Five women from the Free State who are semifinalists in the 2023 Mrs South Africa (Mrs SA) pageant are waiting with bated breath for 7 July.
The event held on this day will culminate in the announcement of finalists – one of which will have the crown bestowed on her in November.
The Free State candidates are Alicia Stols and Ntshebo Pokela, who are both from Bloemfontein; Madikgoele Lobaka from Parys; Lizzy Molelekoa from Welkom; as well as Carien Zwart from Kroonstad.
Previous winners include Jacqueline Ferns, Matapa Maila, Nicole Capper and the reigning queen, Palesa Matjekane.
As far as the Miss South Africa (Miss SA) pageant is concerned, organisers have introduced a major change: permitting married women, as well as mothers, to enter the contest.
The decision was confirmed on 10 May after it had initially been announced to the greater public last year.
Joani Johnson, chief executive officer (CEO) of Mrs SA, said the decision had arisen from the fact that the two pageants complement each other.
The Miss SA pageant is open to candidates under the age of 28 years; while the Mrs SA pageant, in contrast, is for women up to 55 years old.
According to Johnson, the latter contest is recognised as one of the country’s leading and most well-supported pageants for married women.
“Miss SA and Mrs SA serve as important counterparts, both playing a significant role in supporting women through various phases of their lives, and highlighting their strength, talent, and perseverance as sources of inspiration for others,” said Johnson.
“As Mrs SA, our role is to create the female ambassadors of tomorrow, which is why we aim to celebrate authentic, bonafide women,” she explained.
“We strive to uplift and showcase #EveryWoman, celebrating true beauty in all its forms – beauty which does not conform to any specific body type or age but is rooted in strength, confidence and talent.
“And once they have entered, we seek to offer our contestants a complete life-transforming journey that gives them the tools needed to become the bold voices of tomorrow,” said Johnson.
The pageant aims to provide all its participants with the necessary coaching, skills training and networking opportunities to help transform their lives and careers, and to help them gain confidence in their abilities as leaders and change-makers.
