An emotional Mia le Roux from Cape Town in the Western Cape was crowned Miss South Africa 2024 at the spectacular 66th pageant finale held at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old – who was the first differently-abled finalist in the history of the Miss South Africa pageant – worked full-time as a marketing manager for a start up company prior to entering the competition. She is also studying a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing part time at Unisa.
Runner-up was Soweto’s Nompumelelo Maduna.
An overwhelmed Le Roux said she was delighted to wear the Mowana (“Tree of Life”) crown from Nungu Diamonds.
She received R1 million in cash in a prize and sponsorship package that includes the use of a serviced apartment at the lavish Brookfield at Royal in Kensington, developed by Tricolt, for the year of her reign with homeware and accessories by Woolworths Home and gorgeous furniture by Schönn. She will also get to drive a Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé for the next 12 months.
In her acceptance speech Le Roux said : “With a humble and grateful heart, I accept the incredible responsibility of being your Miss South Africa 2024. It is an honour that fills me with immense pride and gratitude, and I am deeply touched by the trust and confidence that South Africa has placed in me.
“As a little girl I never would have thought that someone like me could become Miss South Africa. It is extremely powerful what this could mean to other little girls – that even if you have something that makes you different, you still can achieve your dreams with determination and hard work.
“At the tender age of two, I was blessed by my community with the gift of a cochlear implant. Family, friends and strangers rallied to raise funds for this operation – a life-changing opportunity that allowed me to hear. It was also the start of a long journey to listen to sound and connect with the world through speech, a journey that also has taught me to never give up. It took two years of speech therapy and continued repetition of words before I looked up to the sky one day and said my first four words: ‘Kyk daar, wit wolke – look there, white clouds.’
“Today, it is my turn to be your community, to be a voice for those who, like me, have experienced the challenges of being different and feeling excluded. I am here to serve as your representative, to champion the causes that matter to South Africans and to create a space where everyone can shine in their unique, beautiful way.
“The Miss South Africa Organisation has provided me with a powerful platform to advocate for change and to inspire others. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and I am committed to using it to address the issues that affect our communities by working with the government, corporate South Africa and anyone who is able and willing to play their part. South Africans face many challenges, from financial exclusion and lack of access to resources, to the struggles faced by those who are differently abled. These are not just issues; they are opportunities for us all to come together and build a more inclusive and supportive society.”
Stephanie Weil, CEO of the Miss South Africa Organisation extended her congratulations to the new queen, saying: “Mia embodies the Miss South Africa Organisation’s ethos that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. She also embraces and personifies the organisation’s four pillars – duty, championship, empowerment and beauty, so I can think of no-one more fitting to wear the crown and we can’t wait to see what she achieves during her reign.
“Congratulations too, to Nompumelelo as well as the other finalists who gave it their all and made the final decision so difficult for the judges. We had such strong group of women all vying for the crown this year, which is a testament to the importance and value that the Miss South Africa title has come to stand for throughout the country.”
The Miss South Africa 2024 pageant finale was broadcast live on S3 and streamed for an international audience on the Miss South Africa app.
The all-female judging line-up included Rolene Strauss (winner of Miss South Africa and Miss World 2014); actress, presenter, voice artist, model, author and entrepreneur Leandie du Randt; former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss; Queen of Soweto Lerato Kganyago and actress, musician, multimedia personality and model Thembi Seete.
Bonang Matheba was once again the pageant’s host while entertainment was provided by Jesse Clegg, Kamo Mphela, Lebo Mashile, Zoë Modiga and sign language activist Andiswa Gebashe.
Some of the country’s top designers dressed the finalists in a fabulous fashion-forward finale including Anel Botha, Gert-Johan Coetzee, Londeka Buthelezi-Ndaba and Lydia Mbayo.
Fittingly for Women’s Month, almost all of those involved in the event were women. For the third year in a row, Black Swan Media Executive Producer, Relebogile Mabotja, produced the live show while directing duties was again undertaken by international Technical Director, Nadia White.
Download the Miss South Africa app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International.
