Johannesburg - After the jubilation, widespread fanfare and initial proceedings of winning this year’s Miss SA title, Ndavi Nokeri retreated to her hotel suite to spend time with her family.
The beauty, who hails from a small village in Tzaneen, Limpopo, even this week, kept her family close as news of her new title sinks in.
“I am still pinching myself that this is now a reality,” she admitted to Saturday Star this week.
“Luckily after my crowning, my family was in my suite and have been here to celebrate with me.”
“They are all so happy and proud of me and with so much changing so quickly, it was fantastic to have their support and to have them be part of the celebrations.”
The 23-year-old, who obtained her BCom Investment Management qualification from the University of Pretoria and was working as a consultant for an asset management firm in Cape Town at the time of her crowning, won Miss SA 2022 last Saturday at a glittering pageant finale held at the SunBet Arena, Time Square, in Pretoria.
Apart from earning the coveted title, Nokeri also received R1 million in cash and sponsorship packages totalling more than R3 million. This includes the use of a serviced apartment at the lavish Ellipse Waterfall in Midrand, Johannesburg, and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan.
This new life is a long way from Tzaneen and the beauty queen is cognisant of the scale of her achievement and what it means for scores of other young girls from disadvantaged circumstances across the country.
“I think that a lot of people can relate to my story and it's also an example for other young women from a small village to dream big, believe in themselves, regardless of where they are in life,” she believes.
“As someone who comes from a small village, I know the mindset is there that the youngsters limit themselves because they are not exposed to as much but I want to inspire South Africa’s youth to open up minds, dream bigger, see what is possible and know that our communities are willing to show up for us.”
Nokeri admitted that her Limpopo community is still buzzing from news of her crowning and that she is so grateful for the love.
In fact, in order to thank them for their support and to include them in her celebrations, Nokeri is set to have a homecoming in Tzaneen at the end of the month.
“I am so excited to go back home and celebrate with my community,” she said.
“My phone has been buzzing this week with messages of congratulations and I was even congratulated by my town’s mayor.”
While Nokeri is just a week into her role as the new Miss SA, she is already planning to make the maximum impact during her reign.
“I am passionate about creating an equitable education system in SA because I think that it is so important to ensure that every youngster in the country is given the opportunity to gain skills and resources to be a success in whatever profession they choose and that no one gets left behind.
“When this happens, it leads to many other problems like crime and teenage pregnancy because young people feel like they are unable to be part of a bright future.”
And while the 23-year-old has been in pageantry since she was just five-years-old, she admits that winning Miss SA is one of her greatest achievements yet and is a testament to believing in her own dreams.
“Miss SA is so important in empowering women who have gone on to big things in different industries and have managed to build a strong foundation and legacy for themselves,” Nokeri said.
“It is also a platform which enables you to give back on a bigger and national scale so that is something that I am so excited about.”
Apart from her charitable duties as Miss SA, Nokeri will also represent South Africa at the world’s three most prestigious pageants – Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss Supranational.
These are three international competitions that former Miss SA’s have thrived in, with her predecessor, Miss SA 2021 Lalela Mswane having been crowned Miss Supranational in Poland last month, making her the first black woman in history to win this title.
Mswane followed in the footsteps of Zozibini Tunzi, Demi-Leigh Tebow and Rolene Strauss who won international pageant crowns over the past eight years alone.
All former Miss SA’s, Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe in 2019, Tebow was the titleholder in 2017 and Strauss was Miss South Africa 2014.
Nokeri hopes to join this elite group when she participates in the latest editions of the international beauty pageants.
“Preparations will start soon and I am so excited to travel and participate in these pageants.”
As the daughter of two pastors, the Limpopo beauty also attributes prayer and faith to her success and said that got her through some of the hardest days of her Miss SA journey and her life. It is this that she will also take with her during her Miss SA reign.
“It has really helped me to become a great woman of faith.”
As Nokeri was crowned in August when women are commemorated in SA, the beauty queen wants the nation’s ladies to know that anything is possible.
“We are strong, bold and more than capable of achieving anything we put our minds to and as born leaders, we must continue to show up in different industries and spaces.”