Aseza Mlangeni is an 18-year-old girl residing in Pretoria, Gauteng who also happens to be a Miss Teenager South Africa finalist and will be representing her province at the national pageant.
“This is my first pageant ever and it being at the national level as well, gives me the drive to do my best,” Mlangeni said.
“I was born and bred in Pretoria, Gauteng and raised by a mother who became widowed at a very young age but continued to work tirelessly to provide me and my little sister with all that we required and more. She continues to do her best to keep us happy, and motivate us to strive to become what God has created us to become, which is to fulfil our purpose in life, to make a difference in our communities as well as serve God with our talents.”
Mlangeni said her mom encourages them to always pursue their dreams no matter how small they are.
“This is why she enrolled me in modelling agencies when I was young, and thus began my passion for modelling, although I stopped the lessons and am not currently with an agency. I still have a passion for modelling and would love to pursue it more seriously one day.
“After a lot of research, I stepped out of my comfort zone and entered myself into the Miss Teenager South Africa pageant. I realised that it could not only open a lot of doors for me in the industry but also help me practice and pursue philanthropy and being a good citizen. Such opportunities should be grabbed with both hands.”
Mlangeni said entering the pageant itself had taken a lot of thought and when news came in December 2022 that she had made it to the semi-finals, she was overjoyed.
“Of course, it had got me thinking more though about what’s next, what I would do?”
She said she chose to advocate for women and youth empowerment as she felt that although equality and empowerment were often spoken about, it is not always heard.
“During my research, I found that the pageant aims not only to empower girls but also to give them a platform despite their background and challenges, and to empower communities. This is a principle I admire and a brand I could align myself with as a women and youth empowerment advocate.
“To me, communities also means the underrepresented youth – both girls and boys, the learners or students and the unemployed youth, the disadvantaged and privileged alike. It’s time we realised also that this means realising women’s rights and empowerment cannot be advocated for separately from those of children and teaching our boys not to become the men women would want someone to protect them from.
“It’s time we worked to empower and educate those the future of South Africa will depend on.”
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