Top 3 Women Shaking the African Entertainment Industry
The African entertainment industry grabbed the world’s attention. That has been attributed to the fierce women, rich culture, unique music and original stories.
The last decade has seen many entertainers rise to popularity and prominence. They have showcased Africa as a hub of culture, and the industry as one to reckon with.
The entertainment industry has many talented young Africans. We have featured 3 fierce women who’ve made a mark in the entertainment sector not just in Africa, but also abroad.
Top 3 Fierce African Women in the Entertainment Industry
- Tolulope ‘Toolz’ Oniru
Tolulope ‘Toolz’ Oniru is a successful Nigerian businesswoman. After a year into studying chemistry, she realized her heart was in media. She then changed her course to study business and communications at the University of Westminster.
She began her career in sales before moving on to entertainment at MTV Networks Europe. Before moving back to Nigeria, her home country, in 2008, she worked at the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.
She got a weekly slot with The Beat 99.9FM, a top urban radio station. She moved up the ranks and started a radio show she hosts known as ‘The Midday Show with Toolz.’ She is a popular media personality in Nigeria.
‘Toolz’ served twice as a judge for the Channel O Music Video Awards. She also contributes to the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 show and has won various awards such as the ‘Media Personality of the Year’ and ‘Radio Presenter of the Year’.
Toolz has worked hard to win a place in the list of the best fierce women in Africa’s entertainment industry.
- Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
Also known as the ‘Queen of Nollywood’, Omotola Ekeinde is a popular and successful actress in the film industry of Nigeria. She has acted in at least 300 films and the Time Magazine ranked her in the list of the ‘Top 100 Influential People in the World.’
At the age of 15, Omotola began working as a model. She had just lost her father, the breadwinner, and thus had the need to work and support her family. She made her film debut with a lead role two years later, in the movie ‘Venom of Justice.’
She became the most sought-after Nollywood actress after starring in the movies ‘Mortal Inheritance’ that saw her win the prestigious Thema Awards in 1996/1997 as the Best Actress in an English-speaking movie. She also won the Best Actress overall award.
Starring in the movies ‘Kosorugun 2’ and ‘Lost Kingdom 2’, she won the Global Excellence Recognition Awards as a Grand Achiever in 2004. The awards and acting achievements further catapulted Omotola to success in her career.
Omotola released her sophomore album ‘Me, Myself, and Eyes’ and first debut album ‘GBA’ in 2005. As a musician, she has collaborated with Bobby Valentino, an R&B artist, and Jon Jon Traxx and Drumma Boy, prominent songwriters worldwide.
Omotola is also a fierce human rights campaigner. She runs an NGO known as ‘Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme’, and worked as an Amnesty International campaigner in 2011 and United Nations World Food Programme Ambassador in 2005.
Recently, she championed a campaign calling on oil companies and the government to clean up the Niger Delta. Matthew Ekeinde, her husband, calls her ‘Omosexy’ and they have a teenage son who’s quickly becoming one of Africa’s youngest music producers.
- Terry Pheto
Popular for her leading role as Miriam in the film ‘Tsotsi’ in 2005, Terry Pheto is an award-winning producer and actress.
Terry grew up in Soweto, but got a career break when ‘Tsotsi’ was being casted in a theatre group in her neighborhood. She was aged 21 when Moonyeenn Lee, the casting director, spotted her.
The fierce woman later featured in ‘Goodbye Bafana’ in 2007 (she played the role of Zinzi, Nelson Mandela’s daughter) and ‘Sekalli Le Meokgo’ and ‘Catch A Fire’ in 2006. She also acted in the popular ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ as Evelyn Mase, Nelson Mandela’s first wife.
In 2008, Terry was named the face of L ‘Oreal. She has featured in the covers of many popular magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, True Love and Marie Claire. She also featured in the popular global soap ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ as a heart surgeon.
‘Jacob’s Cross’, ‘Hopeville’, ‘Zone 14’ and ‘Rockville Season 3’ include major productions in her television work. Her production company, Leading Lady Productions, produced an award-winning film known as ‘Ayanda and the Mechanic’. It won ‘The Special Jury Prize at the LA Film Festival in 2015.
Other fierce women to reckon with in Africa’s entertainment industry include Jackie Appiah, a seasoned Ghanaian actress; Joselyn Dumas, a Ghanaian entertainment powerhouse; Lola Monroe aka Fershgenet Melaku, an Ethiopian artist, actress and former model with roots in Trinidad; Menna Shalaby, an Egyptian actress and AIDs ambassador; and Vimbai Mutinhiri, a television personality, model, actress and musician in Zimbabwe.
Do you have any question or a name to add to our list of top fierce African women in the entertainment industry? Contact us or leave your comments below.
By Mercy Adhiambo Oginga
Africa Global News Publication
