Beaula Tshabalala, Conference and Events Coordinator at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Future Africa Institute, is one of 55 women in Africa who will be competing in the Mrs Universe Africa pageant.

Directed by Miss South Africa 2010, Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala, the pageant is open to women from all 54 African countries, with the purpose of celebrating women from all walks of life. The winner will have the chance to represent Africa at the international Mrs Universe pageant.

Tshabalala, who is a mother to two daughters, describes herself as “a compassionate person from a humble home who is very family orientated”. “I enjoy every moment I spend with my family because that’s when I get the chance to have some downtime,” she said.

For her, the Mrs Universe Africa event is more than just a pageant. “This is a women-empowerment movement because, unlike most other pageants, it is open to married, divorced and widowed women like myself [her husband passed away from a congenital heart condition], reminding us that it’s not too late to dream again,” Tshabalala said. “That resonates with me because I’m encouraged and inspired by the stories of these phenomenal women, and I believe that we each have a unique story to tell; this is an opportunity to inspire and be inspired.

In honour of her late husband, Tshabalala founded a non-profit organisation (NPO), which is named after her children. “Through our NPO, the Azania and Uhuru Foundation, we are embarking on a number of initiatives that are close to my heart,” she said. “We will be collaborating with early childhood development centres by providing support and raising awareness around quality education. It was both my and my late husband’s vision to run our own learning centre that focuses on offering early childhood education.

“Another initiative was prompted by my late husband’s heart condition. It is called #Heart2Heart, and through it, I will be raising awareness around heart disease in infants. I believe that when we invest in the empowerment of children (especially in underprivileged communities), we are working towards flourishing and liberating our next generation, the future leaders of this continent. It has always been my dream and passion to inspire others; this platform is an opportunity to be part of something that is bigger than myself.”

The pageant is currently in the semi-final stages, and the top 20 will be selected in March 2022; the grand finale takes place in May 2022. In the run-up to the top 20 announcement, Tshabalala will be taking part in several initiatives and fundraising activities.

If you would like to support Tshabalala, make use of the following options to cast your vote:

Option 1:

•           Go to www.webtickets.co.za;

•           Search for Mrs Universe Africa;

•           Select a bundle amount (R5, R10, R50 or R100);

•           Select the contestant number (3) and name (Beaula Tshabalala);

•           Pay using a debit or credit card.

Option 2:

•           Visit an in-store Money Market counter (Pick n Pay or Boxer Stores);

•           Select a bundle amount (R5, R10, R50 or R100);

•           Select the contestant number (3) and name (Beaula Tshabalala);

•           The cashier will cast your vote on the Webtickets system;

•           Make payment in-store.