Ermelo’s own beauty off to Mrs Mpumalanga finals

Nompumelelo Kuhlase will be representing Ermelo and Gert Sibande District Municipality when she takes part in the Mrs Mpumalanga finals in Mbombela on 4 November.

Born and bred in Ermelo, she is a familiar face on the streets of Wesselton, having started her schooling at Phumula Primary School, proceeding to Qambekile Higher Primary and completing her Grade 12 at Ithafa Comprehensive School.

This local beauty has worn many caps, as she began working as a typist at Bashele Primary School and moving on to Reggie Masuku High School.

Those jobs helped fund her higher education and training when she attended Highridge College where she received her Administration and Secretarial Diploma.

A firm believer in taking life by the horns, she had to be independent at an early age, as her situation at home was not favourable.

A modelling career was not in her future plans, but people kept telling her she has the perfect height and model features.

“I was so shy. I generally am a shy person and I had low self-esteem, but I challenged myself by entering my first pageant, which was Miss Dube Tonight and I was crowned second princess. It did wonders to boost my confidence,” says Nompumelelo.

In 2012 a colleague encouraged her to look for an agency, which led to Rage, a modelling agency, taking her on as client.

“That opened many doors for me and that is where my big jobs as model came in and I achieved a lot,” she says.

She became the face of Peugeot, featured on a shoot for the TV show “Forever Young” and worked while working with famous stars like Dr Malinga and the late Tshepo Ngwane in a drama called “Imbiza”.

With all the strides she was making, she decided to join a bigger agency called TMA Modelling Agency, which is currently her modelling home.

She decided to take a break from the industry and focused on her day job, but the modelling dream never faded.

She is currently a senior administration officer at the Eskom Primary Energy department and is a wife and mother with two daughters.

“Juggling a career, home life and modelling is hard work, so I decided to model part time,” says Nompumelelo.
Despite the break, she did not let the chance of taking part in Mrs Mpumalanga pass her by.

She went through many processes and was eventually named a finalist.

“They wanted married women that had an extraordinary story to tell and I believe I fit that category, so I applied,” said Nompumelelo.

On being chosen as a finalist she says the response from the community of Ermelo and South Africa as a whole has been humbling.

Being Mrs Mpumalanga is not the only dream she has, as she has hopes of building a rehabilitation centre for alcohol and drug abusers, a passionate subject for her, as well as an old-age home in memory of her late brother, who was her number one supporter.

She will add another feather to her cap, as she is writing an autobiography and motivational book soon to hit the shelves.

The beauty and modelling industry is hard and many have tried and failed, but this beauty is confident she will make Ermelo and Gert Sibande District proud when she takes part in the Mrs Mpumalanga 2017/2018 finals.