The Western Cape is set to have one representative this year in the Miss South Africa pageant, where contestants will compete for the Miss SA 2024 title.
This comes after the Top 30 Miss SA contestants were announced earlier this week, where according to IOL, Mia le Roux (28) was announced as the only participant from the Western Cape.
Mia who is a marketing manager, model and part-time BCom marketing student, currently resides in Rosebank, Cape Town but was born in Sasolburg, Free State and grew up in Oudtshoorn.
The Miss SA prospective was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was a year old and after her community rallied behind her for support, it inspired her to make a positive impact and break barriers.
In relation to entering the 2024 edition of the Miss SA beauty pageant, Mia has observed that previous title holders have made ‘incredible progress’ in terms of inclusivity and to redefine what beauty means.
“I believe I deserve to win the title as I embody resilience, strength and the ubuntu spirit within South Africa. As a deaf woman with a cochlear implant, I represent a community that often goes unheard.
“I am here to prove that, despite being differently-abled, it has not affected me. My journey is a testament to the power of dreams and determination we all possess,” she said.
Mia further said that she has made it her mission to ‘spread awareness and educate’ wherever she can about the challenges deaf individuals face.
“We do not need sympathy, being deaf does not affect our intelligence and capability. We just need a little bit of help in terms of accessibility and inclusivity such as subtitles on TV shows, advertisements and sign interpreters at live shows.
“I aspire to eventually help provide cochlear implants to those who cannot afford it and give them the same gift my community has given me,” she added.
Compiled by Jan-Hendrik De Villiers
First published on Cape Town etc
Also see: Mzansi reacts to Miss SA 2024 Top 30 finalists
