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Bruce Ndlovu
Last year before the South African elections, a picture of Jamaican model Errice Alicia Anderson began making the rounds on social media, particularly on Twitter.
Clad in the yellow, black and green of the ANC colours, the picture encouraged potential voters in Gauteng to register for the polls. a�?Do it for Mandela. For Peace,a�? the poster read.
Only a few days later, the ever volatile political scene in South Africa was up in arms, as it emerged that the ruling party had not asked for permission from the model to use the picture.
a�?I was simply representing my country with the colours, (the Jamaican flag is black, green and gold) in the first piece made for my swimwear line,a�? she said at the time.
For some it showed the ANC publicity teama��s ineptitude, but for other it showed the power of models in todaya��s society.
Anderson, like hordes of other aspiring and professional models, uses Instagram to sell herself to brands that might want to use her seductive face and body as the ambassador of their brands.
Rather than wait for modelling agencies to mould them into fine specimen fit for flashing cameras and the red carpet, models are taking the future into their own hands, one selfie at a time.
The more likes and followers that an Instagram model gets, the higher the likelihood that big name brands, be it in fashion or otherwise, will try to ride on her popularity to push their own products.
Had the ANC contacted Anderson and listened to her demands, they would have got themselves a racy and vibrant image through which to push their partya��s agenda. Instead they ended up with egg on their face.
As a picture sharing platform, Instagram was tailor-made for models. It allows them to bypass many stages that would be required for them to become fully fledged models in the industry. With only their phones or cameras, they become overnight stars with thousands of followers that are waiting for their every snap.
Such has been their popularity that model agencies around the world are asking about a modela��s social media following before they sign them. The more followers an Instagram model has, the higher the chances that they will also increase the agencya��s visibility to their followers.
But the question is how exactly do Instagram models make their money?
The three highest ranking Instagram models are Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne, and Gigi Hadid a�� who can net anywhere between $125 000 and $300 000 per post, according to CR Fashion Book.
Although the upper echelon of Instagram starlets is demanding hefty fees from brands and agencies, others are also receiving big paychecks for a simple post. The amount one earns depends on their following.
Zimbabwe is still largely an untapped market, with most of the popular models, both professional and amateur, seemingly missing the trick on how to monetise their gifts. One of the few who has is socialite and reality TV star Pokello, who uses her page to advertise her Pink Bottoms to her 230 000 followers.
Online Reporter