Miss SA Ndavi Nokeri poised to conquer the universe
Beauty queen champions equal education cause
It all began in August during Miss SA’s question-and-answer session where Ndavi Nokeri had a packed Time Square SunBet Arena in Pretoria applauding after she spoke of the importance of unity for a nation.
“To know where you are going, you need to know where you come from. Being a nation that comes from a history of racial segregation, we know that when we were divided, we were at our weakest,” was part of Nokeri’s answer when she secured a spot in the top three with fellow contestants Lebogang Mahlangu and runner-up Ayanda Thabethe.
“So as Miss SA I would implore us to stand together and embrace every single culture, gender, race and sexuality because in our diversity we are strong.”
Her impactful answer led to a memorable crowning moment by her predecessor Lalela Mswane.
Now over three months into her reign, the 23-year-old from Tzaneen in Limpopo is counting the days to when she’ll be flying the SA flag high “with pride” on the Miss Universe stage in January in New Orleans, US.
The crown last came to SA when Miss SA 2019 Zozibini Tunzi was crowned queen of the universe.
Even though she’s known to us as the reigning beauty queen and a public figure, to her family she’s still a mere child who is still expected to do her chores whenever she’s at her family home in Gabaza.
“What I’m doing at the moment is making sure my mind is in the right place and remembering what the crown will mean to me and my country.
“More importantly, what the crown will mean to people from my village, where I come from.
“When the Sowetan put out an article prior to the crowning with a headline saying: ‘Ndavi Nokeri confident about winning the title’, I was like, OK... this is a lot of pressure. But with the reassurance from my sister, who told me the headline was probably my journey, that made the prediction quite fitting,” the beauty said.
“I had to keep believing in myself during the build-up to the crowning because it’s such a long journey to become Miss SA. My experience thus far has been so incredible... this has been a dream of mine and to see myself living it is so fulfilling.”
Nokeri is not just a beauty queen who wears her sash with pride, she has a campaign named Ed-Unite, which she launched last month, where she uses her advocacy to focus on addressing inequality in schools.
With her initiative, Nokeri calls on SA corporates to join her in raising R6m and will act as a conduit between big corporations, foundations and schools in need.
With the countdown to Miss Universe having officially begun, Nokeri needs public votes to secure her spot as one of the semi-finalists.
To vote, you need to download the Miss Universe app, search for SA under contestants, and when you find Nokeri’s photo, you then click on it to vote.
The first vote is free. If Nokeri wins, she’ll be the fourth Miss Universe from SA and the second black one to bring it back home.
“Winning Miss Universe will help me to be able to take my national influence on a global platform, especially with my educational equity campaign which I’d be able to take on a global level should I win. Inequality in education is not only an SA challenge but a global one.
“I want to be remembered for the impact that I made and the change that I brought to the world.
“Success to me looks like making global strides, especially coming from a background such as mine. I want people to say: ‘When she came past this place, everything changed for the good of the people’.”—
What I’m doing at the moment is making sure my mind is in the right place