Ashley Ogle wins the Chery Brand Impact Award in a dazzling cross-continental coup that’s spotlighted the 26-year-old South African sensation’s meteoric rise from Big Brother Mzansi eviction to global ambassador glory, as the former housemate scooped the honour at the Chery 2025 Global Summit for turbo-charging brand buzz in under a year.
The Johannesburg native, whose February 2025 boot from the reality show’s steamy drama catapulted her into the limelight, was hailed for her electric campaigns that racked up millions in social sway, aligning perfectly with Chery’s aggressive push into Africa’s vibrant markets.
The summit, a glittering affair at Beijing’s opulent Great Hall with delegates from 80 nations rubbing shoulders amid sleek Tiggo SUV displays, crowned Ogle amid thunderous applause from execs who pegged her as the “face of forward motion”.
“Ashley’s authenticity turned heads and revved engines – her posts alone sparked 2.5 million interactions, blending Mzansi flair with Chery’s drive,” gushed Chery Marketing VP Li Wei in a post-ceremony toast, clinking glasses over dim sum platters.
Ogle, radiant in a crimson qipao fused with Zulu beadwork, clutched the crystal trophy like a hard-won relic, her speech a soul-stirring nod to resilience: “From villa votes to vehicle vibes, this is for every dreamer who got evicted but never checked out.” Her journey’s a plot twist straight from a Nollywood script.
Evicted in week 10 of Big Brother Mzansi’s fourth season – amid housemate hookups and heated head-to-heads that drew 15 million viewers – Ogle emerged not bruised, but unbreakable.
“That door slam? It was my launchpad,” she quipped in a pre-summit interview with SowetanLIVE, crediting the show’s spotlight for inking her Chery deal in March.
As ambassador, she’s fronted TikTok takeovers from Cape Town test drives to Instagram Lives unpacking the Omoda 5’s eco-edge, netting 40% engagement spikes in SA’s youth demo.
Chery, the Chinese auto titan eyeing 20% African sales growth by 2027, sees her as the secret sauce: “Emerging markets crave relatable icons; Ashley’s our accelerator,” noted analyst Thabo Mthembu from Johannesburg’s AutoWeek.