The only Free State semi-finalist for the Miss SA crown is from Parys. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also humbled at the amazing opportunity she got.
“Fortunate I am indeed, and what a blessing it is to be elected from all the girls who entered,” says the 25-year-old Fortunate Mabeleng, a forensic science graduate from the University of the Free State, tutor, part-time reception administrator at MediClinic Potchefstroom, and currently training to be a forensic officer at Northwest Forensic Pathology.
The top 30 finalists were announced on 16 May and included her name, much to the pride and joy of her colleagues.
The top 10 will be announced on 12 June and Parysenaars can now vote for Fortunate on the Miss SA website or the Miss SA app. All you need to do is select ‘vote’ and go to her name and give your vote. Voting closes on 10 June. The crowning of Miss SA 2022 is in August.
Fortunate was born and raised in Parys and is a former learner of Barnard Molokoane Comprehensive School, where she matriculated as the top achiever of her school with three distinctions.
Being the eldest of three sisters, she is undisputedly a role model for them – the first to graduate in her family, and the first to be a semi-finalist for Miss SA.
But Fortunate never dreamt of being a beauty queen. She describes herself as a bookworm, always focused on her studies. Nevertheless, her friends always said she should enter beauty pageants.
While studying for her BSc degree, she entered a pageant for the first time – Miss Glamorous FS, and ended among the top 15. In 2021, she entered for Miss SA but did not make the top 30.
She entered for Miss SA 2022, solely to be an agent for change in society.
“I feel there is a lot more I can do to serve my country than just being a citizen, especially in our health sector and education system. Being Miss SA would be an honour; if I were to win, I would use this significant platform to raise awareness around issues affecting women’s health. I want to teach young girls and women that they are more than just a pretty face, smile and body; they are a tower of strength, a beacon of knowledge and a carrier of life.”
For Fortunate, looking after your well-being is extremely important. People often get so busy with the things of life that they forget to look after themselves. Being born with a condition, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, made her realise how precious life and health are.
Education is equally important to her, being an entrepreneur who started her tutoring business, The 2tas, tutoring high-school learners from grades 10 to 12 in Geography, Maths, Life Sciences and Physics with a friend, Phomolo Khoza, over weekends.
They established The 2tas during the Covid-19 pandemic when they saw the need among learners for Zoom classes to help them with these subjects, especially when they could not go to school.
“I don’t want to be a teacher,” Fortunate says, “but I want to help people”. And that is precisely what this beautiful woman does, sharing her knowledge and kind heart with students.
