Rate Up: Meet Natalie Fort - "The Peoples Choice"

Background

Natalie Fort begun her career as a Model at age 13, following her training with the Exopa Modeling Agency. She quickly rose to become one of Ghana’s youngest Fashion Models. During her over three years in Modeling, Natalie has graced the runways of many notable designers and fashion brands both locally and internationally; some of which include, Vliso Hollandais (Africa, UK, US), Duaba Serwaa (Ghana, UK), Kofi Ansah (Africa, UK), Brigitte Merki (Africa, UK, US), Ohema Ohene (Ghana, UK), amongst others.

Aged 14, Natalie participated in the Ghana Fashion Week, where she modeled for designer, Jojo Castilo in honor of the election of the United States first ever African-American President, Barack Obama, along with American Actor, Boris Cudjoe. At the age of 15, Natalie was selected to represent Ghana at international beauty pageant, Miss Princess of the World, in Prague, Czech Republic in 2011.

Throughout Natalie’s modeling and media career, she has been featured in publications such as Adeshie Magazine (cover feature), Daily Graphic, Junior Graphic, The Mirror, The Spectator newspapers (front page feature), The Business Executive Magazine 89th issue (full page feature), amongst others.

In 2012, Natalie Fort boldly took up the challenge of setting up her very own company, Fort Model Management, in view of her passion for and experience in the fashion space. The company went on to train over 20 models and secured contracts with leading firms such as, Dark&Lovely of L’Oreal.

Today the Fort Model Management operates as the Fort Finishing School, training young women and female Executives in corporate etiquette, protocol, and cultural norms for personal and professional development. Natalie is also the Founder of jewelry retail brand, Fort Jewellery & Co., apparel company, Fort & Fashion and African centered art gallery, Fort Art Gallery.

Natalie Fort’s businesses operate under registered firm, the Fort Group; a lifestyle, business facilitation, media and humanitarian organization which seeks to grow into one of the most sought after firms in Ghana, and across Africa.

News 360

After delving into the business world, Natalie returned to pursue her education, studying Classical and Operatic Music with the Royal Academy of Music (UK), after which she took a course in Television Presentation and Scriptwriting with the Accra Film School. In October 2015, at age 20 Natalie landed a job as Newscaster and Broadcast Journalist with TV3 Network of the Media General Group, Ghana’s leading media conglomerate. Although she had no previous training or experience in the field of Journalism she quickly learnt the tricks of the trade and rose to become the network’s lead female News Anchor.

Natalie had her first on air experience as an anchor of TV3's five-minute on-the-hour news bulletin, ‘News in Brief.’ Afterwards, she was selected to anchor the 15-minute ‘Business News’ segment on TV3's breakfast show, ‘New Day.’ In a short while, Natalie was promoted to solely anchor ‘Midday Live’ over the weekends. As part of this, she conducted interviews on topical issues such as the setting up of a Railway Ministry by the then newly-elected NPP administration led by President Akufo-Addo, and the political tension in Gambia, following the election of Adama Barrow as President. In less than one year, Ms. Fort was selected to co-anchor ‘News 360’, TV3's leading news bulletin, over the weekend alongside seasoned Journalists, Abu Issa Monnie and Paa Kwesi Asare. Following the Network’s decision to rebrand its leading news bulletin, News 360, Natalie Fort was selected together with Journalist, Alfred Ocansey to serve as the faces of primetime; together they anchored the bulletin every weekday.

Within this period News 360 was twice rated number one by global research leader, Geopoll. Natalie also secured impressive nominations and awards, including the Excellent Personality Merit Award for August 2017 presented by Premier Brands Ghana, she was nominated Female Newscaster of the Year by the Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards for the years 2017 and 2018, Natalie also received the Gold Star Order of the Companion of Honor presented to her by the United Nations for Humanitarian Achievements. In 2019 Natalie was awarded Emerging TV Personality of the Year by the Business Executive Ghana. She was also rated a Young Emerger for 2017 by Kuulpeeps and ranked 23rd on the list of 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians compiled by Avance Media. Aside news anchoring, Natalie reported on the General and International News Desk of Media General, she compiled stories exploring the wearing of Hijabs by Muslim women, to the alternative uses of the Coconut shell in the production of charcoal, and the legalization of Marijuana. Natalie also developed a documentary titled ‘Where is Ghana Airways today?’ highlighting the absence of a national carrier. With a passion for International news reportage, Natalie worked to renew the international desk through the filing of stories on the refugee and migrant crises, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, role of the African Union in modern day Africa, crises in Sudan among others. Natalie interviewed various resource persons including former Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Ghana, Christine Evans-Klock, and International Organization for Migration Chief of Mission in Ghana, Benin and Togo, Sylvia Lopez Ekra, Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Femi Abikoye and International Relations Expert, Vladmir Antwi-Danso on topical international affairs issues.

Natalie’s reportage on the refugee and migrant crises, gained her a one-year appointment as a High-Level Influencer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) a role in which she served from 2018 to 2019. During this period she promoted the UNHCR’s LuQuLuQu Project which seeks to encourage Africans to support African refugees. Natalie believes philanthropy and humanitarianism is at the core of her being, hence she actively supports the less fortunate through her position as Patron of the Ghana Philanthropy Forum (GPF). Natalie is also the founder of the Fort Foundation which seeks to improve Ghana’s healthcare sector through the refurbishment of healthcare centers, and provision of financial aid to less fortunate patients with healthcare needs, through the Fort Fund.

Natalie is of the firm belief that anything is possible with God, hard work and the right attitude. She seeks to use her platform to inspire the youth, especially young women to be the best they can be, and aspire to live their dreams.