Inner beauty and charity motivate pageant hopeful
For Miss Gauteng Exclusive 2021 finalist, Noncedo Ngwenya, the road to the royal crown looks clearer as she begins to receive support from local businesses.
Lowvelder Express ran a story about Ngwenya last week, requesting personal sponsorship to purchase her an evening gown, heels and the traditional attire she would don for the event.
“I was so ecstatic when I received calls from people I don’t know who wanted to sponsor me with jewellery (earrings and neckpiece) after reading my story in the newspaper. I also got a sponsor for the traditional dress,” said the 22-yearold Ngwenya, who aspires to become a certified internal auditor.
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The Royal Crowning is the grand finale of the Miss Gauteng Exclusive in which 25 finalists contest to be chosen as one of five ambassadors for the coveted beauty pageant.
“To support the Royal Crowning, please purchase a ticket for R200 and if you won’t be able to make it, please do not hesitate to buy it anyway, as the proceeds will be given to girls with aspirations towards modelling,” Ngwenya said.
Miss Gauteng Exclusive is a empowerment platform that aims to develop young women and advance their potential. It focuses more on the inner beauty. “Miss Gauteng Exclusive is not just another ‘beauty pageant’. It is a pageant that implements growth programmes and it has a strong purpose that aims to be recognised as a leading institute that empowers young women,” she said.
Ngwenya said she entered Miss Gauteng Exclusive because she needed a platform to learn and be empowered to make a difference in her community. “I would say this journey has been nothing but amazing. The capacity building workshops and the tasks given helped me to discover myself to know who I really am and what I stand for. I always refer this journey as ‘self-discovery’, because it revealed things I didn’t know I was capable of,” she said.
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“The misconceptions about beauty pageants are that you just need to be lightskinned, slender and glamorous behind the camera, but Miss Gauteng Exclusive proved to me that true beauty lies within. It is about serving the communities we live in and bringing up possible solutions to better develop our communities and ourselves. This journey has taught me that a true queen is any body size, skin, straighthaired or coiled.
“I would also like to thank Nondumiso Mkhatshwa (Nkomazi) for sponsoring me with jewellery, Malwandla Mukhari and Khanyisa Mabaso (Limpopo) for sponsoring me with a traditional attire. and everyone who purchased a ticket for the young women with aspirations towards modelling. I believe they will learn a lot not only from me, but from the other 24 ladies as well,” she said.
“Lastly, I would like to thank Lowveld Media for stretching my wings to reach the wider audience, my family, friends and everyone who voted for me to make it to the finals. You believed in me and my dreams before I believed in myself. Your encouragements have helped me gain confidence in myself and the work that I am doing,” she said.
To follow Noncedo and get involved in her charity work, like her on Facebook (Nonny hope) and follow her on Instagram (@Nonny_hope), or send an email to ncedohope@gmail.com.
