‘It is better to fail with originality than to succeed with imitation’

This is the stance of 19-year-old Shanty Kolobe, organiser of the Miss Originality Beauty pageant.

December 13, 2016

Vella Nyoni 1 minute read

The Miss Originality junior contestants look absolutely radiant during the pageant.

POLOKWANE – The pageant was hosted at the Catholic Church on Friday.

Kolobe is a student studying towards a qualification in education at the University of Venda and she explained her reasons behind hosting this bold and interesting event.

“I wanted to reach out to young women and teach them that beauty cannot be bought.

“It is something that is already within them and it is up to them to believe that they can be beautiful without requiring enhancements,” Kolobe said.

The unique and interesting aspect about the pageant was that contestants were not allowed to put on make-up, artificial hair or nails. The aim was to let their true beauty shine.

There was a total of 21 girls from all over the province competing in the 14 to 18 and 19 to 25 categories respectively.

Some of the prizes that were up for grabs included Oh So Heavenly hampers and a R200 cash prize.

Kolobe explained the criteria they were looking for when they chose their winners.

“We were looking for a girl that is not easily intimidated and stands her ground, someone who is also innovative in her various ways of helping the community,” she said.

According to Kolobe they are also planning a Colgate drive which will highlight the importance of oral health among children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

She says the winners will have to form part of the team that brings this project to life.

This is what Miss Originality Junior, Mayana Mahlale had to say:

“I feel so happy because I didn’t expect this. I feel very good about winning since this is my second pageant. Going forward I will encourage other girls to also stay original.”