A beauty pageant is defined as a competition that judges its contestants on their physical beauty. However, over the past few years these pageants have developed a different image.
The Miss South Africa competition is a leadership platform for ambitious young South African women. Through the pageant process, contestants receive world-renowned coaching and acquire advanced networking, business and life skills.
Three alumni from the North-West University set out to prove that there is more to being a pageant queen then just being beautiful.
Remember these names: Lerato Siko, Stacy Gossayn and Palesa Kheswa. They have a bright future ahead of them. These three ladies have proven that all things are possible, and it is undeniable that they are going places. We wish them all the best on this journey.
Lerato Siko
Lerato Siko, 24 years old, hails from Potchefstroom and holds a BCom degree in Marketing and Tourism Management, which she obtained in 2018. Lerato owns her own event-styling and coordination business, L A S Events, and she also works at A&E Décor.
She is currently enrolled for an online short course in Events Management at the University of Cape Town.
Lerato describes the brand pillars of the Miss South Africa pageant as a reflection of the woman she is, and that was one of the reasons why she chose to enter. “I am beautiful and I have empowered myself and others through my growing business,” she says.
This is the very first pageant that she has entered. “I did not always want to become a model, but the Miss South Africa competition has grown into more than just a beauty pageant.” She adds that it has become a platform for women to empower other women, and that is another of the reasons why she decided to enter.
Her interest in events management stems from a passion she has always had. “I was always that child who made every birthday celebration a little over the top, and then I decided to turn my passion into a business opportunity.”
“Thy will be done” is the quote she lives by. What it basically means to her is that everything happens according to God’s will, and He will only lead her to greener pastures.
Her biggest source of inspiration is her parents, Thuli and Peter Siko. “All my life they have inspired me to be the best version of me, while they set the example,” she says. “A life of working hard, staying grateful and being kind has rewarded them for their actions. The most important thing is that they always give back in one way or another in their communities.”
“I am very grateful for how far I have come. Although this is just the first step, I know I will eventually get to where I want to be, which is being an empowered woman who empowers others.”
Lerato Siko
Stacy Gossayn
“Always deliver more than what is expected.” This is a mantra that Stacy Gossayn lives by.
Twenty-three-year-old Stacy hails from Viljoenskroon, and obtained her BSc degree in Human Movement Science and Physiology in 2019.
“I entered the Miss South Africa pageant because I want to give all women an opportunity to have their own voice heard fearlessly, and for their own strength to be magnified,” she says.
She completed her secondary school career at St Conrads College, now known as Curro , in Klerksdorp, and has been modelling since the age of six.
In 2008 she won the Miss Pre-Teen South Africa pageant. Stacy is a brilliant singer – also something that she has been doing since she was just six years old.
She lists Lisa Nichols as her role model because she is a perfect example of a woman who overcame her fear and clawed her way out of poverty. Lisa found success by helping others.
Stacy attributes her success to the unconditional love and support she receives from her family.
“This achievement is absolutely unbelievable and there is no experience that can compare to what the Miss South Africa pageant has offered me,” she says.
“It has given me a wonderful platform to make a change in our country and gain great exposure to improve myself and be the best version of me.”
“Should I become Miss South Africa, I would like to see every young person receiving a good-quality education,” says Stacy.
“I want to celebrate our diversity by equipping every woman with an indestructible sense of her self-worth and an unshakable confidence in her identity, so that she will not be defined by her circumstances, but be confident in her strength, which comes from knowing who she is.”
Stacy Gossayn
Palesa Kheswa
“When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and have walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.”
“This is a quote by Michelle Obama, who also happens to be one of my role models,” says 23-year-old Palesa Kheswa, who hails from Sasolburg.
Palesa graduated with a BCom degree in Economics and Risk Management in 2019 and is currently studying towards an honours degree in Economics.
“I entered the Miss South Africa competition because the Miss South Africa platform is bigger than the winner,” she says. She also says that it represents a community of women who are driven, diverse and selfless, and that is who she is.
Palesa is no stranger to the pageant world. In 2017 she was crowned Miss North-West University, and she describes that as an experience that made a major contribution to the person she is now.
“Should I get chosen to be Miss South Africa, I would bring awareness of the social injustices that marginalised people face on a daily basis, especially if one takes into account that South Africa is a country that has many social issues that still need to be dealt with,” she adds. “Every gender and ethnic group should be afforded equal opportunities.”
“When I found out that I had made it into the top 35, I was overwhelmed, and it only really sunk in once the public announcement was made,” she exclaims.
“The support I have received has taken me by surprise, and I am extremely grateful and excited to see where this journey will lead all of us.”
What motivates her is knowing that the world needs something that she has to offer.
“I believe that God created all of us with a purpose and destiny, and it is up to us to decide the trajectory of our lives.”
Palesa Kheswa
