Fame Week Africa’s Top 10 Women in Entertainment.

Fame Week Africa (FWA) 2022 has identified and selected 10 creative trailblazers women, whose work will be broadcast from August 24-26 live at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town.

South Africa Sunday Times reports that the event, which will host shows, conferences, and award ceremonies will be showcasing top African women creatives across various entertainment sectors in Africa and beyond.

“Fame Week Africa sees all these exceptional women as winners, not only for their strengths and creativity but for their collective impact on the entertainment world. Join the FWA’s Top 10 Women in Entertainment live to see how these sisters are doing it,” says Martin Hiller, creative and content director for Fame Week Africa.

Here are the candidates who made it to FWA’s Top 10 Women in Entertainment, alphabetically and by sector:

Film and television

1. Ayten Amin, film director — Egypt

The brand new poster for Ayten Amin’s stunning Souad – coming to cinemas UK-wide in just one month. Credit: BFI

Ayten Amin’s first short film Her Man has won several national prizes. In 2013, her debut feature film Villa 69 received the Special Jury Award for Arab Film at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the Cairo Film Connection Award for best film, and the Hubert Bals Fund Award at Durban FilmMart.

2. Camille Eden, vice-president of recruitment and talent development for Nickelodeon — US (animation)

Camille Eden

Camille Eden calls herself a “collaborative leader, who specializes in recruitment and talent acquisition, outreach and talent development”. She enjoys working with creatives at all levels to help them achieve their goals.

Eden’s work includes being one of 54 black animation professionals who recreated the iconic Great Day in Harlem with Nickelodeon.

3. Dorothy Ghettuba, director of Africa originals at Netflix — Kenya

Dorothy Ghettuba

Dorothy Ghettuba is a Kenyan film and TV entrepreneur and the director of the original series for Africa on Netflix. She is a co-founder of the Nairobi-based Spielworks Media, an African production company launched in 2009.

In 2016, she was named among C. Hub magazine’s 100 most influential creative personalities. Ghettuba is also a 2016 Archbishop Tutu fellow with the African Leadership Institute.

4. Nomsa Philiso, executive head of programming, general entertainment at M-Net — SA

Nomsa Philiso

Nomsa Philiso has extensive broadcast and media experience spanning over 25 years in media sales, channel and content management, technology project implementation, and general management.

MD, anthropologist & award-winning film/tv producer, Mehret Mandefro

The same year she co-produced the film Difret, directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari. Mandefro also co-executive produced a 2019 Mehari film titled, Sweetness in the Belly, and the documentary The Loving Generation, which she co-directed and co-produced was nominated for a Webby People’s Voice Award.

6. Mimi Bartels, head of the production of FilmOne Entertainment — Nigeria

Mimi Bartels

Mimi Bartels’ career includes more than nine years in content creation, film production, and distribution. Her focus is on the collaborative building of creative excellence to push Nigerian storytelling to its maximum.

Music

7. Antos Stella, MD — Content Connect Africa — SA

Antos Stella, MD — Content Connect Africa — SA

With a significant impact on SA music for over 30 years, Antos Stella is a well-respected businesswoman in the industry. Bridging the gap between creative and business, Stella has been part of some of SA’s biggest international artist deals, and is a leading content aggregator, with a focus on telecommunications and digital distribution.

8. Domanique Grant, singer-songwriter — Canada

Domanique Grant. Credit: HipHopCanada

As a creator and three-time award-winning entrepreneur, Grant works with brands, thought leaders, and media to “share what millennials feel”.

Her critically acclaimed EP Playhouse has been performed on over half the continents around the world, she’s also one of 20 artists out of 1,000 in Canada selected for the Socan TD Incubator, which recognizes artists with high viability.

9. Namakau Star, Singer — SA 

Namakau Star, Singer — SA

In June 2022, Namakau Star launched her debut 7-track EP, Landing, through Paradise Sound Systems. Born in Johannesburg and now residing in Cape Town, she has been noted for her influence in the alternative RnB and Hip-Hop scene, TV appearances, and commendations from different media outlets.

In 2021, her music gained popularity through Apple Music’s curated playlists and on the Queens of RnB segment on MTV Base.

10. XXC Legacy, artist, and cross-trainer ambassador — SA 

XXC Legacy takes the entertainment industry by storm

Born Courtney Thandiswa Mthethwa, this noted young singer, rapper, theatrical performer, clarinetist, pianist, and violinist has been dubbed a visionary for her achievements in the music and entertainment scene.

Mthethwa graduated from the National School of the Arts, where she studied music theory, learned piano and clarinet, and participated in musical theatre productions.