On Friday, July, 15 Lalela Mswane made history as the first Black woman to win the Miss Supranational title.
Mswane arrived in Poland in June to prepare for the big day, and in the end wowed the panel of judges.
After winning the title at an event in the Strzelecki Park Amphitheatre in Nowy Sącz, Poland, the reigning Miss South Africa said the victory wasn’t just hers, but South Africa’s as well.
“I am deeply thankful to all the amazing people who have supported and uplifted me, I couldn’t have done it without them. I want to thank the organisers of Miss Supranational, the Polish people, all my fellow contestants, the Miss SA organisation and my South African fans. This title is not mine alone, it is South Africa’s victory.”
Out of the other 69 contestants she was competing against, it was evident that she was more deserving and here’s why.
Her resilience
The 24-year-old beauty is one resilient woman. Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no turning back. There was controversy last year when she had to represent South Africa at the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Israel. Many people didn’t support her decision, but she stood her ground and went. Guess what, she came back as a second-runner up, and that proved she made the right choice.
Confidence
The KwaSokhulu-born star is confident and eloquent. During the Miss Supranational contest, she was asked: “Why do people feel losing things they do not even have”? She was quick and super confident in her response.
She replied: “I actually used to suffer from losing things that I do not have, and I think it stems from the fear of perfection or pressures of the world, and trying to really seek for happiness that you do not have. People are often discontent with what they have. So, I really think we have to change our mentality, and an attitude of gratitude should be something that we instil everyday.”
Poised
Despite the criticism, she never let the noise get to her. She knew her goals, and went for her dreams and was never apologetic.
Beautiful
All the women participating in the pageant were absolutely stunning. But Mswane’s dark-skinned beauty shone brightly. It is no surprise she is the first black woman to win the title, and the first Miss South Africa to participate in the Miss Supranational pageant.
Graceful
You can tell that she’s a ballet dancer in the graceful way that she moves. She walks with confidence, like the queen she is.
On August, 13 Mswane will hand over her Miss SA reins in order to fulfil her duty as Miss Supranational.