Long gone are the days when Namibia was a force to be reckoned with on international modelling ramps and in pageants. Michelle McLean-Bailey paved the way as the country’s first and only Miss Universe title holder.
Benvinda Mundenge and Venantia Otto were deemed Africa’s most stunning models via ‘Face of Africa’. These beauties made us proud, they put our country on the map.
Beyond the peace and justice that has prevailed since independence, these women gave the world a glimpse of the stunning beauty within the borders of our stark, unique and vast country.
Michelle McLean-Bailey is most notably Namibia’s pride and joy, having put the country on the map with her charm, poise and ethereal beauty. Born in 1972, she started out her modelling career at the tender age of 14, and is described by those who worked with her as a natural with charisma that would captivate everyone around her.
She was crowned Miss Universe in 1992 at 19 years of age. This was after taking the Miss Namibia crown in 1991. Michelle became the first (and so far only) woman from Namibia to win the crown, being only the second woman after Ronel Liebenberg to represent Namibia as an independent country.
During her year of reign in 2006, Anna also managed to make it to the top 17 at that year’s Miss World pageant. She continues to work as a model in addition to a career in advertising in South Africa, where she is based.
Born on 22 October 1987 in Windhoek, Venantia became M-Net’s Face of Africa in 2006. Competing against
6 000 candidates from 12 countries, Venantia continued her modelling work and broadened her horizons by venturing into acting, starring in ‘Nama’, a 2008 film by Christoph Ebner.
At only 19, Benvinda Mundenge’s world was changed forever when she became M-Net’s Face of Africa in 1999. She went from being a high school pupil to the toast of the nation as she joined Africa’s most famous models and strutted catwalks across the world.
She is pictured here with President of Elite Model Management John Casablancas in Windhoek in 1999 as he wipes tears of joy from her face upon winning the Face of Africa model competition.
Odile Madeline Muller was born in 1988 and crowned Miss Namibia in 2010. She went on to become one of the top 25 semi-finalists in Miss World 2010. Hers was the highest ranking held by a Miss Namibia winner since. She continues to make her presence felt in film, music, dance and fashion.
Barbara Kahatjipara was born in the western town of Usakos and was one of our most controversial as well as outstanding Miss Namibia title holders. She won the Miss Namibia beauty contest in 1993, and the Miss Universe Congeniality 1994 award as part of Miss Universe 1994. Barbara is not only beautiful, she is a force to reckon with intellectually as a holder of a BA degree in international politics from the University of Cape Town and an MBA in International Marketing from the Fachhochschule Reutlingen in Germany.
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