When her name was announced on the Mrs South Africa stage, Verushka Singh felt the moment settle over her with an almost surreal calm. “It’s a moment I’d imagined in my mind a million times,” she says. “When it finally happened, it felt magical – like everything had come together exactly the way it needed to.”

Pursuing her love of science

Verushka spent her early years in Johannesburg before moving to Durban where she completed her schooling at Westville Girls’ High School. A dedicated student, she collected distinctions, and eventually pursued Chemical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand.

After university she built a career in management consulting, specialising in climate change and sustainability. Over the next 14 years she worked with JSE-listed corporates, governments, and international climate bodies, gaining deep technical expertise in an area she now describes as her life’s calling.

Her passion for climate activism was sparked by an Al Gore documentary. “It was at a time when people were still debating whether climate change was real. Seeing the destruction and understanding that the consequences for people in Africa are even worse than for those living in wealthier regions, something inside me knew I had to be involved. It felt unfair that the people contributing the least to the problem were suffering the most. I’ve always cared about fairness.”

That sense of justice, combined with her scientific training, now guides the advocacy work she hopes to amplify during her reign.

Building Climate Axis

She recently formalised her mission by founding Climate Axis, a climate empowerment and sustainability platform that blends advisory services, education, advocacy, and community upliftment programmes. The company reflects her belief that while climate change is an environmental issue, it is also social, economic, and deeply human.

“Climate action is about dignity, opportunity, safety, and the future we want for our children. People think it’s about ‘saving the planet’ in an abstract way, but the reality is that without a planet, there is no human life. We need biodiversity to live and thrive.”

During her reign, she hopes to work with corporates and communities on visible, measurable climate and resilience projects. She believes everyday awareness starts at home – especially with mothers. “Moms play an incredibly powerful role. Just raising children who understand the importance of saving energy by switching off lights, or who are mindful of packaging when shopping and recognise the impacts of waste, is the beginning of change.”

Reigniting her inner light

Despite her professional confidence, entering Mrs South Africa was daunting. “A year ago, I didn’t think I was good enough,” she reveals. “All I could see were flaws.” If she could speak to that earlier version of herself, she says she would give herself a hug and simply tell her: “This is the right thing to do. Don’t wait.”

Far from being a simple beauty pageant, she describes the Mrs SA programme as “an MBA of life”. The workshops, challenges, sponsorship requirements, and tight-knit sisterhood of women all contributed to a process she credits with her transformation over the past year.

“It’s given me my spark back. Before this, I had begun to feel like I was just going through the motions. This journey made me feel excited about life again. I learned to be vulnerable, which isn’t natural for me as someone shaped by corporate environments. I learned to love and be kinder to myself, and that has changed my relationships with the people around me for the better.”

As a wife, mother, entrepreneur, and now national titleholder, Verushka hopes her story shows women, and particularly those in corporate spaces, that they don’t have to hide or choose between facets of themselves.

“You’re allowed to be more than one thing. You can lead in a male-dominated field and still step onto a stage in a gown and a crown. We’re multi-layered. We’re allowed to expand.”

When asked how she hopes to be remembered as Mrs South Africa, Verushka notes that she doesn’t just want to be someone who wore the crown, but someone who used it well.

“I want to be remembered as a woman who led with purpose, courage and heart. Someone who used her voice to open doors for others. Someone who made climate awareness feel human and accessible. Someone who inspired transformation.”