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Former Miss SA Bokang uses her pageant experience to empower women

Picture credit: Instagram
Picture credit: Instagram

Former Miss SA Bokang has reflected on her journey as a beauty queen‚ saying that despite being the “darkest” in skin complexion and the most curvaceous among her competitors‚ she wasn’t deterred from her dream.

Speaking to Gareth Cliff on Cliff Central Bokang said she now uses her experiences to advise and empower young women.

“You have to believe that you got what it takes. I keep saying to everyone‚ I was the darkest-skinned girl at Miss SA. I was the girl with the biggest curves and I still thought ‘I just don’t care. I’m going to win this‚ it’s my year‚ this is mine’‚” she said.

The former Miss SA goes across the country giving talks to women through projects like I am Woman and Dare to Dream.

She said she hopes to remind women that they are “good enough“. Bokang added that young women need to be taught to accept who they are‚ so that their confidence stays intact.

The businesswoman said she has entered all top pageants in the world and that looking back‚ she realises she was asserting her confidence.

She credited her father for instilling a sense of confidence in her as a little girl.

“There’s never been an African girl who has entered all four top international pageants. So I entered Miss Earth‚ Miss World Africa‚ Miss International and Miss Universe. I’ve always wanted to be that girl and I just thought to myself‚ ‘why not?’‚” she said.

Bokang is married to soccer player Siphiwe Tshabalala and they have a son together.