She is representing Limpopo as a semi-finalist in the prestigious event. Lerato started taking part in pageants when she was in high school at 16 as a way of self-expression and to build confidence after being bullied about her slim appearance. The same year she won Miss Independent Giyani, which kicked off a career in pageants. Some of her titles include 2014 Miss Tlou Segolela Sports Development, 2015 Miss Mamelodi Sundowns Limpopo, and in 2016 she was crowned the first Miss Regal International South Africa.

“In 2018 I travelled to Thailand to represent South Africa at the Miss Tourism Queen International, where I was placed in the top 10 of 55 countries and won the Miss Charity (beauty with a purpose) award at the competition.” After passing her Grade 12 at Ben Vorster High School, she did her first year in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Pretoria. She left the programme due to mental health problems and severe depression.

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Today she is committed to supporting the well-being of young girls and to encourage them to stay in school and complete their studies. She is also a yoga teacher, meditation guide and wellness entrepreneur. “During the Covid-19 pandemic I was in California in the US and decided to become a yoga teacher to inspire healing and well-being in my community. “Upon returning to South Africa, I started a yoga and wellness business called Olerato Yoga & Wellness, which is a mindfulness movement redefining African wellness through yoga, meditation and holistic wellness,” she says.

Lerato is also a champion for A Million Girls Foundation, a menstrual health NGO whose core vision is to ensure that over the next five years, a million South African girls don’t miss school due to a lack of sanitary products. “We provide the girls with menstrual health education and menstrual cups that can last them up to five years. “My role in the foundation is to create safe spaces for the girls in our programme to learn self-healing and self-help tools to assist them in navigating their challenges.”

The 27-year-old beauty queen says she is inspired by African women who have lived their purpose to impact the world. She says Queen Modjadji the first is her greatest inspiration because she has birthed the nation which birthed her, Lerato Malatjie, leading a yoga class. the Balobedu nation, she concludes.