Faith believed she would return a stronger soldier

Chin up, chest out, shoulders back – words that Faith Makhubedu from Fourways understood from a young age as she strutted her stuff in various beauty contests.

But after some time, Makhubedu decided to take a break from the life of glitz and glam to focus on her side business.

Little did she know it would come with a harsh reality she was unprepared for. She was retrenched from work and lost everything from her car to her apartment. She told us she had bills to pay but could not afford them.

“I had nothing. This was not all, I had a big event planned to empower women, and everything was set until the sponsors decided to pull out. This was a headline event, so tabloid papers were all over it about it not happening anymore. I felt like a failure. This was a major setback.”

But she got a sister for life who got her into pageantry to help her reclaim her crown. She is now the comeback kid.

“She told me about Miss Bachelorette SA – this is a women’s empowerment project that is presented in a pageant approach. She said she read the description and saw it fitting for me to enter. I entered even though I was a bit hesitant, but it made sense after she broke it down for me. I also met the requirements.”

As she continues to rise to the top, Makhubedu told us she is focused on encouraging the culture of reading through pageantry.

“I am an avid reader myself. The Bible says ‘a man who lacks knowledge perishes’, so I am determined to instil that culture of reading to gain knowledge among the youth. There was a time when we saw them carrying alcohol bottles on their heads; I am saying, why not also a carry book? My story is of resilience, and I hope many take away valuable lessons from it.”

She recently hosted a Golf Day at Serengeti Estate as a way to succeed in her vision and mission.

“Attending the golf event gave 32 ladies an opportunity to learn how to play golf with qualified coaches from the Golf Academy at Serengeti Estate and it also gave them an opportunity to use golf as a networking tool to advance their careers and businesses. Golf is a great place to meet people, network, and form enduring relationships.

They got to enjoy a day on the green, the golf event strives to empower female entrepreneurs and those who are in corporate about the internal benefits of golfing, such as improved focus, self-confidence, and overall wellness, in addition to giving them the ability to expand their network because you know what they say, “Your network is your net worth” I collaborated with Tyra Mondlani who is the founder of Rainha Suave Wines and Rainha Suave Golf Clinic.”

Makhubedu is the CEO of Kutenda Group and founder of Faith Nomcebo Makhubedu Foundation and Faiths Book Club. “I am currently a Miss Bachelorette SA semi-finalist 2024.”

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