Busisiwe Mmotla was crowned Miss Soweto 2017 on Saturday night.
In a spectacular show held at The Soweto Theater in Jabulani, Mmotla rose above the rest with her elegant, yet sassy look as she beat 19 contenders from around Soweto to the crown.
Mmotla, who hails from Emdeni South, is teacher who is passionate about charity and said she wants to continue “touching (the) lives” of young women in Soweto.
"Winning this pageant means I am going to continue touching lives, inspiring young women so they will discover the true value of themselves, to believe in their destination, and to assure them that their current situation can get better,” said the newly-crowned queen of Soweto.
Busisiwe Mmotla. Picture: Matthews Baloyi
Busisiwe Mmotla. Picture: Matthews Baloyi
First princess Musawenkosi Makhalemele, a 22-year old former legal scholar and now a Bachelor of Science student from Naledi, says she is ready to engage with the youth and share her knowledge with the young entrepreneurs in Soweto
And the second princess Phumzile Nyembe, a 24-year old law student from Diepkloof, revealed her intention to enter the Miss SA pageant. She also wants to invest more in her school shoes campaign for underprivileged pupils in Soweto.
Busisiwe Mmotla and her princesses Musawenkosi Makhalemele and Phumzile Nyembe. Picture: Matthews Baloyi
The master of ceremonies for the prestigious event was local actor Vusi Kunene, best known for his starring role as Jack Mabaso on SABC 1’s Generations.
A star-studded judging panel was made up of Scandal actress Mapasetla Koetle, beauty editor Grace Mantswe, singer and celebrity chef Lucia Mthiyane and Clinix Health group marketing manager Zinhle Mthembu.
US singer Monique Bingham took to the stage to perform some of her hit songs, including Deep In The Bottom and Take Me To My Love. She was accompanied by a variety of Soweto talents that were discovered at the White Star Talent Search held earlier in the year.
This was the 38th edition of the Miss Miss Soweto pageant, which was created to bring awareness to the women of Soweto. Previous winners of Miss Soweto include media mogul Basetsana Kumalo and former SABC news anchor Augustine Masilela.
Miss Soweto plays a significant role in promoting positive change for women and girls who live in the area.
Miss Soweto. Picture: Matthews Baloyi
The prizes for this year’s winners include tablets, beauty products, annual assessment and health up to the value of R200 000 from the Clinix Health group, and clothing from Urban Zulu for the entire year of their reign.
Busisiwe Mmotla. Picture: Matthews Baloyi
The main sponsor, White Star, also awarded cash prizes, with 2nd princess getting R5000, 1st princess R10 000 and the queen, R50 000 and the role of brand ambassador for 2018.