Limpopo girls in TV advert

Date: 13 July 2012 By: Linda van der Westhuizen

Being part of an advert produced by an  international multi-billion-rand company does not happen to everyone regularly.

“It was absolutely fabulous to do something like that, something totally different. They used about 70 Limpopo girls in the advert, many of whom were local schoolgirls,” said Carolyn Ingram, a teacher at Ridgeway College in Makhado, who was responsible for the casting of the Johnson’s African Nurture television advert.

“Five of the Limpopo girls were featured and the rest were extras,” said Caity Hutchison of Johnson and Johnson. The main leads were from Johannesburg.

Abigail Ramovha, one of the Limpopo leads and a former Miss Northern Province and Miss Univen 2001, related her experience. “I was busy cooking when I got a call that auditions were taking place at the Makhado show grounds. I just threw the apron down and went there. After two days, I got a call to come for the second round of auditions. I think they liked my natural hair,” Abigail said with a smile. 

“The girls worked incredibly hard and had to be ready for make-up at four in the morning. They camped for four nights and three days and for some of them it was their first experience of camping,” said Carolyn.

Abigail could not communicate with her husband and two young boys, aged 4 and 6, for the whole of the shoot. “There was no network coverage! But the shooting was so exciting. We went to different places and shot in mountains, at a fountain, in valleys and at the largest baobab tree. In the end, they took only the best shots,” Abigail said.

Johnson and Johnson’s brand manager confirmed that the ad was shot at Van Coller Pass in Waterpoort in November last year. The advert opens with the girls in a valley in the middle of the two mountain ranges, and ends with an aerial shot of all the girls moving around a baobab tree. In between are beautiful shots of women winding down the mountain, women among flowers and moving through a river. The river was actually not shallow, but Donald Fridjhon from Makhado built the platform that was under the water. Donald was  the set and prop designer, did the location scouting  and was the construction manager. 

The women and girls look absolutely lovely in their flowing dresses in yellow, light green, dark green, pink, apricot, blue and purple. The colours represent almost all of the colours of the product range, which currently includes a body lotion and a body cream. Baobab, combined with African Jasmine, is one of the seven combined fragrances used in the range. The baobab tree was very prominent in the advert.

“Our product development team confirms that we use an essence of baobab in the fragrance of the product.  The products contain no natural oils. The product has been very well received, and after a month in the market, we are very happy with the results,” said Laura Nel, Johnson and Johnson's head of corporate affairs on 3 July.

Another one of the Limpopo leads is also very happy, because she could pay her tuition fees with the generous remuneration she received. “It was a fantastic and challenging opportunity and I am grateful that I could pay for my IT studies,” said Virginia Ramovha. The extras  were also remunerated.

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Linda van der Westhuizen

Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.

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