Pretoria - Newly crowned Miss Bachelorette SA (MBSA) Khayakazi Koto is a strong believer.
She believes in commitment, perseverance, the Christian faith and of course her ancestors.
The new queen, who pipped 10 other finalists to win the 2021 Miss Bachelorette SA beauty pageant in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Saturday evening, says this potent mixture of values and personal character won her the coveted crown.
“If you make a decision to do something, the commitment must be there. Perseverance, even when things go wrong, a plan should not change. You should always look at the end goal. My final one is to understand that you are as good as your final achievement. So you must always strive to do something new, something better or expand on your goal,” Koto said.
The public servant says hurdles such as the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, which resulted in the postponement of the crowning finale and forced the finalists to add another year to their preparations, tested all her beliefs.
Speaking to Pretoria News after the finale, Koto, who is also a radio personality, said the coronavirus complicated and threw her plans into disarray.
“If you take into consideration the pandemic, (the fact) that we were not expecting to be on this journey for two years, commitment, perseverance and wanting to achieve – all three – motivated me even when there were moments when I may have felt tired. Remember, you made a commitment and therefore you have to persevere because there is something new that you want to achieve. It’s not going to be easy.”
She also credits her own Christian and ancestral beliefs for her success on Saturday.
“I would say it’s a combination of both, because of my background and the household that I was raised in. The Christian belief that there is a higher being, but I am also a strong believer in my own ancestors that they do play a role in our lives even beyond.”
Koto says she has always been confident of clinching the crown in that night of catwalk, glitz and glamour at the Ranch Hotel.
“I knew I would win it because I was dedicated and took time to prepare myself. However, I take nothing away from the 10 other competitors because they are equally winners,” Koto told the Pretoria News.
Besides the crown, Koto also took home the much sought-after R100 000 prize money and the bragging right.
Mpho Ramatsekisa was named first princess and Yenziwa Ngema second princess. Tinyiko Zitha and Nozipho Mashaba completed the top five.
Koto, who hail from Ezebeleni, Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape says she will use the knowledge acquired through the MBSA experience to start an academy for young girls in her neighbourhood.
“I’m going to finally start an academy, focusing mainly on girls struggling with self-belief and confidence because they are raised in households where there is a lot of alcohol abuse and as a result lack of a nurturing environment. I am the biggest supporter of women and thrive on being helpful. I am open to learning new lessons and enjoy challenging myself, concluded Koto, who holds a English and social science degree from the University of the Western Cape.
Miss Bachelorette SA was created in 2019 by former Miss South Africa finalist Refilwe Mogale. It caters for unmarried women aged 25-50.
“We are planning to take the pageant global. We have already started consulting with neighbouring countries like Botswana and Lesotho,” Mogale said after the finale.
Pretoria News