A 13-year-old beauty pageant competitor from Welkom has added two international titles to her growing collection after representing South Africa in Turkey.

Shivani Williams, a grade seven learner at Welkom Preparatory School, competed at the WLBF pageants held in Kusadasi, Turkey, from 7 to 18 May. She claimed the WLBF Miss Teen Universe and WLBF Little Supermodel Universe titles.

The achievement marks the latest milestone in a pageant career that began when Williams was six years old. She has now secured 36 titles across local, provincial and national competitions.

To fund her international participation, Williams hosted her first pageant event, Mr & Miss Sassy Queen 2026, at the Goldfields Casino hall on 31 January. The fundraiser enabled her to travel to Turkey to compete.

Williams added the Miss Pre-Teen Tourism SA 2026 crown at a competition held in Brakpan in March 2026. Between 2021 and 2025, she won the Miss Welkom overall category winner title annually.

Her earlier achievements include Little Miss Lejweleputswa first princess (2019), Miss Sandrivier (2019), Mr & Miss Matjhabeng junior queen (2023), Queen Tween of the Free State (2023), Miss Spring Fete (2025), and Devine Dreams (2026).

At national level, Williams has competed in Pageants South Africa events, winning Tiny Miss Teen SA (2023), Tiny Miss Teen Universe South Africa (2023), and Miss Pre-Teen World South Africa (2023 and 2024). She placed as Miss Pre-Teen South Africa first princess in 2023 and 2024, and held the Miss Pre-Teen Free State title in both years.

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In 2025, she secured Miss Pre-Teen Best Model second princess and Miss Rainbow Nations second princess titles.

At the All Stars Pageant, Williams won the Miss Bling Fashion overall winner and Miss Casual Kindness category winner titles in 2025. She also placed as Miss Darling Diva third princess and Miss Pure Hearts third princess. A seven-year-old pageant queen from Welkom has returned home victorious after winning two international titles at a competition in Turkey that concluded on 19 May.

Also from Welkom, Lesedi Khatoane claimed the Little Miss Universe 2026 crown and the Top Model Of The World 2026 title, when she too represented South Africa at the prestigious event held in Europe from 6 to 19 May.

Khatoane, a Grade 2 learner at Riebeckstad Primary School in Welkom, Free State, has amassed an impressive collection of more than 25 pageant titles since beginning her modelling career at two-and-a-half years old in 2021.