Ghanaian international model Rodney Osei has raised concerns about the challenges models face in Ghana, especially regarding poor pay and a lack of respect.
Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb, Rodney, who has worked with major global fashion brands like Ami Paris, Hermes Tokyo, Saint Laurent, and other notable brands, explained that one of the biggest problems in Ghana’s modelling industry is how poorly models are treated.
“The main problem in Ghana is that models are underpaid and disrespected. Disrespect is common, but there are situations where one can tolerate it to some extent. I wouldn’t say you have to accept disrespect all the time; if you know you are doing something valuable, you can endure it. However, if what you’re doing isn’t worth the disrespect, then why should you tolerate it?” Rodney said.
According to him, many people in Ghana do not value the work models do, and this is represented in how little they are paid and how they are treated during events.
Rodney also said that because of these issues, international models like himself are usually not interested in coming back to Ghana to work unless they are offered proper rates that match what they are paid in Europe.
“Models are paid really bad for shows, which is one reason why I don’t think international models are unlikely to come back unless they are offered rates to what they receive in Europe or something close to that,” he stated.
He added that some of his Ghanaian friends have stopped modelling because the industry does not reward them enough.
Some even experience situations where organisers keep the money meant for models and pay them only a small part.
“I have friends who are models in Ghana, and many have ended up quitting because it wasn’t worth it for them. Sometimes, the organisers of shows in Ghana end up pocketing money meant for the models and pay them less,” Rodney added.
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