By OBAKENG MAJE
Miss Taung Exclusive (MTE) pageant competition is set to leave behind a meaningful legacy. According to its founder, Rebaone Notoane, the competition’s greatest asset is to bring confidence, sense of worth and etermination among young women across Taung.
As a former Miss Soweto Finalist, Notoane said underlying socio-economic challenges such as teenage pregnancy, school drop-out, HIV and Aids including alcohol and drug abuse across Taung, are things that prompted her to come up with this initiative.
“Taung consists of 106 widely scattered villages and we have created this as a platform for female empowerment. At MTE, we strive to set an example of inclusivity, diversity and the power of the female voice.
“We want to give hope to a girl child through this initiative. Remember, the pageant does not only focus on beauty, but has various campaigns to deal with such as bullying at school, sanitary pads and shoes drive including addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV),” she said.
Notoane encourages girls to enter the competition because through a pageantry process, a contestant will get exposure to life coaching and entrepreneurship skills too.
She said the contestant will also be shaped into the brand ambassadors within the communities and inspire women to move beyond their circumstances.
“I want young girls to find their voices and places in the world. I want them to realise that anything is possible, despite their backgrounds. I want to provide them with an experience that will give them emotional intelligence, strong personalities and show that the world is their runaway,” said Notoane.
She said it will only cost R50 to register and be part of this amazing initiative. Notoane said this is going to be an annual event and they are targeting girls between the ages of 17 to 21.
“The auditions will be conducted at the Long Street Lifestyle Pub, which is situated next to Modisa Lodge in Extension 6, Taung on 26 March 2022. The MTE Grand Finale will be on 7 May 2022.
“Remember, one does not have to be a model to enter and we do not have any specific body requirements or looks. What we need is your brain and dedication because the aim is to empower you,” she said.
Notoane said her wish is to see the initiative providing bursaries and having an arts centre, where a boy and girl child being given equal opportunities to expose their talents. She said she will be grateful to see her fellow queens changing the world and entering big pageant like Miss SA and Miss Universe one day.
“I will definitely know that I have fulfilled my purpose. Apart from all physical prizes, there is an abundance of opportunities too. The winner will be awarded a chance to be an ambassador, which is such an honour.
“My passion for pageantry started at the tender age. I have won Miss Kebinelang Secondary School in 2009 and became Miss Seabo High School 2nd Princess back in 2013. I also became Miss Maikaelelo in 2014,” said Notoane.
“In 2019, a Manthe-born trailblazer, was Miss Soweto Finalist and has also been part of various initiatives like Fashion without Borders and The Box Fashion Week Ramp representing crafts of various local designers.
“I worked for Icon Models Management in 2019 too, where I became the face of The Smile Foundation, which is a South African NPO that assists children with any type of facial abnormalities to receive corrective plastic and reconstructive surgery in South Africa,” she said.
Kgosigadi as Notoane is affectionately known in the entertainment arena, obtained her Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Political Sciences and International Relations from Witwatersrand University and encouraged young people to study.
Anyone who would like to be part of this life-changing campaign can follow Rebaone Notoane on socials.
Instagram: @rebaonenotoane or @Miss_Taung_Exclusive or directly call /Whatsapp her on 078 393 764 or 065 501 9797.
The Guardian 