Know Your Market: Put Your Energy Where the Opportunities Are

Johannesburg, Cape Town or overseas? Your location matters. Understanding the market you are in will help you focus your time, energy and expectations in the right direction.

One of the most important things a model can learn is that modelling is not one single industry with the same opportunities everywhere.

Every city has its own market.

The clients are different.
The productions are different.
The types of models being booked are different.
And the amount of work available can be very different.

Understanding this can make a big difference to your career.

Instead of constantly looking at what another model is doing in another city or country, learn to ask:

What opportunities are actually available to me where I am?

Johannesburg: Work the market you have

Johannesburg has an important modelling market, but it is predominantly a local market.

Johannesburg is South Africa's major business centre, but that doesn't mean that most major national or international advertising campaigns are produced there.

Many brands have significant headquarters and marketing operations in Cape Town, while Cape Town has also developed into a major production destination for national and international campaigns.

That doesn't mean there is no work in Johannesburg.

There is.

But models based in Johannesburg need to understand the type of work that is realistically available to them.

This can include:

• Local commercial work

• TVCs

• Corporate campaigns

• Retail

• FMCG

• Lifestyle

• E-commerce

• Social media content

• Local fashion

• Editorial

• Fashion shows

• Promotional and corporate work

If you're based in Johannesburg, don't spend all your energy waiting for an international campaign to come to you.

Work the market you have.

Attend castings.

Build experience.

Develop your commercial skills.

Keep yourself professionally ready.

Attend relevant workshops.

Build relationships within the local industry.

And be available when opportunities come in.

Johannesburg can be an excellent place to establish yourself as a working model and gain the experience you need to move into other markets later.

Cape Town: Take advantage of the production market

Cape Town operates differently.

It has a strong connection to commercial production, international service productions, lifestyle, fashion, editorial and location-based work.

International and national productions are attracted to Cape Town for its locations, production infrastructure, established crews and overall production environment.

Many brands also have significant operations in the city.

If you're based in Cape Town, you therefore have an opportunity to position yourself closer to where a significant amount of production activity takes place.

But again, simply being in Cape Town isn't enough.

You need to be ready.

Keep your digitals current.

Keep your measurements updated.

Be prepared for short-notice castings.

Be comfortable on camera.

Know how to take direction.

Know how to behave professionally on set.

Be able to work a full day.

And most importantly:

Be available.

A model can have the right look, but if they cannot attend the casting or are unavailable for the shoot, the opportunity will go to somebody else.

If you're in Cape Town, make the most of the market around you.

Overseas: Understand the market before you go

Then there is the international market.

This is where models need to be particularly realistic.

Going overseas can be an incredible opportunity, but not every model will be suited to every international market.

International fashion agencies can have very specific requirements depending on the city, agency, division and type of modelling they represent.

Height can be particularly important.

As a general indication, many international fashion agencies look for women around the 174–182 cm+ range and men around 183–191 cm+, although requirements vary considerably between agencies and markets.

Measurements can also matter.

For female fashion models, bust, waist and particularly hip measurements can be important because many international fashion clients work with specific sample sizes.

For male models, height, chest, waist, clothing size and overall proportions are generally more important considerations.

But measurements aren't everything.

Agencies also consider:

• Face

• Bone structure

• Proportions

• Presence

• Walk

• Movement

• Age

• Personality

• Editorial potential

• Commercial potential

• How you photograph

• Your overall look

• What their board needs

• What their clients are currently booking

Different international markets also have different demand for different looks, backgrounds and aesthetics.

There is no single "international look".

The important question is:

Does your particular look and profile fit a particular agency and market?

Thinking about going overseas? Talk to us first

If you are an AURA model and you're thinking about going overseas, talk to us before booking flights, accommodation or making major financial commitments.

Don't simply decide that you are going to Milan, Paris, London or New York because you see other models working there.

Let's first look at whether you are suitable for an international market and, if so, which market is most appropriate for you.

If we believe you have international potential, we can contact agencies overseas that we believe would suit your look and profile.

The goal isn't to send your application to every agency you can find.

The goal is to identify the right agencies in the right markets.

For one model, that might be Milan.

For another, Paris.

For another, London or New York.

For another, a completely different market.

And for some models, our advice may be:

Build more experience in South Africa first.

That is not a failure.

It is good career management.

Don't spend money chasing a market that doesn't fit

Going overseas can be expensive.

Flights.

Accommodation.

Transport.

Food.

Time away from home.

Visas and working requirements.

And potentially weeks or months without guaranteed income.

Don't spend all that money before finding out whether agencies are actually interested in your profile.

Don't travel first and ask questions later.

Speak to your agency.

Research the market.

Understand the requirements.

Make sure your materials are appropriate.

Get your digitals and measurements up to date.

Approach suitable agencies.

Then make an informed decision.

Don't assume every city is the same

One of the biggest mistakes models make is comparing their careers to models in completely different markets.

A model in Johannesburg might wonder why they aren't getting the same opportunities as someone in Cape Town.

A model in Cape Town might wonder why they aren't booking the same jobs as someone in London.

And a model considering New York might assume that simply being there will create opportunities.

It doesn't work that way.

The market comes with its own opportunities and its own challenges.

Your job is to understand those differences.

Don't confuse Instagram with the real market

Social media makes the modelling world look incredibly accessible.

You can scroll through Instagram and see models working in New York, Milan, Paris, London, Cape Town and Johannesburg within seconds of each other.

It can make it look as though the same opportunities exist everywhere.

They don't.

What you see online is also not the complete picture of someone's career.

You don't see every rejection.

You don't see every unsuccessful casting.

You don't see how long someone waited for their opportunity.

And you don't necessarily see where they are actually making their money.

Don't use Instagram as your measure of where you should be.

Use the real market around you as your guide.

Where should you put your energy?

Think about your location and ask yourself what makes the most sense.

If you're in Johannesburg

Put your energy into:

Local commercial work → TVCs → corporate → retail → lifestyle → e-commerce → local fashion

Build experience.

Build professionalism.

Be available.

Make yourself useful to the market that is actually around you.

If you're in Cape Town

Put your energy into:

Production → TVCs → international campaigns → lifestyle → fashion → editorial → commercial

Be production-ready.

Be available for castings.

Keep your information current.

Take advantage of the production environment around you.

If you're considering overseas

Put your energy into:

Research → market suitability → agency relationships → preparation → strategic placement

Don't simply choose a city.

Choose a market that makes sense for you.

Sometimes you need to go where the work is

Understanding your market doesn't mean you have to stay where you are.

Sometimes the opportunity is in another city.

A Johannesburg model may need to travel to Cape Town for a major production.

A Cape Town model may need to travel to Johannesburg for a local campaign.

An established South African model may need to travel internationally for a specific job.

That's part of the industry.

But travel should be opportunity-driven, not desperation-driven.

Don't spend thousands travelling to another city simply because you heard there might be castings.

Have a reason.

Have a plan.

And understand what you're travelling for.

Your career doesn't have to look like someone else's

There is no single formula for a successful modelling career.

One model may build a strong career through commercials.

Another through fashion.

Another through TVCs.

Another through e-commerce and lifestyle.

Another may eventually work internationally.

Another may build a successful career entirely within South Africa.

There is no shame in building a career in your local market.

The important thing is that you understand what that market offers and make the most of it.

The AURA Standard™

At AURA, we believe being a professional model is about much more than looking good in photographs.

It's about understanding the business you have chosen to work in.

Know your look.

Know your strengths.

Know your market.

Know where the work is.

And then put your energy where it has the best chance of becoming an opportunity.

You don't have to chase everything.

You don't have to be everywhere.

You don't have to go overseas simply because another model did.

You need to be in the right market, prepared for the right opportunity, at the right time.

Sometimes the smartest decision is to work the market you're in.

Sometimes it's to travel to where the work is.

And sometimes it's to let your agency help you find the international market where you actually fit.

Know your market. Work your market. And know when it's time to move beyond it.