Rolene Strauss crowned Miss SA
Twenty-one-year-old Rolene Strauss has taken the title of Miss South Africa 2014. See photos from the event here.
A radiant Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss South Africa 2014 at a glittering ceremony held at the Sun City Superbowl last night.
Runners-up are Ziphozakhe Zokufa from the Eastern Cape (1st Princess) and Limpopo’s Matlala Mokoko (2nd Princess).
Strauss, who is a medical student from Bloemfontein, says she is truly humbled and grateful to win the title and to be the first to wear the glittering new Palesa crown designed for the pageant.
Click here to read a Q&A with Rolene.
Here's what she had to say in her acceptance speech:
“Oh, how I love South Africa! I can live, speak, learn and love freely. My dreams are developed and become reality here. Our country is my pride and my purpose has and will always lie within it.
“Not only does the Miss South Africa title have the ability to take me places, but I will also learn from the women who walked this path before me. I am who I am today because of our country and the opportunities I have received from her generous hand. For me this will be a year of giving back; giving thanks and being a true example of the potential women and all South Africans can have in our country.
(Above: Rolene, flanked by Ziphozakhe Zokufa (left) and Matlala Mokoko)
(Above: Rolene in a swimsuit, and resplendent in white)
(Above: Rolene wears the Palesa crown, which was especially created for the Miss SA pageant by Jack Friedman Jewellers. The precious metal in the crown comes from Anglo American Platinum)
“My passion for Miss South Africa and health is connected. Together with the sponsors' initiatives such as Cell C's Take a Girl Child to Work Day, which I will be putting my name to, I'd love to get different health disciplines involved and emphasise the importance of women's health and its empowering effect on our everyday lives. We are capable of so much more when we are healthy; physically, mentally and emotionally.”
As Miss South Africa 2014 Strauss has won cash, a car and products valued at more than R1.3 million. She also gets thousands of rands in cash and study bursaries to award to South Africans that she meets during her reign. Cell C is also giving the winner access to R200 000 to spend on random acts of kindness.
The Miss South Africa judges were Amy Kleinhans-Curd, crowned Miss South Africa in 1992; magazine editor, poet and writer, Kojo Baffoe; TV presenter, model and cosmetics brand ambassador Bonang Matheba; high-profile radio personality and TV presenter Anele Mdoda and Pnina Fenster, editor of Glamour magazine.
The full Miss SA prize package includes:
• A Volvo V40 T3 – R335 000
• Use of a fully furnished and serviced apartment for the year of her reign – R240 000
• Africology product and spa services – R130 000
• Sun International cash prize – R120 000
• Call It Spring shoes – R120 000
• Exclusive Dry Cleaners services – R100 000
• Smashbox makeup – R90 000
• Professional Impressions image and etiquette training – R80 000
• Sun International Dreams all-expenses paid getaway – R80 000
• Cell C – R60 000 airtime contract
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 inch tablet – R4 000
Cell C is also giving the winner access to R200 000 to spend on random acts of kindness.
Varsity College has donated two bursaries valued at R330 000 for Miss South Africa to award to two economically disadvantaged students to study a full degree or diploma qualification on a full time basis for a maximum of three years at Varsity College.
There are also 10 short learning programme bursaries for Miss SA to award to NGOs or charitable institutions valued at R150 000.
(Photos: Supplied/Debbie Yazbek)