Beauty and the brain
Lesego Maja
lesegomaja@caxton.co.za
At the tender age of 17, Nazmira Padia of Montgomery Park is breaking the stigma of “beauty and no brains” in the modelling industry.
Padia, an exceptional Grade 12 student at Port Shepstone secondary School, is preparing to represent South Africa in the Miss Global International Pageant which will take place on 28 September in Montego Bay, Jamaica. An opportunity she happened to stumble upon while engaging in normal teenage activities.
“I was in a mall in Port Shepstone when a lady from one of the stores approached me and told me about a casting that was going to take place, so she said I should go and try out and I went. I didn't realise that it was a pageant this big.”
Padia was selected as part of the top 15 contestants and has since advanced to first place, Miss Global Pageant South Africa.
As a top 30 student in her school, participating in the international pageant is not a concern for her and her mother, Suraya Desai.
“We wouldn't have allowed her to participate if she was not performing well in school. Grade 11 and 12 are very critical years for university entrance,” Desai said.
To Padia, the pageant is not solely about looking pretty, she took every experience leading to Jamaica as a learning opportunity.
“It is not just about going there and looking pretty, there is a course behind it.”
Not only is she a model and a striving student, Padia is also the youngest Herbal Life independent distributor in South Africa at present, and lives the title by exercising five days a week and using the products herself.
Her future prospects include exploring the world of Bollywood and winning Miss India.
Padia's journey of Jamaica, however, is paved with some bitter financial obstacle. She hasn't been able obtain sponsorship for her trip and is appealing to companies and individuals to help make her Jamaican dream possible.
“Initially, the pageant was supposed to be held in Lagos, Nigeria but because of the political unrest there, they decided to move it to back to the home base which is Jamaica. I think that threw the national director off financially so we appealing for sponsorship,” said Desai.
Padia extends her gratitude to Valentine Hair Creations, Wella Professionals and Incense Body Spa for their treatments.
For contribution towards Padia's trip, contact Suraya Desai on 084 979 7032.
