Ex-Miss Soweto advocates for people with visible difference

Ludina Ngwenya, self-proclaimed beauty queen who wears her scars with confidence, has always believed that when an opportunity comes knocking, one must open all doors and windows – and she did exactly that when she was crowned Miss Soweto in 2021.

The 24-year-old who is also a model and student from Meadowlands, Soweto, used the media attention and networking with influential gatekeepers to offer unique and refreshing stance on beauty. Ngwenya, who has visible burn scars, also dedicated her advocacy to representing people with visible difference such as herself by giving them an even louder voice.

She expresses her gratitude as she looks back on her incredible tenure as Miss Soweto that concluded in November when Tsakane Sono was crowned her successor.

“Looking back, Miss Soweto opened me up to opportunities and experiences which instilled the belief that I cannot aim for mediocrity. I’m hungry for success and ready to grab every opportunity that comes my way,” says Ngwenya.

However, the assertive, yet modest Ngwenya was not always this buoyant. An at-home accident involving boiling water on a paraffin stove left Ngwenya’s arms with burn scars as a toddler. Her visible difference made her a target for bullying by her peers as a young girl.

“It was so bad that it got to the point I would wear a jersey to hide my scars. I would not want other learners holding my hand as they would have nasty things to say and I often felt as if I didn’t belong,” Ngwenya remembers.

“My decision to pursue education as my undergraduate degree was inspired by what I went through. I also like that by going back to education, a space that I never felt comfortable, I can advocate for kids and help them gain their confidence. That satisfies me."

As Miss Soweto, Ngwenya’s tenacity to shift the mindset of how people with a visible difference are perceived empowered her to use her influence to etch a legacy for herself in the community of Meadowlands. However, this was easier said than done, as she soon realised.

“When you start you have this tunnel vision focus on a particular societal issue – well that was my attitude towards it. But as I continued and begin to engage with people, my eyes broaden up,” she says.

Ngwenya adds that acquiring sponsorship was one of her greatest obstacles that would leave her with sleepless nights.

“And when that happens, it leaves you feeling like you are not doing enough and not taking responsibility. It would trigger me and keep me up at night as I was determined to make a difference in my community and leave a legacy,” she says.

Not deterred, Ngwenya forged ahead and this led to her greatest breakthrough. 

“When I started I was intent on representing people who had a visible difference such as myself. So, that is where I began. I zoned in on a children’s disability centre in Meadowlands, lending my voice and visibility to the kids so they could be heard and seen. As I continued on my journey, I fused my passion for education and as Miss Soweto launched a computer lab in a school at Meadowlands Zone 4. My greatest accomplishment yet,” she says.

A year on and Ngwenya is gleaning the fruits of media attention and opportunities from her reign as Miss Soweto, including the confidence to truly pursue a modelling career.

“It began before Miss Soweto when I entered Miss and Mr Sensational at school. I was still insecure about my scars then and that I had to be on stage. Anyway, I brushed it off and won the title. Close people in my life always told me that I should model and the more I heard that, the more I believed it. It gave me the confidence to push into the career that I love,” she says.

“I have since walked the runway for notable designer David Tlale as well as walking for other prominent designers at African Fashion International (AFI) and SA Fashion Week. All of this without formal training or having an agency. I am still in pursuit of the latter."

Ngwenya looks back on her Miss Soweto experience with great pride and shares some words of encouragement for her successor Sono.

“She is doing incredibly well. My advice for her is that she should be herself – there is nothing more powerful than that. And if she needs to rest she must do so, but just don’t stop. Put your community first and chase those sponsors. You will get a lot of nos but if you keep on pushing something will come up.”