Club promoters are new cool kids on the block, writes Sixolisiwe Ndawo

KARDASHIAN lover Scott Disick did it. Tiger Woods's mistress Rachel Uchitel was it. And Paris Hilton turned it into a thriving business.

Club promoters and hostesses are the new cool kids the in-crowd wants to run with.

They are flashy, sexy, extravagant and, most important, hold the power to determine whether your name is on the list to get into an exclusive club.

One of Mzansi's most enduring socialites, Babalwa Mneno, is now part of the cool kids.

She was head-hunted by Jozi's celebrity nightclub promoter, Chris Nkosi, to head up a night at Sandton club Cocoon.

"Because everyone cannot party during weekends, I came up with the idea of a party night on Wednesdays.

"I don't do a lot of marketing. But friends and Twitter play a huge part in making my Cocoon nights a hit," says Mneno, who admits to being a party animal.

Twitter celeb Nkanyezi Qubheka is the man to follow if you are one of Jozi's "Likers of Things".

He uses the social platform as a modern-day flyer for parties and to promote his brand.

"I promote everything, from parties and award ceremonies to giving away telecommunications products and a whole lot more," he says.

Qubheka has more than 36 000 followers. This means that he pockets a tidy sum for pushing brands and events.

He helped to revive the once thriving Zone 6 club in Pimville, Soweto.

"Twitter plays a crucial role in connecting the world."

In his one-year career as a social media club and brand promoter, Qhubeka singles out this year's MTN South African Music Awards.

"It has to be my highlight and the best promotional work I've done.

"Social media went crazy the whole week leading up to the main event."

Local promoters and celebrities aren' t prepared to discuss the rands and cents, but international stars such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian have been known to take home more than $100000. Lindsay Lohan reportedly pocketed $350000 - one of the largest amounts to date for one night of club promotion.

Nonhle Thema, who sometimes hosts special evenings with Khanyi Mbau at Moloko in Pretoria, is happy that South Africa has "finally caught up with the trend".

"In the US, celebsdo it every week in every city," says Thema, addingthat the pay cheque "makes us smile".

On Friday, she and Mbau hosted a joint birthday party at R100 a head.

Former model Mirriam Ngomani is another party girl. Her model agency provides party and club hostesses.

"We do promotions for companies like The Dukes Ambassador, FTV, Joy of Jazz and the Sports Awards," she says of her K-Mile Models signings, who score high on "looks, personality and height".

The promo girls get between R80 and R250 an hour.

"That's good money for the girls because there are always events happening," says Ngomani.

"There are some people who think they are h**s. But they are not.

"Some organisations, depending on their budget, train the girls on their brand. there will always be those men who want to try their luck.

"A lot of people don't know that promotions is a crazy industry on its own and it's growing," she says.