* Born in Malawi but raised in South Africa, Anita Phoenix Mabedi is a cultural mixed pod, actively engaging different cultural communities, thereby providing her an enriched perspective of the world
* A model, actress, content creator, event host, and brand influencer, Anita is a rising star in her country’s entertainment industry
By Duncan Mlanjira
The beautiful Malawian model, Anita Phoenix Mabedi — daughter to Flames coach, Patrick Mabedi — is set to represent Malawi at Miss Tourism Africa 2024 to be hosted in Lagos State, Nigeria from September 21 to October 2.
Advertisement
In its official announcement, Miss Tourism Africa organisers describes Anita — born in Malawi but raised in South Africa — as “a cultural mixed pod, actively engaging different cultural communities, thereby providing her an enriched perspective of the world”.
“A model, actress, content creator, event host, and brand influencer, Anita Phoenix Mabedi is a rising star in her country’s entertainment industry.
“She is a sports management graduate with a passion for football. Her ambition is to create a football development institute that will focus primarily on scouting and nurturing young talents for the international football market.”
In an interview, Anita said Miss Tourism Africa committee asked her to submit her profile alongside other Malawian models to represent the country, saying: “Most beauty pageants are franchise holders, so the committee requested profiles to be sent and they select them according to what they prefer.”
She explained her inspiration to venture into the modeling sector came from “a deep appreciation for fashion, art, and the ability to express oneself through visual storytelling”.
Miss Tourism Africa describes her as an actress and Anita explained that she was featured in a Malawian film, ‘Pastor’s Children’, which was produced by a South African — adding that she has mainly featured in short series such as ‘Generations’ and ‘Rhythm City’.
Advertisement
She graduated in sports management graduate from I.I.E Rosebank College in 2013 and she scouts for independent agencies and helping creating profiles for up-and-come football stars — apart from being a content creator on fashion and comedy.
She intends to create a football development institute and Anita says: “It’s an ambition I have and it needs a lot of planning and investment. For now I don’t have the exact time frame I would want to do it but it would have to be in my homeland, Malawi.”
The co-host of Miss & Mrs Culture Malawi 2023, is also a brand ambassador who “mostly works with different brands and currently a brand influencer for a South African brand called Shumie Hair Products”.
Advertisement
According to its website, Miss Tourism Africa “is a worldwide search for special young women in today’s Afro communities around the globe with the beauty, grace, dynamic personalities and intelligence that set them apart from the rest”.
A participant should have “distinctively set herself apart from being the continent one of its kind, with tourism promotion as its fundamental core value”.
To be held from September 21 to October 2, it will host 30 tourism ambassadors and beauty queens from across the globe as others are chosen elsewhere as long as they are black with roots from Africa.
“Miss Tourism Africa is a platform open to all black young women from African communities around the world, including France, Spain, Japan, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, USA.
“We are proud to embrace our mission of bringing Africans together from around the world to celebrate the wonders of our beautiful continent,” said the organisers on their website.
In announcing the host city, Nigerian online publication, New Telegraph reported that the move is part of Lagos State Governor, Babajide San-Olu’s agenda of boosting tourism and position Lagos’ tourism as the most preferred destination hub for business and leisure.
Advertisement
Miss Tourism Africa founder & president, Ambassador Seth Santiago Roberts, is quoted as saying: “Tourism is without a doubt the very fabric of our essence as people and the need for strategic platforms that will sustain it cannot be overemphasised.
“The primary campaign of Miss Tourism Africa 2024 is to promote tourism to the host city, raise awareness and inspire action against climate change while providing a Top of Mind Awareness for corporate sponsors,” he is quoted as saying.
Advertisement