Mr South Africa – more than a looker

549 29/01/2015 Mr South Africa took place on the 28th of January in Johannesburg at En Gendi where Armand du Plessis took the pretigious title, living Morne Marais as the First runner up and Sibusiso Sibanda as the runner up, as they attend a press briefing in Sandton. Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha

549 29/01/2015 Mr South Africa took place on the 28th of January in Johannesburg at En Gendi where Armand du Plessis took the pretigious title, living Morne Marais as the First runner up and Sibusiso Sibanda as the runner up, as they attend a press briefing in Sandton. Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha

Published Jan 30, 2015

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Johannesburg – The Mr South Africa brand prides itself on finding role models, men who can hold a position and not just a title.

Armand du Plessis is that man.

The 26-year-old law graduate beat 11 other contestants for the coveted title on Wednesday night.

“It only just sank in this morning. All the hard work has paid off and I’m proud and honoured,” he said at the winner’s media conference on Thursday.

The search for Mr South Africa saw 108 men compete for a chance to make it into the final 12.

Over the past year, the men competed in challenges, activities and a social media campaign to evaluate their leadership and interpersonal skills.

This year, the Mr South Africa Council was launched. It will see all 12 finalists become brand ambassadors for various causes and tackle issues challenging the country.

Du Plessis said he would continue to champion the DeskBags campaign, which aims to produce not only a durable bag for pupils, but also a portable desk solution for their home and school use.

“I’m dedicated to making a difference. I have always been involved in community work and will use this platform to work with different organisations. The campaign will give many underprivileged children the chance to have desks to work on and contribute to the many challenges facing the country.”

Runner-up Morné Marais, 28, will focus his efforts on an anti-bullying campaign.

“I lost two of my best friends to suicide because of bullying. I plan to write a book on bullying that can be integrated into the school syllabus,” he said.

Second runner-up Sibusiso Sibanda will use the platform to highlight the challenges faced by poor South Africans.

“I have always wanted to be a positive spark and show people that, irrespective of where you are, you can change the world. I want to be the voice of the voiceless,” he said.

The 27-year-old, who was born in the Eastern Cape, works for a local radio station as a motivational speaker.

A spokesperson for Mr South Africa said the competition was a platform to inspire young South African men to be the best they could be, to mould the contestants into role models, and to choose an inspirational man to act as an ambassador and role model for men in South Africa.

Du Plessis walks away with prizes worth R500 000.

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The Star

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