University of Pretoria (UP) graduate Lesley-Anne Holworthy was recently crowned Face of Gauteng Radio Queen 2021, earning herself three months’ supply of hair products and a brand-new car. 

The Face of Gauteng pageant was established in 2019 and centres on community work. The semi-final took place last year, during which Holworthy competed against 50 girls for a spot in the top 30, before winning the title in the final. 

“Winning the Face of Gauteng Radio pageant means so much to me, as it aligns with some of my interests, which are charity work and pageantry,” Holworthy said. “Now I can use this platform to create more awareness about giving back. As American author and activist Helen Keller once said: ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’”

“The Faculty of Education wishes to congratulate Lesley-Anne Holworthy on her incredible success,” said Sharon Mashau, Head of Marketing and Communication in the Faculty of Education. “We wish her all the best with the work that she will be doing during her reign.”

Holworthy, who obtained a Bachelor of Education from UP, won two other titles at the pageant in addition to her big win. She was awarded the Director’s Choice title and was named Miss Philanthropy, which is awarded to the entrant who did the most relevant community work for the competition. 

Born and raised in Pretoria, the 22-year old’s passion for community work was ignited when she was in primary school. “My parents always threw Christmas parties for the less fortunate and gave out food parcels on a weekly basis to our community,” she said. “Seeing how little something meant to me yet meant the world to someone else changed my perspective on life. From that moment on, I knew that this was what I wanted to do – give back and put a smile on someone’s face.” 

Some of her community work initiatives include raising awareness about the medical condition lupus at high schools, donating blood, donating clothes, hosting self-defence workshops to combat gender-based violence and doing motivational talks at high schools. 

Another of her passions is education. “My wish is to play my part in eradicating the extreme inequalities in our educational system and help apply what our Constitution says, which is that every child has the right to basic education,” Holworthy said. 

She has also combined two of her passions – pageantry and education – by opening the LA Modelling Academy, through which she offers young girls pageantry and etiquette training. 

In the immediate future, she hopes to grow the modelling academy and focus her attention on her teaching career.