HILLCREST resident, Savannah de Almeida, who is one of four women out of 30 representing KZN in the Miss SA pageant, is not just a beauty queen but a professional award winning dancer and a marketing specialist.
Although she has never entered other beauty pageants, in 2018, she won The Face of Just You Model and Artist Management.
The unemployment rate, especially among young people, was one of the reasons the 23-year-old entered Miss South Africa 2021.
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“I want to use this platform for a purpose far greater than myself.”
Savannah said she personally experienced being unemployed after her dancing career ended due to Covid-19 and the lockdown regulations.
“When I was unemployed and there were little opportunities available, I created my own opportunities and turned my side passion into a thriving career in a short space of time. Knowing that my story is relatable to other women in and around South Africa, I will use this platform to be credible proof that it is possible to overcome unemployment,” she said.
The go-getter, who has won various dancing competitions and awards over the years, attended Maris Stella from Grade R to matric and matriculated in 2015. She also attended dance school, which was in the afternoons and over weekends.
“My early dance exams were done at Maris Stella Dance with my senior exams done at Hayman Dance. I received a Diploma in Dance from the Royal Academy of Dance in London, Honours in Modern and a Distinction in Tap and I won the Rita Michaelson Tap Bursary Award. I am also trained in Hip Hop, Ballroom, Latin, Contemporary and Jazz and I have won
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She said her wish is to educate young women on how to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be.
“If their dreams of being a doctor seem far away purely because they don’t have the capital, I can educate them on how to use free social media platforms, and with my marketing knowledge, help them start a small business online that can help fund their passion and start their career just as I did.”
For Savannah, beauty pageants are more than just hair and makeup and outward beauty.
“These platforms encourage women to embrace their unique individuality and help them to become successful businesswomen. The pageant industry is constantly evolving in an effort to be more inclusive and to showcase diversity.
“Pageantry does not degrade women, but rather empowers them, helps build their self-confidence and provides a platform for them to inspire other women to be bold and face their fears.”
She advised women to have confident in themselves and walk tall.
“Walk into a room, be seen and be heard. You are worthy of the attention that you demand,” said Savannah.
To see Savannah in the Top 10. Visit https://www.misssa.co.za/miss-south-africa-2021-top-30/. Voting closes on July 21 at midnight.
Watch Savannah De Almeida and Danny Guselli dance to Justin Timberlake’s “Filthy”
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