Local songbird and model Amukelani Matsina, also known as Lady AR, encourages girls with dark skin tones just like her to be confident without being limited by the beauty standards set by society.

The 26-year-old from Mkhuhlu started modelling and competing in pageants in 2022 to inspire young girls with dark complexions to be confident in their appearance.

“I used to get a lot of compliments about how beautiful my skin is and how tall and slim I am. I made it my advocacy to encourage girls with dark complexions to love the colour of their skin and pay no attention to beauty standards. Women with dark skin tones are often still undermined and I want to impart the confidence I have in my skin without limitations,” she said.

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“The first pageant I entered was Miss Intercontinental South Africa, which I did for fun and to get a hang of the whole experience of pageants. For my second pageant, I really went in and was named runner-up in the recent Miss Revolve South Africa,” Matsina said.

She ventured into music with her first single titled “Hosi yolulama”, showcasing her talent as a singer and songwriter.

“I love entertaining people. I usually perform at weddings and parties around my community. I definitely want to create more music to entertainment people.”

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Matsina said she is also pursuing a career in education and hopes to juggle all her passions to build a brand in the entertainment industry.