Lalela Mswane is Miss South Africa 2021

Lalela Mswane was crowned Miss South Africa 2021 at the end of the finals, held on October 16 at Grand West Arena in Cape Town. She bested nine other beautiful finalists to win this crown and to succeed Miss South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida .Miss South Africa 2021 winner and runners-up are expected to represent the rainbow nation at the next Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Supranational competitions. The organization has yet to announce the their international pageant designations.

Hailing from Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, the 24-year-old model and dancer holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Pretoria. At the Miss South Africa finale, Lalela showed that she was passionate about tackling the issue of unemployment. She does this through her #BeReady campaign which aims to empower youth development.

She decided to pursue her childhood dream by entering the pageant and is excited to embark the journey ahead. Mswane has been one of the most potential faces in South Africa and received huge support from her fans and pageant followers. The beauty is using her platform as Miss South Africa to ensure that she is “at the forefront of fighting against social injustices and celebrate one another for our authenticity and individualities.”

She also founded the ‘Lalela Mswane Foundation’, an NGO that strives to empower the youth to soar beyond the boundaries that life has placed before them. The foundation envisions to empower young South Africans, particularly those stemming from parentless backgrounds, to soar beyond the boundaries life has placed before them by means of mentorship programs as well as equip them with the necessary tools to ensure that they succeed in their chosen paths. Her vision is to focus on developing alternatives to tertiary education so schools can focus on certain trades such as agriculture, manufacturing and others to prepare learners for these careers.

“I really wasn’t expecting it, which is why I started crying. I was so shocked because I was already so fulfilled and blessed to have made top three. So, for me, this is genuinely just the cherry on top,” Lalela told Catriona Gray in an interview moments after being crowned.

The 2021 Miss South Africa ‘s court includes Zimi Mabunzi and Moratwe Masima as first and second runners-up respectively. Bianca Bezuidenhout and Jeanni Mulder completed the Top 5.

The prestigious national pageant was attended by reigning Miss Universe Andrea Meza, Miss World Toni-Ann Singh and Miss Supranational Chanique Rabe. Former queens Pia Wurtzbach, Catriona Gray, Zozibini Tunzi and Rolene Strauss also graced the event.