Johannesburg - Pretoria will be tickled pink on Saturday when contestants in the Miss Gay RSA pageant descend on the city to vie for the coveted crown.
The pageant, now in its fifth year, has drawn entrants from across the country and the top six will strut their stuff on the stage of the Manhattan Hotel to see who will reign supreme. But it's not just about beauty and who can walk tall in the highest heels.
Organiser Alfred Ngwenya said contestants were put through various rounds of interviews to reach the final stages. Part of the criteria to make it to the top six include their active involvement in community outreach programs and fundraising efforts.
“The contestants have to raise funds for projects in their communities. They have to show young people how they excel in their chosen careers without discrimination. For us it’s not just about who is the most beautiful or who looks the best” he said.
Kagiso Pooe (26) said she’d been working with NGOs in her hometown in Wolmaransstad, North West Province, and continuing with the same work in Krugersdorp where she now lives.
“I have been working with children. Teaching them music, dance and life skills. Because beauty pageants are close to my heart, I have also hosted various competitions in Krugersdorp,” she said.
The winner of four pageants already, Pooe said she hoped her efforts will also put the Miss Gay RSA pageant firmly on the map.
“We need more sponsors. We need more people to be aware of the pageant and to play a bigger role in it,” Pooe said.
While this is her first time participating in the MIss Gay RSA pageant, Pooe is confident that she has what it takes, to take the crown.
“For me this pageant is a celebration of who we are. What I can tell you about my outfits is that there is too much drama,” she joked.
Another hopeful with her eye firmly on the crown is Tiffany Amber Rose, 41, from Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape, who has 10 years experience in the beauty pageant industry. A qualified attorney, Rose now works as a labour relations manager in the Eastern Cape Department of Health.
She’s also actively involved in the Chauncey’s Epic Anti-Bullying Campaign in Makhanda as well as the Khulanathi Rehab Centre. Part of her community outreach work include running soup kitchens and gardening projects where poor families sustain themselves with the yields from their veggie patches.
“While I am not an attorney anymore, my qualifications enable me to help people from a legal and labour perspective. This is what I do. I love helping people,” she said.
Rose has a number of crowns to her name and while it’s also the first time she has made it to the finals of Miss Gay RSA, she is determined to bring the crown home to the Eastern Cape.
Contestants are required to model four outfits which include cocktail, the national costume, swimsuits and evening wear. While the winner only walks away with R2 500 in cash and other prizes, both Pooe and Rose said for them it’s not about the money but what they intended to do with the crown.
The Pageant takes place on March 12 at the Manhattan Hotel in Pretoria. Tickets cost R200 and are available on Quicket or directly from the organiser, Alfred Ngwenya who can be reached on 067 028 1173.