Vanessa Haywood

Vanessa Haywood (b. 1978) is a South African actress, model, television presenter and businesswoman, standing in at 5' 8" (1.73 m). Vanessa has been an entertainer from a very early age, appearing in her first theatre production at the age of 4. The budding actress appeared on stage throughout her childhood and as a teenager, dancing and acting.

In 2000, she was a Miss South Africa finalist where she was spotted by one of the most sought after modeling agencies in South Africa. Her modeling career took her to various exotic destinations all over the world and she lived between London, Hamburg and Cape Town. She has appeared on countless magazine covers such as Elle, Shape, Woman & Home, Bicycling, and Living & Loving, and has been the face of a number of successful campaigns.

Vanessa’s love of entertainment lead her to study drama to further her acting career in film and television, but not before gaining diplomas in both marketing and business management. She recently completed a course in Digital Marketing through the Red & Yellow School.

Her successful television career started well before her film career did, having presented for Groen (Kyknet), Top Billing (SABC 3), AgriTV (SABC 1), Superdance (ETV) and Wildlife Video Cast (Asia). She also hosted her own entertainment slot on 2 Oceans Vibe Radio, and is an avid free-lance writer and voice artist.

Her biggest career success came in 2009 when she was cast as the leading lady for District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) which sat at number 1 at the Box Office for 3 weeks, taking in more than $200 000 million. It was nominated for 4 Oscars. She also had small roles in The Sweet Shop, Blood Diamond and Hey Boy.