Limpopo did it again! Ndavi Nokeri was, on Saturday, crowned the 2022 Miss South Africa, taking the baton forward from her fellow ‘homie’ and 2020 pageant queen, Shudufhadzo Musida.
Watch: The 2022 Miss South Africa crowning moment
The epic crowning moment took place in front of a full-capacity crowd at the Sun Arena in Pretoria, with Anele Mdoda as the host.
Nokeri, after a blistering performance in the finale, surfaced as a favourite to win the title when she broke into the Top Five as the only contestant to secure a spot by fan vote.
With the nation rallying her on, Nokeri impressed the panel of judges, which included the likes of former public protector Thuli Madonsela, Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi and Thando Thabethe.
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In the end, the 23-year-old from Tzaneen was crowned the 2022 Miss South Africa pageant queen, with Lebogang Mahlangu and Ayanda Thabethe taking the first and second princess spots, respectively.
Here is the epic crowning moment that’s since gone viral:
Five things to know about Ndavi Nokeri
From the moment Nokeri submitted her entry video in April 2022 to this plateau on her quest for pageant queenship, she always carried an aura that cut her above the rest.
Her philosophy of unity, embedded in her DNA as a proud Tsonga woman from a village in Tzaneen, was powerful.
“‘If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far – go together.’ When we stand together in unity, all things become possible,” she wrote in her formal Miss SA application.
At the age of 23, with a strong academic portfolio and a powerful message to spread across all corners of the world, Nokeri’s pageant journey has only just begun. While it remains unclear which path Miss South Africa will pave for Nokeri, it can be reasonably assumed this year’s Miss SA is a top-draw choice for the next Miss Universe contest.
Here are five things to know about Nokeri:
She’s an asset management specialist
Nokeri holds an investment management BCom degree obtained at the University of Pretoria. Before winning the 2022 Miss South Africa pageant, Nokeri worked for an asset management firm in Cape Town.
She is a netball pro player
Nokeri has 17 years of experience as a netball player. In fact, she represented Limpopo at the national championships for several years.
Her goals for South Africa
Nokeri describes herself as a compassionate and courageous woman whose goal is to be “in the rooms where decisions are made about educational and skills development in South African schools with the hopes of sharing meaningful insights that will advance our nation.”
Her favourite author
Nokeri, a self-aware 23-year-old with a penchant for progress, is addicted to self-mastery books, and her favourite author is Robin Sharma, a Canadian writer and thought leader renowned for his The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari book series.
This is her favourite dessert
If there is one weakness Nokeri has, it’s cheesecake.
“Any day is a good day to have cheesecake in my world.”
