Tylor Kotzé (37) has won the highly coveted title of Sir Elite South Africa.
The New State Era resident was selected as a finalist in March and won the title with an average total score of above 90 per cent.
The pageant was done virtually this year due to Covid-19 regulations.
Contestants could not showcase their talents in pageantry and modelling on a stage, nor could they show off their outfits.
They had to settle for submitting two videos of their pageant walks and were interview by a panel of judges via Zoom.
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Kotzé has been in the pageant, modelling and fashion industry for 18 years, with various international and local titles to his name, such as Sir Africa, Sir King of the Universe, Sir South Africa 2015/17, Face of FTV and Mr Sash Italia.
According to Kotzé, being a pageant model with an official title is not all about the glitz and glam.
“Only 15 per cent of your time during your reign is about going to VIP functions, the remainder is made up of charity work.
“I’m a big animal advocate and during my reign as Sir King of the Universe, I was the international ambassador for the International Rhino Foundation.
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“Animals are very near and dear to me and I have a special gift of being able to communicate with animals, no matter how wild or neglected.
“I’ve also spent a lot of time working in the community, be it collecting clothes for the underprivileged or handing out food parcels to those in need. This is what drives me,” said Kotzé, who is also the director of Synergy Modelling Academy’s male division.
