Tumelo Sibande is a 15-year-old girl from Phola Ogies currently doing her Grade 9 at Ogies School.

She described her journey as a Finalist for Miss Teen Personality as fun as well as positively challenging.

Tumelo admits having learned a lot about the importance of self-love, building self-confidence, and giving back to the community.

She was recently crowned Miss Teen Personality on October 8, at Emalahleni Civic Theatre.

She encourages her peers, “if you want to achieve anything in life, you must get out of your comfort zone.”

She said that she recently discovered that true beauty is not about your physical features, but it is a state of mind, how you carry yourself and how you treat others.

As someone who used to struggle with self-esteem, Tumelo was able to finally come out of her shell, take on the world and represent her hometown, her family, and her friends.

Her greatest drive and motivation for competing in this pageant was to inspire other girls to never give up on themselves and to chase after their dreams.

She would like to thank everyone who supported her and rooted for her.

She would like to extend her appreciation to her modelling teacher Mrs Wandile Litheko, pageant director Sibongile Mabona, her parents, and her two sisters Noxolo Sibande and Thulisile Sindane, but mostly to Ogies School for their support.

Linah Moyase Molefe who is Tumelo’s mother expressed her joy and pride in her daughter, “I’m very proud of my daughter, words can’t even describe the excitement I have. She has come a long way in building herself with the help of her mentor and blossomed into the wonderful girl that she is. I wish she becomes the queen she dreams to be one day. May God bless her and I love her so much.”

“Beauty is not about having a pretty face, it is about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart, and a pretty soul,” said Tumelo.

Modelling teacher Mrs Wandile Litheko and first runner-up for Mrs Universe said, “Tumelo has a teachable spirit, she is also a hard worker. Coaching a person with such qualities makes things easy. I enjoyed seeing her grow during her journey as a finalist,” Wandile described Tumelo.

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