Zimbabwean Woman Causes Stir as Chinese TV News Anchor Options

[northstar]

Zimbabwean Woman Causes Stir as Chinese TV News Anchor

A 28-year-old Zimbabwean International Relations & Diplomacy graduate has made waves in China after becoming the first African news presenter on Chinese Mainland, and perhaps the whole of Asia last year.

Vimbayi Kajese, 28, first visited China in 2004 and then moved there permanently in 2006, making Beijing her new home.


^ Vimbayi at work on CCTV-9 (Picture: CCTV).

Vimbayi now works as the early morning news presenter at CCTV-9, the English Channel of China Central Television. Her bright smile, eloquent diction and elegant demeanour have impressed millions of TV viewers and internet users around the world.

Feedback from online comments show just how much of a spectacle Vimbayi’s appointment is. One reader wrote: “Hello. Am Kenyan. Truly am impressed by your work. I get bored watching BBC news sometimes and to listen to a second opinion I turn to CCTV. Today I wasn’t sure if I was on the right channel. A woman of my colour doing some very good work. Anyway wanted to tell you keep it up…”

Another fan writes; "I love you hairstyle very much. Thank you for beautiful voice that make me happy everyday." And another; "Hi sister Kajese, always feel great to see you on air. I'm so proud of you...."

While doing her first degree in the United States, Vimbayi applied for and received a scholarship for an all-expenses-paid trip to China. It was on this trip, in 2004, that she first fell in love with the country. She was fascinated by the culture, the food and of course the people, who reminded her of Africa more than the Americans had.




^ Vimbayi Kajese- news anchor and fashionista (Pictures: CCTV and Vimbayi FB profile).

After completing her undergraduate degree, she chose to leave the United States and pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) in Beijing. After graduating from CFAU, Vimbayi decided to stay in China and got a job working for Reuters TV. It was months later that she applied to work for CCTV-9 and much later that she got accepted.

While China is her new home, Vimbayi is keen to remind people that there is more to Africa than the jungle, heat and adventure.

She told CCTV during an interview; “You know, people normally associate Africa with wild life and the safaris. But the true essence of Africa that I’d like to stress first and foremost is the people. Unfortunately, through the one-dimensional lens of the media, we the people have been relegated to the background of the wild life spectacle.

“The real adventure and beauty of Africa is through engagement with us the people; understanding our vastness in terms of cultural, religious and racial diversity; it's too grand to be summed up in a few words, let alone be represented by one person and or one nation alone.”

The multi-talented Vimbayi has also done a number of fashion shoots including for Rolling Stone China and the other publications. She is the editor of Charitarian Magazine Africa-China and the public relations officer and media counsellor for Young African Professionals and Students (YAPS), an organisation whose aim is to create a platform to position young Africans in China as active participants in the development of Africa-China relations

[Red Fox Ace]

If she can speak Mandarin, that would take the public even more by storm.

Glad to see this story.

[MiCC]

Eh she whatever, in one of her interview she stated that she doesnt date Chinese men, why even bother settle in china if you have that kind of mentality.

[FlyingTigers]

Eh she whatever, in one of her interview she stated that she doesnt date Chinese men, why even bother settle in china if you have that kind of mentality.

And this on a forum where people say white people should stop dating Asians. Should only Chinese women willing to date white men move to America, Canada and the UK?

[KraterosHellas]

africans are cool. always multilingual

[MiCC]

And this on a forum where people say white people should stop dating Asians. Should only Chinese women willing to date white men move to America, Canada and the UK?

I'm just saying if u have no attraction to Asian men, why the he'll are u doing in that country when it's 99.9999% Asian men, and it wasnt me that said white people should stop dating Asians. there's also a high percentage of Chinese population in the countries u stated.

This post has been edited by MiCC: Apr 11 2011, 07:45 PM

[windsurfer]

Whatever and whoever she wants to date is very personal. It should not cause a bother to anyone. Dating and man-woman affair is a lot more intimate and 'physical' than living in an environment. She is a pretty woman.

[faydabakery]

She likes Chinese culture. Why is her dating life even an issue?

[Gideon]

She likes Chinese culture. Why is her dating life even an issue?

If she isn't willing to date a chinese man, then she doesn't truly "like" chinese culture in my opinion. I know liking a guy has nothing to do with the culture but it just seems like her liking chinese culture is some how.... incomplete.

I'd never move to an almost homogeneous country if I'm not attracted to the women there. I can't fathom how she's willing to do that.

[faydabakery]

If she isn't willing to date a chinese man, then she doesn't truly "like" chinese culture in my opinion. I know liking a guy has nothing to do with the culture but it just seems like her liking chinese culture is some how.... incomplete.

I'd never move to an almost homogeneous country if I'm not attracted to the women there. I can't fathom how she's willing to do that.

Who knows. Give her some time. I've seen it happen before. Also, I think women are different from men in that regard. Women are less visual than men.

However, I don't think I'd be able to move to an almost homogeneous country where I'm not interested in the women, either.

[charizardpal]

Good! It'd be nice to see more Africans outside of commercials and in mainstream Asian tv treated as normal people.

[Lorax]

only a mindless pinhead do not realize that racism affects people's wishes for who they will date. it's only naive knuckle dragging brainwashed chimps like faydabakery that have been so brainwashed by the media that he is essentially a slave to the devil.

[Lorax]

Can you imagine if a Chinese man was on an African news TV and had said that he refused to date Black women? He would be run out of the country he was in. The Chinese are some of the most tolerant people in the world and it's stuff like this that proves it.

This post has been edited by Lorax: Apr 12 2011, 04:32 PM

[newties21]

She does speak a bit of Chinese.

She seems to like her stay and seems to be enjoying her time in China.

How do I know all this ?

Well, by coincidence, I watched a segment on YouTube some time back, and she was on it :

The Africa Niche

Eh she whatever, in one of her interview she stated that she doesnt date Chinese men, why even bother settle in china if you have that kind of mentality.

Yea.....thats the interview that you're talking about.....

But I think thats understandable......
She said there is still some cultural gap / distance.....

Can you imagine if a Chinese man was on an African news TV and had said that he refused to date Black women? He would be run out of the country he was in. The Chinese are some of the most tolerant people in the world and it's stuff like this that proves it.

Click the link above.
It's not so severe like what you think.
Normal.

This post has been edited by newties21: Apr 12 2011, 05:02 PM

[Henry123]

If she isn't willing to date a chinese man, then she doesn't truly "like" chinese culture in my opinion. I know liking a guy has nothing to do with the culture but it just seems like her liking chinese culture is some how.... incomplete.

Would you say the same thing for Asians living in predominatly white countries???

[Lorax]

Click the link above.
It's not so severe like what you think.
Normal.

Yeah, it didn't look that bad at all. The person I responded to probably exaggerated.

[Titanium]

If she likes Chinese culture and is willing to abide by Chinese law she's more than welcome to make China her new home.

[samnang]

i've always wondered why al jazeera seems to hire tons of white people.

and russia today has no russian anchors.

[windsurfer]

i've always wondered why al jazeera seems to hire tons of white people.

and russia today has no russian anchors.

if they are not hired, can they be sold well in us, can, europe ...?!

[faydabakery]

only a mindless pinhead do not realize that racism affects people's wishes for who they will date. it's only naive knuckle dragging brainwashed chimps like faydabakery that have been so brainwashed by the media that he is essentially a slave to the devil.

You are obviously the bigger pinhead who needs to travel the world more because you're unable to grasp interracial dating. Go back to your racist hell.