By: Lungisa Somtombo
After years of not accepting her body, body shaming herself and thinking she is not worthy of great opportunities, Ngwekazi Aphiwe Makaba started appreciating herself and redefined beauty as she was crowned Miss South Africa Plus World 2021and will represent South Africa in the Texas United States next year.
“I have crowned Miss Personality 2021, Miss Public Choice 2020 and Miss South Africa Plus World 2021 and I will represent South Africa in the Texas United States in 2022,” she said.
Makaba’s journey to becoming Miss SA Plus World started in May 2020 with a provincial pageant for Miss SA Plus World 2020 Eastern Cape. She then moved to the National pageant representing South Africa alongside other contestants from the province.
“I entered the pageant because of the humanitarian projects behind it, being able to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds and to embrace my body, redefine beauty according to me and create awareness around this kind of beauty,” said Makaba.
She is the founder of NAM Foundation, an organisation that focuses on improving the lives of people from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing sanitary towels, schools shoes and helping with entry to higher education.
“My focus is on you women, I want to teach them to normalise this kind of beauty, to learn to accept their bodies, to love, take care of their bodies and to be self-aware,” she said.
Makaba said with the pageant she touched so many lives, she learnt a lot about herself and has completely got out of her comfort zone and started seeing herself fully.
Encouraging young girls who are battling to accept their bodies Makaba said “People can tell you how beautiful and amazing you are but if you don’t believe that it won’t mean anything, love yourself, open your mind to learning new things, invest in yourself and be kind to yourself.”