Kairo was also awarded Junior Judges’ Choice Overall.
DJ Zinhle is beaming with pride after her daughter with the late AKA, Kairo Forbes, won big as she kicks off her modelling career.
Kairo was awarded Junior Model of the Year 2026, as well as Junior Judges’ Choice Overall, at the Ace Models 2026 graduation.
Celebrating the win on Instagram, Kairo shared videos of her performances with the caption:”@acemodelswaterfall GRADUATION 2026 Junior Model of the Year 2026 Junior Judges’ Choice OverallCarnival • Catwalk • Pageant • Grateful heart.”
Fans and celebrities, including her mother DJ Zinhle, congratulated her in the comments.
“Whose baby is this?” DJ Zinhle wrote.
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A rising star
At just 10 years old, Kairo is already an award-winning influencer.
In 2023, she was named Social Media Kid Influencer of the Year at the third annual South African Social Media Awards
In 2024, she won the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award in the Favourite African Kidfluencer category.
Celebrating the award at the time, Kairo said she hopes to inspire other young children.
“Thank you to my family and everyone who voted for me. I’m very happy, and I appreciate your support. I hope that I inspire other kids to have dreams and that they have family who will support those dreams,” she added.
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