BY FREEMAN MAKOPA SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean lawyer and model, Jemimah Kandemiiri is on the verge of sealing a partnership deal with a Mozambican production company TVL group to launch a Mozambican national pageant, Miss da Terra 2021. Kandemiiri, who is expected to do the planning and production of the inaugural pageant, told NewsDay Life & Style that the deal would provide her with an opportunity to build a global clientele. “A production company in Mozambique wants to introduce a national pageant. The deal is that I team up with a branch of theirs in South Africa and we go down to Mozambique to host this pageant. I would do all the planning, preparation and production,” she said. “We are concluding the final stages of the agreement. The deal is an opportunity to go global, to build a client base and reach beyond just what is within close reach.” Kandemiiri said the partnership was centred around making Africa great, celebrating differences and putting Africa on the map. “It is an opportunity to grow, but grow others because the project aims to put Africa on the global map in the long run. As much as it is being launched as a competition, the collaboration of people coming together, goes beyond it just being a competition. We are breaking down borders in the best way,” she said. Kandemiiri said she was currently working on a model training and make-up artistry programme, with her dream being to go completely virtual and put out products online. “People will be able to purchase the programme and do it in the comfort of their homes, with access to assistance at the tip of their fingers, while being safe and keeping those around them safe too. Along with this will be an online store for easier access to beauty products and fashion,” she said. “The industry can still grow although it’s still quite questionable. It is the responsibility of Africans to celebrate their own differences and cultures, while there is need for more platforms that celebrate Africanism.” Kandemiiri said although COVID-19 posed a serious threat to mankind, it had helped her realise the importance of staying connected. “I have never really been into social media much, funny because I am a model and artist, people naturally assume you are inclined to pull out your phone and be online all the time. COVID-19 made me realise the importance of staying connected over physically being at a shoot and or competing,” she said. “Everything went virtual and I had to actively wire myself to do the same. I had to buy equipment to do my voice overs at home and set up a small space that accommodates this. I am learning how to professionally take and edit my own pictures, material and I resolved to move my business online to aid the process. It took a while to get this right and I learn daily, but it’s been quite a journey.” The model said she is passionate about the empowerment of women, adding that she is also part of the Women of Virtue organisation, which is a safe space for women from all walks of life, gathering and sharing their stories at the She Matter