Soomaya Ibrahim, a star in the making

From humble beginnings in a small area called Southgate, to winning titles on a national stage, Soomaya Ibrahim is a success story in the making.

Growing up in an area called Old Phoenix, Soomaya proved that it’s not where you come from but where you’re going that counts. After school she attended Durban University of Technology, where she studied and qualified in Civil Engineering. “It was while doing my in service that I found my feet designing steel structures, constructing site inspections and drafting engineers details. At that point my calling was clear as a junior structural engineer.”

However, Soomaya would soon discover a new calling, the world of pageants. Competing in the Miss India South Africa pageant in 2013, she broke barriers, competing against girls with far more experience than her, finishing as a finalist. “At first Miss India South Africa sounded so scary to me. For weeks I trained and interacted with the most beautiful and intelligent women. It gave me butterflies every day.

“I considered myself lucky to be a finalist after regionals and I prayed on it and gave it my all. Today if I look back, I never knew I would be a Miss India South Africa finalist.

Despite the huge achievement of making it to the top three, Soomaya felt that the bigger achievement was winning two Miss Personality titles, among a few others. Her personality is one of the most striking things about her and she gets to showcase it every day on Skye Radio. The online radio station is streamed to 112 countries and will soon hit 166 countries throughout the world.

Soomaya is on the Skye Drive with her new mentor, Sadha Govender. “The best part is being able to share my passion and energy to all those that tune in throughout the world. Being able to be the voice of driving change is just life changing for me. It brings out the meaning in my name which is my spiritual gift as Soomaya means a leader and in power.”

A civil engineer, model and now international radio personality, Soomaya isn’t stopping there. She has been chosen as a finalist in a new pageant, Miss UniWorld SA. It’s a new exciting venture for the driven and determined Soomaya and one that she aims to make the most out of.

Soomaya will also be focusing on her charity and upliftment projects as well and hopes to inspire others through her actions. “To the youth, follow your heart but plan with your brain. First ensure you have the blessings of your parents and trust in the Almighty. Firmly believe in you because nobody else will if you can’t.”

“Nothing happens without hard work and dedication. The nights spent fooling around will be nothing but a memory, but the nights spent with working towards your goals will be your success story.”