By Thys Khiba
Pretoria – On Wednesday, the Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Thembi Siweya is expected to welcome the newly crowned Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane as an ambassador of Brand South Africa.
“I’m not a ‘pageant’ girl. But that’s why I think it’s important for people to stop seeing Miss SA as a mere beauty pageant, which is why I often shied away from pageantry. Miss SA is an empowerment platform for women, and could be a launchpadfor so many other opportunities,” said Mswane.
The Miss South Africa pageant was held on Saturday 16 October 2021 in Cape Town and Mswane won R1m in cash and other prizes worth R3m.
The Ministry in The Presidency has oversight responsibility over the Brand South Africa.
“Deputy Minister Siweya will be joined by representatives of the Brand South Africa Board, Management and several stakeholders who are contributing in the promotion of South Africa’s brand,” said in the statement.
The 24-year-old hails from KwaSokhulu in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal and graduated from UP with a Bachelor of Law degree in 2020.
Meanwhile, Mswane joins over 200 distinguished South Africans who have been recognised and endorsed as ambassadors in the promotion of the nation brand.
The Brand South Africa Ambassador concept is part of the broader Play Your Part programme which seeks to encourage active citizenry and mobilise South Africans to conduct themselves in a manner that enhance the country’s brand.
Mswane has taken a decision to use her influence and Miss SA Campaign #BeReady to deal with youth employment.
“[My campaign] focuses on youth employment from the perspective of no longer waiting for opportunities from the state, but instead empowering the youth by providing them with entrepreneurial skills to take charge economically,” said Mswane.
“Congratulations, Lalela, we are all proud of you, and we are confident that you will make an impact during your reign. As a UP graduate you are an ambassador of this institution. Represent us well out there, and continue to FLY@UP! Your message on the importance of entrepreneurship as a pathway to a fulfilling life resonates strongly with UP, which runs a free online entrepreneurship course for all students, a Centre for Entrepreneurship, and our business incubator TuksNovation,”said UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe.
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