Miss Heritage South Africa, Zabelo Hlabisa (28) from KwaZulu-Natal, has trumped 54 other beauties from across the country to reach the final of the Miss Heritage Global 2022 competition, to be held at Kalahari Waterfront Nandoni this Saturday, 24 September.

The lovely contestants from the different participating countries stepped onto South African soil for the first time on 12 September, and were treated to a visit to the Mapungubwe Heritage site near Musina on Friday, 16 September.

Hlabisa, who is a traditional healer, said she had been attracted to the pageant because of its focus on empowering women. “Being Miss Heritage is more than just a beauty pageant, it’s about being an advocate for change. I get to do good work in society by spreading education around our heritage and cultures, and what it means to be a united society and representing the true essence of being African.”

Hlabisa said the idea of combining her love for positive community work and walking the ramp was a dream she never knew she had. She also teaches girls the art of pageantry. “The latter is really about confidence and self-belief.”

The CEO of the Miss Heritage Global, Ms Mbofholowo Mbodi said that, to have beauty queens showcase their heritage on one stage highlighted why being united was essential. She is hopeful that this pageant will also help create job opportunities for different communities from different backgrounds who get to participate in the event. “We are not just trying to be internationally recognised. The point of this pageant is also to help marginalised communities and reshape their destiny, if possible, so part of it is to also try to identify the gaps within societies and help where we can through the pageant,” she said.