Pretoria - Centurion beauty Kgothatso Dithebe, trying for a second time, failed to advance to the final stages of Miss South Africa on Saturday.
Dithebe, popularly known as the “Model with the Mark”, bowed out in the Top 5 in her first attempt in 2019.
Dithebe, 26, was the only contestant from Tshwane to make it to the Top 10 after days of interviews, eliminations and thousands of public votes received alongside the pageant's judging panel.
Gauteng had four finalists in the Top 10 – Cheneil Hartzenberg, 24, Moratwe Masima, 25, Tiffany Francis, 22, and Dithebe.
When she spoke of entering again, the beauty said failure to her meant trying again but this time with experience. She added that she wanted women to know that they were strong, capable, and worthy of doing whatever they put their mind to.
At the finals, in Cape Town on Saturday, University of Pretoria law graduate, Lalela Mswane, 24, was crowned Miss SA 2021.
During her journey, Mswane, who was the only finalist from KwaZulu-Natal, said that she would use her platform to support young South Africans from underprivileged backgrounds who have struggled to reach their full potential through her organisation, Lalela Mswane Foundation, which she launched last year.
“I would use the platform to expand the influence of the foundation, and focus on merging school syllabi and skills. This means effectively providing kids with skills that help them transition from school into life outside of school.
“This initiative will be called #BeReady. The initiative speaks to my desire to provide solutions to the high rates of unemployment,” she said at the time.
Mswane, who hails from KwaSokhulu in Richards Bay – graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Pretoria. She is also a model and a dancer.
Mswane received, among other gifts, R1 million in cash, R3m worth of sponsorships and prizes, including the use of a fully furnished and serviced apartment at the luxurious Central Square Sandton, with fabulous interior décor by Vursa, and a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan for the year of her reign.
Her two runners-up were Moratwe Masima, a qualified doctor from Midrand, and BCom Law degree student Zimi Mabunzi from eQonce (King William’s Town) in the Eastern Cape. Both received R175 000.
The Top 3 will represent South Africa at the world’s three most prestigious pageants – Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss Supranational.
The ones, who will participate in the various competitions, will be revealed in the coming days.
Pretoria News