Pinetown beauty sets sights on pageant title

BEING an easy target for bullies in primary school because of her tiny body, Luyanda Mbhamali grew up with an extremely low self esteem.

It was after she started modelling at the age of 10 that she gained a bit of confidence, but that was shortlived as her parents decided she needed to focus more on her studies.

“I really feared putting myself out there, and I guess it was the reason why my parents were so protective over me and my social life altogether,” said the Pinetown resident.

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Luyanda, affectionately known by her second name, Michelle, is now a Miss World South Africa finalist. She is one of two contestants representing KwaZulu-Natal.

The former Pinetown Girls’ High School learner said she took up modelling again and started her pageant journey in 2015.

“I took part in a community pageant, Miss Pinetown, which I won. That was the start of my journey of self-discovery. Firstly, to enter, then win my first pageant was a complete shocker to my parents and all those who knew me, but deep within, I knew I was capable of this because I felt at home on stage – despite being so shy,” she said.

From there, she continued to enter more pageants.

“My biggest wish was to define myself authentically to represent the ordinary girl who is often looked down upon, which is still what I want to be remembered for.”

With a few failed attempts at entering the Miss SA pageant, she decided to fail forward and enter the first-ever Miss World SA pageant.

Mbhamali is also the founder of a social outreach campaign called ALM – A Little More which she started in 2022.

“This is a campaign established with the vision of encouraging extensive giving and empowerment within my community. Our prime focus, so far this year, has been on education as a starting point to cultivate a mindset of growth and empowerment to disadvantaged youth.”

She added that winning this title will allow her to echo her advocacy for socio-economic development on a broader scale.

She thanked the people who have supported her in the Miss World SA journey.

“I must admit that the support I have received thus far has rendered me speechless, and I’d like to publicly declare my gratitude,” said Mbhamali.

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