GETTING CANDID WITH MISS SOUTH AFRICA 2021 LALELA MSWANE

We caught up with Miss South Africa 2021 and Miss Supranational 2022, Lalela Mswane, who shared her incredible story of generosity, empowerment and love. Choosing courage over comfort, this role model continuously uses her platform for good.

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She may have had quite the controversial journey as a beauty queen in the beginning, as a result of taking part in the Miss Universe contest in Israel in 2021, but Lalela Mswane has gracefully bounced back to keep the South African flag flying high.

Since her reign as Miss South Africa, the law graduate and model (who’s also a ballerina) has allowed her feet to lead her wherever her heart desires – taking her Lalela Foundation to new heights. The NPO strives to empower the youth to soar beyond the boundaries that life has placed in front of them.

“My parents instilled in me the value of giving back at a young age. When I lost my dad in 2010, I experienced a great emotional void – even though my mother was more than present, and was basically a superhero in my eyes for single-handedly raising my siblings and I,” the 26-year-old explains.

“That feeling inspired me to establish a mentorship programme aimed at providing guidance and support to young people from parentless backgrounds.”

The Lalela Foundation was established in 2020 and its work is not limited to the mentorship programme but includes various other initiatives. “This is just my little way of playing my part in my beautiful South Africa.”

Grace And Gratitude
Thus far, Lalela’s legacy is one that exemplifies what it truly means to love your country and its people, as she gets out of her comfort zone to share with and uplift others. “I definitely believe that generosity is synonymous with love because you cannot give if you’re not giving from a loving place,” she states.

“I think people often misconstrue or limit generosity to the giving of tangible objects. But generosity also looks like giving your time, sharing your knowledge, giving someone an act of service. “This is truly important to me because I am where I am today because so many people have graciously given me so much support, advice, time and love. In the end, the legacy I would like to leave behind is that of being generous in every positive sense of the word, and truly being a lady who selflessly gave of herself.”

And she’s done just that, facilitating blanket drives during winter for underprivileged communities, lending a hand at the Mohau Child and Youth Care Centre in Pretoria, and speaking at round-table events to motivate women across the country to “face their power and embrace their future”.

Beyond Beauty
Last year in July, Lalela was crowned Miss Supranational 2022. The word ‘supranational’ means to have power or influence that transcends national boundaries or governments.

The beauty pageant is run by the World Beauty Association, and the duties of the winner are to fight the good fight promoting goodwill among nations, and travel the world to promote tourism.

"I think people often limit generosity to the giving of tangible objects. But generosity also looks like giving your time, sharing your knowledge, giving someone an act of service."

“I am and forever will be grateful that I saw the fulfilment of my lifelong aspiration – being crowned Miss South Africa – and it certainly opened so many doors for me,” she says. “And now it is such a privilege to be the first black and first South African Miss Supranational, too. I now have the honour of representing the Miss Supranational organisation internationally as I visit various countries and aim to be both aspirational and inspirational.”

She may have reached these milestones in record time, but Lalela still hopes to go for absolutely everything that she was previously too shy, scared or uncertain to pursue – and to do so “fearlessly”, acting as a positive role model for women and children across SA.

Love And Light
Lalela is a firm believer in practising self-love and self-care daily. She knows how difficult it can be to stick to your guns, especially with a busy schedule every day. “I’ve found that it is important to find a few minutes every day to do something that makes your heart smile. To me, that looks like a long, hot bubble bath and an hour of reading prior to sleeping – that’s if I don’t fall asleep before getting the chance to even open my e-reader, of course!”, she laughs. Ending off the conversation with a mention of February, the Month of Love, the beauty queen shared a special message for Jet Club readers across the nation:

“I’ve found that being innately loving and compassionate beings, it’s easy for us as women to pour into everyone and everything else but ourselves. We deserve better, so we have to do better. It’s time for us to be intentional about the relationship we forge with ourselves, the way we perceive ourselves, and how we love ourselves. It’s time women made themselves a priority, unapologetically so.”

"This is just my little way of playing my part in my beautiful South Africa."

LALELA’S LIKES & LOVES

Favourite book?
The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer.

Most-loved movie?
Currently, it has to be The Woman King.

Favourite music?
‘Oblivion’ composed by Astor Piazzolla and played by Hauser and his orchestra.

If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’ve been dreaming of going to the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora, because my sister and I have always found the images of the place absolutely surreal.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Definitely the power to teleport. Imagine how much time I’d save by completely removing transport delays? The things I’d do with that time!

What are your favourite pastimes?
I enjoy yoga and hiking. I love reading as well, and I am known as the ‘nap queen’ at home because I truly believe in the power of a good nap.

Follow Lalela
Facebook: Lalela Lali Mswane
Instagram: @lalela_lali
Twitter: @lalela_mswane

Text by: Charndré Emma Kippie
Photographs by:Danielle Klopper, Stephen Obi (Setlife Studios Sa)
Photography by: Emmy