY TV in the UK
Noémie Lenoir
Noémie Lenoir (Madagascar) born on 19th of September, 1979 in Les
Ulis) is a French model and actress of African and European
descent. She is best known for appearing in top magazines such as Elle and
Sports Illustrated, and modeling in advertisements for high fashion brands. She is known for her
work with Gucci, L’Oreal, Next,
Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, and Marks and Spenser. She has
been featured in a line-up of the world's most successful black models by renowned photographer Annie
Leibovitz.
20 TOP AFRICAN MODELS ROCKING THE FASHION WORLD
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