Bio
Rachel Stuart is a Zimbabwean-born South African model and television presenter best known for her role as a suitcase model in the M-Net game show Deal or No Deal (2007-2008) and for presenting the interactive music show O-boma on Channel O, from 2007-2009.
She has also appeared in advertisements for the following brands: Dark and Lovely, Kellogg’s, Spitz, Shield, Axe, Surf, Kia Motors, MTN, Edgars, Jet Clothing Store, Engen and Total, among others.
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Rachel comes from a small family. Her schooling was done in Zimbabwe and she began her modeling career when she was 15 years old, doing school pageants.
She won a modeling contract with the top modeling agency in Zimbabwe, Medusa Promotions, and in 1998 she won the Miss Zimbabwe pageant and represented her country in the Miss Universe competition held in Hawaii.
In 1999 her agency entered her in a Supermodel competition which she did not win, however she was offered a contract to model in South Africa for G3 Model Agency, where she remains today.
Rachel studied to be a secretary and it was her very first job. She was a secretary for Medusa for three months and from there the owner of the modeling agency referred her for a job at National Merchant Bank, one of the best institutions to work for at the time.
She had her first and last corporate job there, having started when she was 19. She worked her way up to being the Personal Assistant to the Corporate Finance and Legal Advisory Office and worked for the bank for a total of 5 years.
When the political situation in Zimbabwe became unstable, Rachel figured it was the best time for her to finally start her contract with G3 Model Agency. She said goodbye to the corporate world and entered the modeling industry when she was 24.
Since relocating to South Africa, Rachel has worked with the best photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists and fashion stylists in the industry. She has done all facets of modeling from print media to TV commercials, magazine work and ramp/fashion shows.
Her first taste of television work besides commercials was the game show Deal or No Deal. While shooting the first season of the show she did a TV interview promoting it and was spotted by Natano Brache, one of the bosses at Channel O.
Rachel went for an audition and got the job as one of the new presenters on the interactive music show O-boma. Channel O exposed her to the music industry, from interviewing artists to attending many of the music industry events, and it was there that she also gained MC'ing experience.
In July 2009 she joined the SABC3 entertainment magazine show Flash! as a co-presenter, replacing Isabella de Villiers with just eight episodes of the first season remaining.
She made her debut in the 18th episode, on 29 July, 2009.
Rachel in Deal or No Deal
Rachel in a promo for Flash!