Twenty one year old Kutlo Motshegwa‘s dreams came true last week when she was crowned this year’s Miss Diamond Africa, a beauty contest that celebrates curvaceous women across Africa. Motshegwa was chosen out of 16 other hopefuls.
Motshegwa expressed potential from the beginning of the contest by showing the judges and audience that she is a beauty with brains. She answered the judges’ questions with confidence. Asked who inspires her as a woman, Motshegwa said she has always found inspiration from her mother.
“My mother is a pillar of strength in my life and has over the years shown me how to behave and grow up to be a responsible adult. She is a true example of a woman of virtue, righteousness and understanding and I am where I am because of my mother’s unending protection, encouragement and correction,” she responded.
Motshegwa told Lifestyle in an interview that although this is her first big title, she is going to make the most of her reign doing as much charity events as possible as a way of giving back to the community. “I have always wanted to make a difference in my country and now I feel it is the right time to do it. I’m over the moon,” she said.
Other aspiring queens who showed potential included Gorata Mashiqa who also managed to win the judges’ affection. She was crowned first princess while Dineo Nkgomotsang walked away with the second princess title.
One of the organisers for the pageant, Thuto Marobela, said the pageant is a charity event which aims to combine experience with the passion to give back to the community. He said it started in 2009 as Miss Curvy Africa and later changed to Diamond Queen Africa. Marobela said that the name had to be changed because the directors found it fit to define African women’s curves as a diamond to show just how precious they are hence the slogan ‘they have diamonds in their curves’.
Marobela said this particular pageant demonstrates that all women are beautiful and should celebrate their God-given bodies. He said they are pleased with the judges’ selection as Motshegwa has the perfect face and body and more importantly, personality, to compete with the rest of African girls for the overall title.
“Motshegwa will represent the country in Namibia. The final beauty contest will be held in Windhoek under the theme ‘Models Paint for Charity’. She stands a very good chance of winning because not only is she beautiful but she also has the brains to match,” he said.
He further said upon arrival at Namibia that different contestants will be involved in charitable projects that will see them painting homes for elderly people, the less fortunate and orphans living in Namibia. “The contestants are expected to gather gallons of paint through donations while they are there, as well as engaging the Namibian community with their painting project. They should complete before they go on stage to compete for the crown. We are still waiting for invitation from Namibia to come, we hope they will inform us before end of year,” he said.
