1. Favourite scary movie?
In all honesty and sincerity, I do not have a favourite scary movie.
2. Favourite social media influencer?
My favourite social media influencer is myself as well as Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. Zendaya is an American actress and singer who is a recipient of many accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award. Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer. She now has 110 million followers on Instagram. I strongly relate to her because she’s a person of colour and has a childhood passion for dance and modelling: Just like myself.
3. Favourite Marvel or DC villain?
Alice on Batwoman. Alice is the mysterious leader of the Wonderland Gang, a terrorist group kitted out with eerie rabbit masks!
4. Introduce yourself.
I am Lerato Zenande Guliwe. I believe the greatest people that walked the earth became great through serving others, which is why I choose to own these words and walk in them.
I am a 22-year-old Logistics post-graduate student from the University of Johannesburg. I am a founder of a newborn NGO called ENABLED which seeks to provide hearing and mobility aids to disabled children in underprivileged communities in Gauteng.
5. Tell us a bit about your background and what your goals for the future are.
My goal is to always remain in a good, healthy and positive mental state because anything we are responsible for will always reflect the current state of our minds, be it business, my social life and my Miss Soweto journey. I always want to develop my character and humility so that while I assume the character of Queen, I can also treat everyone around me with love, kindness, patience, compassion, joy and servitude. I want to win Miss Soweto and make my reigning year so unique in serving as many communities as I can in and around Soweto. It is my greatest desire to follow the inspiring advice my mother gave me, to study a career that will enable me to start my own business.
6. How do you feel about being selected as a finalist in the Miss Soweto 2021 pageant?
I thank God every day for being chosen as a finalist in the Miss Soweto pageant. This girl is excited to be here, her dream came true and her Prayers were answered. I am appreciative and honestly grateful to be given a chance to compete in this pageant.
7. Is there something that happened in your life that changed your trajectory?
I was raised in a house that had a lot of emotional and physical abuse and I suffered deep peer pressure and bullying. My healing process changed my path to be more impactful, positive and built my confidence.
8. Why do you think you have what it takes to be the next Miss Soweto?
I have what it takes to become Miss Soweto 2021 because I have worked on healing, unlearning things from my past that I do not wish to grow with, and building myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Now, I can teach the broken hearted to do the same. The world deserves happiness. I am here to transfer knowledge, share my rare stories and experiences and how they shaped me, I want to help others wipe their tears. I want to speak in public spaces and help children who are victimised while donating hearing and mobility aids to the ones who are physically impaired.
If you would like to see Lerato win the Miss Soweto crown, vote for her on WhatsApp by clicking here: https://wa.me/27871531007?text=Hi
