Siphokazi sets sight on teen beauty pageant title
Having matriculated at Port Shepstone High in 2020, Siphokazi is currently based in Durban.
Strength and resilience are but a few components that make a leader in any field, and Siphokazi Gumede of Mthwalume has taken the first step in regaining control of her life, as a finalist in the Miss Teen Universe South Africa (TUSA) beauty pageant.
It takes place at Carnival City Johannesburg this Sunday (27th).
Having matriculated at Port Shepstone High in 2020, Siphokazi is currently based in Durban.
Photo by Modelcampsa
She began her journey towards the TUSA crown by overcoming her trials and tribulations when she found herself staring down the barrel of depression.
“There was a point in my life when my mental health took a turn for the worst. I found myself sinking into depression, but I then took a decision to regain control of my life and I prayed for a sign from God, that’s when I saw an advert on Instagram about TUSA. I entered the competition and I was selected as a semi-finalist,” she said.
All semi-finalists were then required to participate in community work which led Siphokazi to work with Child Welfare in Port Shepstone, an initiative that saw her raise over R3500 as a way of testing the entrepreneurial skills of the contestants, their social media engagement, and an interview.
Also, after her father’s death in 2019, Siphokazi was inspired to step out of her comfort zone, “I saw that life was too short not to step out of my comfort zone, that’s when I decided to go after my dream,” she added.
“When I saw my name on the list of finalists I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I remember screaming and hugging my grandma with tears in my eyes,” she added.
Among her future plan is to to establish her non-profit organisation, Fairhope Foundation, in memory of her late father, by next year.
South Coast residents are encouraged to show their support in her pursuit of the Public Choice Award by sending an SMS “Siphokazi Gumede” to 34995 (SMSes costs R3) with unlimited votes. The Public Choice Award automatically qualifies the winner into the top 16.
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