The stage is set and the confetti is on standby for the crowning of the 46th White Star Miss Soweto at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani on Saturday.
This year’s winner will follow in the footsteps of notable past winners Lerato Kganyago, Augustine Masilela-Chuene, Basetsana Kumalo, Tsakane Sono, Paige Harvey, Mbali Khumalo and Ludina Ngwenya.
The judges are renowned make-up artist Bongi Mlotshwa, radio personality Bridget Masinga, Sowetan SMag reporter Masego Seemela and former model Mirriam Ngomani.
On Tuesday, SMag was given an exclusive invite to the pre-judging session and rehearsal. Jitters and excitement overshadowed the bitter morning chill as contestants practised and met the judges one-on-one.
The judges are looking beyond beauty, assessing contestants on cultural awareness, purpose, confidence, community impact and that irresistible spark that sets a true queen apart.
Here is what the judges are looking for this year:
What traits are you specifically looking for in the winner?
Mlotshwa: I’m looking for a woman who can stand on her own. Gender-based violence takes place when women are not standing on their own and are dependent on someone [else]. A young lady who’s able to study and get a job. If they’re not at university, then they should be able to do things for themselves. It’s impressive that most of these ladies are studying amazing courses under circumstances of not having finances and those that are not at school have their own small businesses. It’s good to see how families are supportive.
Masinga: She must be a self-starter, driven and a resilient individual, which are very important as she’ll have to speak to the ability to carry a campaign or what they’re championing for in their community. She must be an aspirational light while in the moment of discovery, while showing her peers that they have the right to go after what they want. She must embody bravery and a quiet confidence.
How important are advocacy and sisterhood?
Mlotshwa: [They’re] important. I asked a couple of the ladies a question about their advocacy and almost all of them have begun. Some want to work with children, which surprised me because many of them want to be in the entertainment space. So for me, that’s special. Sisterhood is an important factor. I did a makeup masterclass and the importance of standing together is crucial, although you are competing. Stay close-knit because it’s a testing environment and as women we’re taught to compete and it should stop.
What star quality are you looking for on Saturday?
Mlotshwa: It shouldn’t be just about a pretty face. Beauty is a non-factor; we need a young woman who’s going to school and will be able to motivate their peers, has had some life experience and overcame it. Someone who is grounded and wants to work with young people on the ground, similar to a drawbridge, who understands and has experienced hardships and can go deep into the challenges the youth are facing, then comes to us adults who can offer guidance and support them.
Masinga: Authentic and can work and be supported by their community in their advocacy. A sense of being realistically selfish in what you’re aiming to achieve and how that impacts and changes the trajectory and course of their life. I want them to look back after the 12 months and be able to say: ‘My life’s direction has been changed or amplified.’
What does a modern Soweto queen represent today?
Masinga: The evolution of the Miss Soweto campaign has amplified the need for values that speak to the greater community and legacy of the pageant. She represents young women who stand in the duality of being young, black, brown and African and she must have the ability not only to embrace but also to adapt to the language of the room. Throughout my five years, I’ve seen the type of young ladies who speak to that. Every year, I sit across from them and I’m reminded that they’re statistics and lived experiences of GBV and how they’ve taken traumatic stories and found healing and strength to continue dreaming amid all of it. That is special.
What excites you about this crop of contestants?
Masinga: Every year, the ladies come in far more prepared. The perception of what a beauty pageant is versus the reality of what it actually is once you’re inside are vastly different. The ladies have that discovery and then you find them evolving through the journey to rise to the challenge of it and [put] their best foot forward. There’s so much more to it that’s rooted in something far more real; we’re not trying to excavate models that walk down the ramp.
