It’s exciting to see one of the women featured in our #LLAInterview series gaining global recognition for her outstanding work and contributions. Jokate Mwegelo is an ex-beauty queen, musician, actress, and entrepreneur all rolled into one! Her rise to stardom started when she volunteered for the United Nations and entered for the Miss Tanzania contest. Although she was not crowned queen that night, the contest opened several doors of opportunities.
Mwegelo, with a burst of adrenaline, knew she could not let these opportunities pass her by. The first thing she did was test her acting skills. She landed a role in a movie called Fake Pastors and it was a success. This paved way for more roles, earned her two awards at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, and also a stint as a musician collaborating with the likes of Nigerian multiple award-winning hip-hop star Ice Prince.
Not satisfied with that achievement, Mwegelo enrolled in the University and graduated with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy. This course, however, did not satisfy her desire to do more. Mwegelo went ahead to use her savings to start Kidoti Company, a lifestyle brand. She started by designing clothes for popular artists, rolled out her hair extension line and that marked the beginning of great things for her company. Now, Kidoti designs and manufactures synthetic hair extensions, sandals and bags.
She is the brain behind ‘Be Kidotified’, a campaign which empowers young girls by building sports facilities in public schools, and through education and entrepreneurship. She is one of the women listed in the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 list and we are just so proud!
