Fifteen-year-old Unamandla Vilakazi, who was crowned Miss Teen Mundial 2023 third runner-up in Curaçao, says her biggest dream is to compete for the Miss World crown.
FIFTEEN-year-old Unamandla Vilakazi, who was crowned Miss Teen Mundial 2023 third runner-up in Curaçao this past weekend, says her biggest dream is to compete for the Miss World crown.
Unamandla spoke of her dream during her homecoming ceremony at the Kimberley Airport on Wednesday.
Unamandla, who was the youngest contestant at Miss Teen Mundial, managed to make the top five in what she described as a very challenging pageant, where she competed against beauty queens from more than 30 different countries around the world.
She added that while the competition was tough, she was delighted to have done her country proud.
“I would like to make my country even more proud in the future,” she said.
Unamandla arrived to great cheers at the Kimberley Airport as she was met by local performers and her supporters.
Overcome by emotion, Unamandla said the pageant and her experience has been humbling and exciting and she has learnt a lot from it.
She described Curaçao as warm and welcoming, with friendly, humble people.
“I am very grateful for God’s grace for giving me the strength to walk on that stage because Miss Teen Mundial is a huge platform,” she told the crowd at the Kimberley Airport.
“I want to thank everyone because I wouldn’t be here without your support.
“Since I advocate for education, I feel like the message that I’ve been spreading is now going to reach a wider range considering the platform that I have been given and the opportunity that I have been given as well.
“Education is important because us as youth will have to make decisions for our country. So it’s important for us to have that knowledge to be educated on what is happening around us so that we can make decisions.”
The principal of Dr EP Lekhela High School, Serokolo Mohapanele, thanked Unamandla for choosing the school as her charity initiative and a part of her journey.
Yolanda Sluit, the provincial co-ordinator for the Quality Teaching and Learning campaign in the Province at the Department of Education, pledged support for Unamandla in her future endeavours.
Sluit said they will also advocate for more support for girls in Unamandla’s situation in an effort to empower young girls, especially given the social ills that they face.
“She is a very good ambassador for education and we will invite her to our stakeholders’ meetings to become a role-model to her peers to look deep into themselves and see what their gifts are in order to work and develop their gifts.
The founder of Ubuhle Development Foundation, Thapelo Kgakatsi, said they were humbled to be part of the welcoming ceremony as they are also working with young people.
Ubuhle gave a heartwarming performance at the ceremony and shared the stage with Mayibuye Dance Academy.
