Maria Nepembe doing it all…

A cheerful and petite young lady, Maria Dhiginina Kauna Nepembe is a Namibian model, actress, fashion designer, video director, reality TV star, TV and Radio host and mentor. Maria hails from Ondangwa in northern Namibia. She gained herself a Diploma at the University of Namibia in Public Relations and later on went on to take the entertainment industry by storm both locally and continentally. Maria Nepembe rose to prominent fame after appearing in various big music videos including a leading role in PDK‘s big hit “Dirty Kandeshi” in 2012.

Maria landed herself the biggest MC gig in the country as she became the first ever model to host the NAMAs Awards. She walked for some of the biggest fashion designers in Namibia and went on to polish catwalks across Africa from Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa to mention but a few. In 2012, Maria Nepembe co-wrote and sang on the biggest campaign song to date in Namibia. Known by many as a style icon Maria took the entertainment industry by storm. In 2013, she was chosen as one of the housemate to represent Namibia in Africa’s biggest reality TV game show Big Brother Africa: The Chase which boasted over 45 million viewers across Africa and rest of the world.

After years of walking the ramp and working as a professional fashion model, Maria went on to become a fashion designer herself after launching her much anticipated clothing line “RIA”, a full clothing line that’s also accessible to people outside the country. She surprisingly launched her own “Nepembe Foundation” to help feed the less fortunate especially the young children. She is the ambassador for the Kiyola Media Group and the High Definition Hair Boutique. She has also participated in beauty pageants such as Miss University Africa 2011 held in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, where she was crowned 1st runner-up, and Miss Namibia 2012, where she made it into the top five finalists.

Mariah Nepembe become famous as a model, appearing on billboards, and taking centre stage on the runway. She established herself among the top most recognized and in-demand runway models in Namibia.

“I grew up in a household where being humble was very important. We were taught to be respectful, hardworking and to never allow outsiders to have an impact on how you feel”