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Johannesburg - It's only been a few days since Ntandoyenkosi Kunene was crowned Miss South Africa, and she's already hard at work trying to make sure that her reign will be filled with purpose.
The Juice managed to squeeze in time with the qualified teacher, who says her time will be filled with empowering women to believe in their dreams.
It's day three as our new Miss South Africa. How are you feeling?
I'm feeling much better today. It's been very busy. I've been busy with interviews and meeting people. I went to Sun International and I'm in the process of meeting all my sponsors. The day after I got crowned, I've never been so confused. I woke up and I heard this weird sound that I've never heard before. So I looked at my phone thinking it was my alarm clock, and after a few minutes I clicked "I'm Miss SA and this is your wake up call". It was an amazing feeling.
You've said that you've always wanted to be Miss SA. What do you want to do differently to those before you?
I wouldn't say that it's much of a difference because I truly respect all the women who have come before me. I want to work closely with Sun International and Cell C to be more visible as a Miss South Africa. I want to go out to townships, to rural areas, to remind the girls there and the young people that their dreams can come true. That their one day is also coming. I want to be in touch with people and be a Miss South Africa for South Africans.
How are you going to be more visible as a Miss South Africa?
We live in a very digital world and it's a matter of in every interview that you do, you ask people to follow you on your social media platforms, which is where you share what you are doing.
We feel like we already know everything about you, but what is the one thing we don't know about you, Ntando?
(Laughs) I sing when I'm alone. I'm a performer. I sing in front of the mirror and perform to any kind of song. And when I'm at a restaurant, I do a whole set of sums to work out how much I'm going to tip.
So no calculator on your phone then... You've said a lot about beauty with a purpose. What do you believe your purpose is?
My purpose is to make a difference. It's to remind every little girl, every young person, that your one day is coming. If you believe in it, if you work hard at it and you persevere. I think a lot of people have dreams, but they don't have the hard work that comes along with it. Dreams come with a lot of hard work and a lot of you trying again and again. Because me trying for Miss South Africa, it was my second time trying. I have always been applying and the only time I got called was for top 33 in 2014. And now, two years later I've won.
Was your family there on the night?
My family was right in front. It was a beautiful sight to see. I was crying, they were crying. My sisters and some of my community members were there. It was a magical moment for everybody. My parents just looked at me and my mom just kept on saying my name. It made me cry all over again.
Finally, who was the first person that you phoned?
I called my one cousin who is not well and was at home. So I called her and said I won. She was like, 'Ja, I know. And I couldn't even be there.' It was a little sad for her because she wasn't able to attend, but she was happy that I have achieved my goal.
