Durban - Two KZN contestants have made the Top 10 for Miss South Africa this year and both come from Pietermaritzburg.
Twenty-two-year-old Ayanda Thabethe who is delighted to be one of the finalists, is currently pursuing a degree in dietetics and nutrition.
Thabethe said: “I think our home town will be thrilled that both Luyanda Zuma and I have made it. Interestingly enough people think that there is rivalry between the two of us because we come from the same place, but it simply isn’t true. We are supportive of each other as are all the wonderful contestants I got to meet on this journey.”
“The Miss South Africa journey has been incredible and not what I expected at all and I mean that in the best possible way. I have entered other pageants and somehow they are ‘robotic’ and you are meant to answer questions in a specific way. This is not the case with Miss South Africa.
“They want to hear you and for you to be authentic and the best person you can be. The workshops have exposed us to lessons and information we would never have had access to, and meeting the other Top 30 contestants was a joy. They were all so awesome and friendly. To date this has been the highlight of my journey. At the moment, making Top 10 is still sinking in,”
Entrepreneur and final year Bachelor of Live Performance student at AFDA, Luyanda Zuma, 20, is also from the capital city.
“I am thrilled to have made it to the Top 10. I struggled with self-acceptance when I grew-up and being put into a certain category that I did not want to be in. It took a lot for me to love myself and show others that it is possible to follow your dreams and chase your heart.
“ There must be something in the water in Maritzburg. I am thrilled to be continuing on this journey with Ayanda Thabethe. We don’t regard each other as competition but rather as pillars to strengthen each other because we are working towards the same goal,” said Zuma.
The Top 10 finalists are an impressive group and include a candidate attorney, law, performing arts and dietetics students, a psychology honours graduate, entrepreneurs and small business owners and models.
They are Anarzade Omar, Ayanda Thabethe, Itumeleng Parage, Keaoleboga Nkashe, Lebogang Mahlangu, Luvé Meyer, Luyanda Zuma, Ndavi Nokeri, Pearl Ntshehi and Tamsyn Jack.
The Independent on Saturday