This past weekend, the spotlight was on Soweto as the pageant to crown the 46th Miss Soweto got underway. Lungile Siyaphi took the top spot, cementing her place among the stars in the pageant world.
Let’s get to know Lungile in this Q&A
How are you feeling now that you have been crowned the 46th Miss Soweto?
It feels surreal. It feels like a dream that I’ve been holding onto for years that has finally come true. I mean standing, on the stage on Saturday I was deeply humbled to represent something bigger than myself.
What are your plans to make a mark as Miss Soweto 2025?
I am the co-founder of Emamlangeni Feeding Scheme, which is based in Orlando East, and I plan to deepen the work that I’ve already started with Emamlangeni, with my main focus being the youth. I hope to create sustainable program that will continue long after my year of reign is over.
At the finale I was asked how I would advise parents of children affected by substance abuse, this is one of the things I will be focusing on during my year of reign.
I’m in the process of organising workshops with the youth and parents to learn about the causes of substance abuse and how we can help a person who is face with that situation.
I’m also planning to start modelling classes because I’ve seen the pique in interest when it comes to pageantry, so I would love to also impart the knowledge I have on the industry and share it with whoever is willing to learn.
Did you have somewhere to learn about pageantry growing up?
I did not have that growing up. I just had to find a modelling school as I went along. I would love for it to be more accessible, especially to people in Soweto because we don’t have that. I would love to have that to produce more queens from Soweto.
Did you always want to be Miss Soweto? How old were you when you started in pageants?
Yes, definitely. I started pageantry when I was 13 years old and I remember watching Miss Soweto on Soweto TV, seeing the likes of Busisiwe Motla and thinking that these women are so confident and powerful.
I’ve always envisioned myself on the stage from a young age and having walked across it on Saturday was like a dream come true.
This was my third attempt at Miss Soweto, and it’s only this time that I even made it to the top 20 and all the way to the finals.
Do you have aspirations of wearing the Miss SA crown?
Most definitely. I think Miss SA is one of the biggest pageantry platforms in South Africa, and it produces some of the most powerful women like Zozibini Tunzi and many others who have gone on to raise the South African flag globally. I would love to be a part of a platform that focuses on women as it is in line with what I would like to do during my reign.
What advice would you give aspiring pageant queens to achieve success?
I would say to them that you are everything that you believe you are. Never doubt yourself or your capabilities and always remember that despite your background, you can be part of something that is really big, like Miss Soweto.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be remembered for helping others rise as I rise. I carry the many people I’ve met through my journey of becoming Miss Soweto with me. The platform has enabled me to grow in more ways than one and hope to impart all that I’ve learnt to the youth of Soweto because when we help a young mind to grow, we help a whole nation.
Among the prizes for the Miss Soweto title winner are:
• R100,000 cash prize value courtesy of White Star
• A R3,000 voucher from Fashion designer Eli Ball
• A R5,000 voucher to spend at SUGAR APPLE Designs
• A modelling portfolio to the value of R5,000 from K-mile models
