Local beauty makes a comeback
Reigning Miss Durban University of Technology (DUT) pageant queen Hlengiwe Sabela has made it to the semi-finals of the Mrs South Africa pageant.
IN 2002, Sabela entered Miss Durban and ranked in the top five and stood a chance to be selected for preliminary judging for Miss South Africa.
However, a week before the pageant she found out she was pregnant. “I felt sick a week before the pageant so I went to the doctor and to my surprise I found out that I was 16 weeks pregnant in my first year of university. I felt like that was the end of my pageant life and all my hard work and dedication to pageants went down the drain,” she said.
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Sabela studied Retail Business Management and graduated Cum-Laude.
The New Germany competitor, said when she got married last year her interest in pageants and beauty took a back seat until her husband informed her that there was a Mrs South Africa pageant. Sabela said she visited the Mrs South Africa’s website and completed her application on the last day of entries.
“I have been in the modelling industry for many years prior to Mrs South Africa, I was part of an agency called Lets Face it, where I did ramp-modelling.
“I have always been an artsy individual as I have previously entered Idols SA and made it to the top 50. I sang alongside many well known South African artists,” she smiled.
Sabela said her main goal is to “empower women and make them aware that there is life after mistakes.”
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According to Sabela, she is in the process of setting up her non-profit organisation, Kuhleliwe, which is run by Sabela, her son and her mother. She strives to look after the needs of those from her hometown community of Clermont, Kwadabeka D section.
“My NPO will provide school clothes, stationery, clothing, food, support and help in anyway to uplift the community,” she said. She emphasised that the main goal of the NPO is to remove young drug-addicts from the street.
“So many bright youngsters with vast potential have ruined their lives through drug and alcohol abuse, I continue to motivate them by sharing my story and making them realise that if I can better my life the so can they.”
Sabela also has a fitness apparel brand called YAS which is applicable to both males and females, her tag-lines are ‘be your own hypeman’ and ‘be your own cheerleader’.
Sabela said her main goal is to come back with that crown and make a change within struggling communities to create something great to live for and to have functional families.
To help Sabela reach the finals, the public can vote by sending ‘Hlengiwe Sabela’ to 47587, SMS cost R3. The beauty queen asks that individuals follow her journey via Facebook at Hlengiwe Sabela Mrs SA Finalist 2022 or on Instagram at Hlengiwe Sabz.
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