By Matṧeliso Phulane
In preparation for the upcoming Miss Lesotho beauty contest to be held on September 2, organisers of the pageant hosted a sash awarding brunch to welcome and congratulate the top 10 finalists.
The event, which was held recently at Wimpy Pioneer Mall restaurant, was sponsored by the fast-food chain and Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL). Each finalist was gifted with a personal nail kit hamper.
In an interview with theReporter, the director of Miss Lesotho beauty pageant, Molulela Monyake, said the event was the second of its kind. They hosted a similar event last year where the public was invited to purchase tickets.
“The only difference this time is that Wimpy has sponsored, so they – along with co-sponsor RSL – opted for a rather low-key event.
“We chose to give the girls their gifts earlier as opposed to later during the week because of their scheduled bootcamp,” she said.
According to Monyane, the selection criteria for the Top 10 were their personalities and the way they carry themselves.
“A lot of things can be coached and trained, but you cannot train the heart. We have engaged with the current 10 enough to know that a lot of them have what it takes to be a potential leader. It just comes down to ticking all the other boxes that the judges will have,” she noted.
Monyane revealed that preparations for the contest were already at an advanced stage, having started at the beginning of the year when they opened registration.
They were currently finalising confirming the stage, sound and light layouts.
The organisers will also be contacting judges to discuss their expectations for 2023.
Considering the fact that in the past Basotho and investors were not really into beauty pageantry, the director said they are slowly starting to get the attention and ears they need from the corporate world and the government.
“We’re not expecting a sudden change, but we can see that change is happening and they are starting to understand what we are trying to do here at Miss Lesotho,” she observed.
Monyane also explained that prizes are not usually announced until the night of the event. She, however, divulged that prizes will include one-year rides by Global Cabs for official Miss Lesotho business, vouchers from Wimpy, cosmetics, trips outside the country by Nareland Travel and Tours, as well as local tours and accommodation courtesy of Lesotho Tourism Development Cooporation.
Meanwhile, RSL internal communications officer Thabang Loko said their partnership with Miss Lesotho started in 2021.
He said the aim of RSL is to use the Miss Lesotho platform to equip young women with technical skills in taxation through education and sharing of information.
“Proper understanding of the tax system has been identified as one of the critical areas that every citizen and mostly aspiring entrepreneurs, should be familiar with. Miss Lesotho seeks to expose the participants and the youth at large to Lesotho’s system in order to enrich their understanding on the subject,” he noted. The two organisations’ areas of collaborations include having Miss Lesotho as an ambassador or voice for promoting specific products or services on behalf of RSL, especially where the youth may be involved.
