Pearl Ntshehi, a Miss South Africa 2022 top 10 finalist, has been awarded the Miss South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador Award for 2022. This was presented at an event hosted by Brand South Africa at the Sanctuary Mandela Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, on 15 August 2022.
The inspirational beauty queen was honoured on the same day as the newly-crowned Miss South Africa, Ndavi Nokeri.
Ntshehi was recognised for the work she does through Project 31, a charity organisation that she founded to empower disadvantaged youth with tools for a better future. The award, which she received with excitement and much anticipation fulfils what has been an aspiration for her. “Those who know me, know how much I’ve always wanted to be a Play your Part ambassador. Having this dream come true is beyond me”, she commented. As founder of Project 31, she has proven her passion for youth development and works tirelessly to inspire the youth of Mamelodi, where she was raised, to break boundaries and flourish.
The organisation was founded in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, to impact the lives of the youth in the local community through outreach programmes such as the #FillABackPack initiative, launched earlier in January 2022 to supply 100 Moretele Primary School learners with stationery for the year.
The most recent drive, #KeepThemInSchool, kicked off in July 2022 and is focused on advocating for and educating learners and the community at large on menstrual health, as well as the provision of sanitary products to learners in need. Project 31 mobilises the community to assist and donate to its causes to achieve its goals.
Brand South Africa, the custodians of the South African nation brand, launched the Play Your Part campaign, an initiative created to encourage active citizenry amongst South Africans, contributing to strengthening the country brand.
At the tender age of 25, Ntshehi, is highly accomplished as a Candidate Attorney, with three qualifications – a BCom Law from Pearson Institute of Higher Education, an LLB degree from UNISA, as well as a BCom Honours from Regent Business School – under her belt. She aspires to make an impact on the country’s judiciary. Ntshehi has also held the title of the first princess of Miss Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club in 2019/2020. She describes herself as buoyant and an avid reader of non-fiction books.
Brand South Africa, in partnership with the Miss South Africa organisation, has joined forces to present the Miss South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador Award, in recognition of South African women who invest their time and resources on initiatives that empower women. This year, Nokeri and Ntshehi join a team of over 200 esteemed ambassadors of the Play Your Part campaign.
The newly crowned Miss South Africa 2022, Ndavi Nokeri, is a University of Pretoria alumnus who holds a BCom degree in Investment Management. Prior to winning the title, she held a position as a senior consultant at an asset management firm. The 23-year-old strives to be a decision-maker in educational skills development in South African schools, imparting insights for a positive change in the nation.
The Miss South Africa organisation is a platform that creates a stepping stone for ambitious and driven women to become powerful and inspirational role models as well as brands. The Miss South Africa brand is a dominant voice on female empowerment which strives to support inclusivity, diversity, and the power of the female voice.
Now well into its 11th year running, the Play Your Part programme is still a pioneering initiative that continues to inspire and advocate for active citizenship amongst South Africans. In encouraging the people of South Africa to be better where they are, employing what they have, it is charting a way towards the creation of a nation brand that is driven by ambassadors willing to make a difference for the benefit of the entire nation.
