Winning Miss Phenomenal South Africa last weekend at the Encore Theatre in Pretoria was a monumental achievement for 27-year-old Unathi Sishawu, who sought to challenge and change society’s perception of her from an early age.
Sishawu, from the Freedom Park informal settlement near Rustenburg in the platinum belt, says the high rate of teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse in her community, and how her grandfather abused her grandmother, inspired her to be different.
Born and raised in the Eastern Cape, Sishawu followed her mother to the North West. There, she finished high school before moving to KwaZulu-Natal to complete her studies in public administration.
Gained confidence after years of bullying
It wasn’t until she was in university that she understood that she was truly interested in beauty pageants.
“When I was growing up, my friends used to tell me that I looked like a boy. And even my mother used to tell me that I resembled my father, which harmed my confidence,” she said.
She said she was aware of her desire to be popular.
“I kept asking myself what I would like to do. And I began modelling and learned that I was not shy. I just let other people’s opinions and external authority influence how I looked and lived my life. People are exerting their influence over your life as if you have no say,” she remarked.
Sishawu said when she first came to Freedom Park from the Eastern Cape, there was less crime. However, as time passed, there was a high rate of crime and teenage pregnancy.
Mission to save young girls
Her vision is to see young people in Freedom Park and any disadvantaged community in Africa make it in life.
“Looking at my background, there was no hope. I want every young girl out there, particularly in Freedom Park, to succeed in life. Because most of the parents have lost hope due to high teenage pregnancy,” she said.
She also wants to start a modelling agency.
“I want to attract young girls so that they can see that the status of your community does not determine your [future]. Seeing me achieve my dreams is such a beautiful example. It gives hope to young girls, especially in Freedom Park. They can say, ‘We saw Unathi growing up here, and if she can do it without having a baby at a young age, we can do it too’.”
Background shaped her hunger for success
Everything that she does is linked to how she grew up. She came from an economically challenged background and community and wanted to understand how government works.
“I wanted to study law, but I got an offer in public administration in 2016. In 2019, she did her honours degree in public administration. And in 2021, she did her master’s degree in public administration.
She is currently in an entry-level job as an accounting assistant at the North West Department of Education.
She wants to advocate against women abuse.
“My grandfather had a gun. And whenever he consumed alcohol, my aunt would hide it [gun]. This was because we knew that we were not going to sleep that night, and my grandmother would cry.
“I used to think back then that if someone beats you up, it was a beautiful way of showing you love. I thought if someone loves you, they have to beat you up. If they don’t [do] it means they do not love you. I realised when I was growing up that it was actually abuse. This was not a way of expressing love,” said the vibrant Sishawu.
Plans to use title for empowerment
It still did not sink in her mind that she was crowned Miss Phenomenal South Africa.
“It has given me a big platform to further my dream. To raise awareness about the empowerment of women and children. [My] main focus now is Miss South Africa,” she said.
The CEO of SA Youth Events and community development, Lena Rametse, explained the pageant. She said Miss Phenomenal South Africa was a dream that she had when she was 19 years of age.
“I hated seeing young people come out of school and have nothing to do. I came across many young women who confided in me [about] being sexually abused. What I noticed was these girls had lost their confidence. And I found it in me to start a pageant that empowers young women to build a name for themselves,” she said.
The pageant received over 100 entries, and only women were selected from different provinces. The 1st runner up was Noluthando from KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Alondwe from KwaZulu-Natal.
