THE Dallmayr Mrs South Africa’s class of 2024 is finally here. Among its 2024 semi-finalists is Gqeberha’s very own Portia Lelaka, an engineering consultant with a passion to make a difference in the lives of orphaned children, and the empowerment of women.
She loves travelling, working out at the gym, running, and cooking. Lelaka officially set off on her Mrs South Africa journey on Friday, February 2, during the pageant’s national public casting, held at the Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort, Gauteng.
“When my name was called on that stage, I realised that it was not just an announcement but a defining moment, and the very first milestone to living out a dream,” Lelaka said.
Dallmayr Mrs South Africa is a pageant and female empowerment programme designed to unleash participants’ hidden potential by teaching them valuable skills, such as leadership, financial competence, sponsorship management, communication, personal branding, and media management.
“The goal is to take women out of their comfort zones and have them rethink who they are, and what they want out of life. We help them face their fears, find their purpose, and discover the strength and abilities they held inside all along.”
Lelaka said that she first heard of Dallmayr Mrs South Africa when she was speaking to a friend who had participated the previous year. She was motivated to apply when she went through the Mrs South Africa website and read their mission statement.
“It all resonated with my values, and was aligned to my passion for empowerment of women (including myself), as well as making a difference to the community that I come from in Tlhabane in the Northwest Province.
“A platform for reaching out to the girl child that I once was,” she said.
As those who came before, she believes she can make a substantial impact in people’s lives.
“I have overcome a lot of personal adversity in my lifetime, but each taught me invaluable lessons in humility.
“My resilience has moulded, prepared, and inspired me to make meaningful impact to those that need that bit of hope and the courage to challenge stereotypes. As I embark on my Mrs South Africa 2024 journey, my ultimate goal is to be an ambassador for positive change, both during and after the competition.
“To utilise this platform, to amplify the voices of disadvantaged communities, and be an advocate for meaningful causes: beyond the pageant, I will leave a legacy of compassion, resilience, confidence, self-love, one girl at a time,” she said.
Johnson noted that the class of 2024 is shaping up to be a formidable, influential group of women.
“We received the most ever entries this year, beginning in November 2023 and persisting into the week leading up to the national public casting, which speaks to the incredible reputation that Mrs South Africa has as a result of the value we offer to all of our participants.
“This is truly a life transformation journey that seeks to give our contestants the tools, knowledge, and support they need to pursue their dreams, and guide them in realising their full potential as forces for good,” said Johnson.
“We were very excited by the strength and diversity of this year’s applicants, and the judges certainly had their work cut out for them in selecting the 2024 semi-finalists from such a large and inspiring group,” she added.
Lelaka has already joined in on a jam-packed weekend of empowerment workshops and development events held during the first Dallmayr Mrs South Africa Semi-Finalist Conference of the year on February 3 and 4, at Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Lelaka will participate in many more workshops, photoshoots, media interviews, fitness challenges, sponsor events, and community projects in the days leading up to the Semi-Finals Judging Week and Showcase early in July, where the 2024 top 30 finalists will be announced.
