‘This is for you, Ndlambe! Mrs Africa Classic winner
Klipfontein-born beauty dedicates win to Sunshine Coast
Mrs Africa Classic 2024 winner, Myrtle Gray, who hails from Klipfontein, 7km west of Bushmans River Mouth, has dedicated her title to the Sunshine Coast.
Gray, 48, who left Klipfontein in her teens for the bright lights of Johannesburg, won the Mrs Africa Classic in her age category (+40) at a gala event in Pretoria on March 23.
And, if that wasn’t enough, she also secured the overall title among the six categories judged on the night.
“This victory is for Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast,” Gray said.
The newly crowned winner who is hailed for her humanitarian work and describes herself as an advocate for vulnerable and abused children and women, said it had taken a while for the victory to sink in.
“The first question that came to mind when I was announced winner
… ‘God, what is this that you are doing to me’? ‘Why me?’ “I was actually thinking all the time while on stage that I would really be happy if the second princess wins.”
Gray, who has three daughters and two grandchildren, said it was only after winning the overall title having accumulated the most points across the six categories, that she realised what she’d achieved — a unique double.
“Yes, it took a while to sink in. I put my trophies and awards next to my bed that night to see what I had achieved.
“I had my husband Larry and my family in the crowd on pageant night and my sister and her husband all the way from Klipfontein, as well as my uncle. The first thing they said when they saw me later was: ‘We knew it’.”
Gray said the boutique garment she wore on the night depicting the Sunshine Coast as the main theme turned heads. “The earthy stones around my neck reminds me of a childhood game we played in the fields called ‘klip-klippie’.”
She said the accessory cross around her neck is symbolic of the Dias Cross at Kwaaihoek close to the Boknes Lagoon on the Sunshine Coast erected by Portuguese explorer, Bartholomew Dias.
“There are so many people I have to thank for this achievement … that it is difficult to mention them by name, but I think to all my motivators I say a big thank you to them.”
Gray who was included in the Mrs Africa Classic 2024 beauty pageant competition after winning the Mrs Ekurhuleni title, said the pageantry week was tough and exhausting.
“I was up at 4am every morning in pageantry week build-up preparing myself and once I was at the venue by 8am it was time for getting make-up done, putting on outfits and presenting ourselves to the judges for interviewing. It was tough and at times physically exhausting.”
While Mrs Africa Classic does not have a set programme of duties laid down for the winner during her reign, Gray said: “I will have to step up and serve the needy like never before.
“Before I hand over the crown to the next winner next year, I want to make sure that my message that ‘we all win if we work together,’ gets heard as Mrs Africa Classic 2024.
“Though I was confident in the months of build up to competition … on the night itself I did not expect at all to be crowned winner as there were colleagues who I thought had better profiles, as among them were pharmacists and other prominent people. But they all were excited with my victory and congratulated me.”
So what does she think made her stand out in her category?
“I think it’s my authenticity that counted in my favour and the judges were looking for a woman of substance,” Gray said. “My faith in God carried me.”
Gray, who is a life and etiquette coach and director of her own concern, the Step Out and Step Up organisation, whittled her original portfolio CV of 500 pages that detailed her humanitarian and community work, down to 69 pages submitted to judges a few weeks before competition night.
Gray who won the African Tribe Writers Award last year for her first book, The Fatherless Daughter, says she has another two books on the way.
That project, together with her ongoing humanitarian work and participation in the Mrs Grand Universe competition (40+ category) in Manila, Philippines in November, means Gray has the chance of adding to an already impressive CV.