Pageant queen inspires
JOBURG – Sherianne Pillay wins yet another pageant title and hopes to make it as far as Miss South Africa.
Miss India Gauteng 2015, Sherianne Pillay (21) from Wilro Park, competed in the National Miss India SA pageant on 5 December at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City. She won first runner-up out of 20 girls competing. The participants came from KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Cape Town.
Pillay, who is a former pupil of Rand Park High School, won Miss India Gauteng in March last year which qualified her to compete in Miss India SA. “We stayed at the Theme Park Hotel at Gold Reef City for a week while rehearsing and partaking in workshops,” said Pillay. She added that the pageant had various categories in Eastern and Western wear as well as the talent and question and answer category. “My talent was a Bollywood and African dance. I had to do an outfit change on stage,” said Pillay. This talent won her top talent at the regional pageant in March.
This law student at the Wits University said that she has been involved in church ministry since the age of 14 and was a youth leader. After stepping down at the age of 20, she decided to compete in the pageant. “I have never done modelling before and did not want to achieve fame, but I did it to make a difference,” said Pillay.
Her family supports her fully. “My older brother, Brandon, is my biggest support, he is my go-to-guy. My mother, Sangitha, is a seamstress and she has been making my outfits my entire life, so obviously she made my pageant outfits,” said Pillay.
Princess Diaries is a non-profit organisation run by Pillay. It involves her visiting schools and hosting an interactive session with 30 to 40 girls about struggles they are dealing with. “I hope that the girls can see that I am a pageant queen, but I am not perfect. I provide the girls afterwards with my contact details, if they need to speak to someone.” She is also involved at various other charities.
After handing over her crown to the next Miss India Gauteng in March, Pillay wishes to launch her own beauty with a purpose project. “I would also love to partake in Miss South Africa in about two years. South Africa inspires me,”
