Miss World SA gets a sweet treat before jetting off to India

The perfect send-off for Miss World SA Zoalize Jansen van Rensburg to represent Mzansi on a global stage included an afternoon of fine dining finished with a delightful champagne toast. 

The 19-year-old is off to Hyderabad, India, where she will compete at the 72nd Miss World pageant set to be crowned on May 31. 

President of Miss World SA, Carol Bouwer, hosted an intimate brunch soirée to mark the occasion with a scrumptious menu curated by chef Tharollo “Stevo” Tlali at The Shyre Mansion in Houghton, Johannesburg.   

“It’s The Shyre forest in leafy Houghton,” announces Tlali, placing a sea of desserts on the kitchen table.    

“When you are driving towards the venue, you see plenty of trees, so Miss World can remember the last brunch she had was at the leafy Houghton.”

The decadent dessert featured white chocolate snow, a dark chocolate tree and a creamy dark chocolate mousse with a berry cream inside, finished off with a generous dollop of strawberry purée.   

The 31-year-old Bloemfontein native is the resident chef at The Shyre Mansion, a discreet tuck-away luxe stay that beats its chest on guests' privacy and homey charm. Last year, the former private residence revamped itself as a boutique hotel and private functions hotspot, tapping into the fine dining expertise of Tlali as its private chef.   

“I met Mam' Ntozoko when I was working at the Forum Homini and Roots restaurant, on a farm in Krugersdorp. It was here where, after I had worked in many restaurants and chocolatiers, I got to have my own family,” Tlali said.

“After a few years, I went to the UK for a year before I was presented with this beautiful opportunity to come and work here. Then I rejoined my family and moved back to SA.”

Tlali studied at the prestigious Olive Chef School in Bloemfontein, where renowned chef Moses Moloi was a year ahead of him.   

“Growing up, when there were events at home, I would go speak to the ladies who were cooking, asking them what they were cooking and if I could taste. They used to chase me away because I loved tasting their food and questioning them on their choice of flavours.”   

Tlali believes he inherited his passion for cooking and baking from his grandmothers.    

“Even though I was raised by both parents, I stayed with my grandmother. She was a nurse and she loved baking. That’s the pastry chef side of my journey. As well as my paternal grandmother, who was a domestic worker and would cook,” he says. 

“I’m on a new journey of taking traditional cuisine and redefining it. The most recent dish I did was a combination of pap and milk in that I took amasi [sour fermented milk], milk and instant porridge and re-created the classic milk tart. It was milk tart with amasi creme a glaze, white chocolate, and Iwisa [maize meal] sponge cake mixed with instant porridge and made a lovely dessert – finished off with an Iwisa meringue.”

Draped in an emerald green gown complete with feather details and topped with a dazzling crown firmly on her head, Van Rensburg can't wait to represent SA.

“I’m looking forward to the head-to-head challenge, which is in line with the beauty with a purpose pitch because I get to share the core of who I am and my essence and the community work I've been doing. I work with the New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Midrand and I look forward to sharing their stories and their dreams when I get there,” says Van Rensburg.

Bouwer added that as Miss World SA, they are behind Van Rensburg all the way.

“What is exciting for me is that we are sending somebody to India who is a great ambassador for our country and who can speak for us in a manner that we would want to be spoken for and represent the best ideals of who we are,” says Bouwer.

“It's been her dream her whole life – she has worked her whole life towards this moment and we are part of it, ensuring that it happens for her. It speaks to that we need to continue passing on the baton and building bridges and continue to shatter glass ceilings. It's a wonderful thing to witness.”