Namibia To The World: Vakoo Jumps Onto Our Screens

Meet Vakoo Kauapirura. You may not have heard of her yet, but she is about to be Namibia’s biggest bombshell.

The 27-year-old has had an interesting life so far, living abroad and working as a model and influencer, and now she’s also the resident Namibian in the Australian version of the popular dating reality show ‘Love Island’.

The point of the televised programme is for a group of single men and women to participate in a series of tasks with partners that they keep swapping, until they meet the love of their life. The aim is to pick and be picked, so that you stay on until the end, avoiding the several elimination ceremonies that take place regularly.

Kauapirura is no stranger to living and loving in front of the cameras. She made her TV debut on Australia’s ‘The Bachelor’ in 2019 – another popular dating show with its own premise – and even though she only made it to the sixth episode, she left a lasting impression on viewers and made a name for herself down under.

After her debut, the expat formed a same-sex relationship with a fellow contestant on the show, and she has spoken out about her love of people and her ability to fall in love not depending on the person’s gender, but on who they are on the inside.

She has also previously been candid about her past as a sexual assault survivor, and has many times used her voice to champion for others in similar situations.

In the ‘Love Island’ villa, she has managed to position herself as a fan favourite, with many people abroad being drawn to her cheeky personality and unique look.

“I think they picked me because I brought the energy that a bombshell would. My job was basically to go in and stir everything up. I think they picked me because of my outgoing personality and quirkiness,” she says.

Kauapirura, a cousin of Namibian celebrity and entrepreneur Tjuna Kauapirura, describes her time in the villa as being a lot of fun, although it required of her to adjust in many ways.

“I was expecting less pressure when it came to having to go in and immediately find someone who liked me, so that definitely didn’t match up properly to what I thought,” she says, sharing that being part of filming was an extraordinary experience.

“It was such an intense environment.

A day in the villa feels like a whole week and everything moves so quickly.”

Kauapirura is a seasoned personality who was first scouted as a model when she lived in England as a teenager, leading her to relocate to Australia. Once she got to Australia, she joined an agency that signed her and took on the task of managing her burgeoning career.

So far, she has worked with international brands like Jaguar, Pretty Little Thing, Honey Birdette, Meshki, and many more. This is just the beginning for her. She also made it to the top 30 contestants of the Miss Australia pageant.

‘Love Island’ laureates often see their careers in fashion and media climb after their appearance on viewers’ screens.

Considering hundreds of thousands of people tune into this edition of the show on average, life for the content creator is slowly changing, as her social media following continually grows as episodes air.

On the show, her character shines through. She is humorous, cheeky and not afraid to go after what she wants. She’s also a major softy whose vulnerable side comes through quite often, giving her a sort of balance that is rarely seen in many characters on these shows.

In her introduction during episode 11, the model described herself as lively and energetic, while Australian media has celebrated her arrival and covered her trials as a black woman in an industry that often favours those who are blonde and blue-eyed.

Kauapirura has previously spoken out about the difficulties of being a minority in the house, and even alluded to being “done” with dating on reality television, but this is not the end for her.

We asked her how being on the show has changed her life and what’s to come next, but she is keeping as tight-lipped as possible.

“Stay tuned to see what else is next for me,” she only says.

Without spoiling this season for you too much, we must say that Kauapirura is extremely fun to watch. She is cunning and bold in her approach to situations.

She entered the villa, saw what (who) she wanted and immediately went after them.

It will be lovely to continue following her on her journey.

– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, YouTuber and social commentator from Windhoek. Email her at annehambuda@gmail.com or follow her online for more.

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