JOHANNESBURG, 30 January 2024 – Miss World South Africa, Dr Claude Mmakgaka Mashego is hard at work preparing to travel to India, to represent the country at the Miss World pageant on March 9th, 2024.
Claude will join contestants from more than 100 countries and territories to become Miss World 2023. Miss World 2022 Karolina Bielawska from Poland will crown her successor at the event.
As a grounded young lady from Bushbuckridge and a symbol of relentless ambition, Claude is building a network of young leaders and community builders in South Africa through her non-profit company, the Young Leaders Network. The foundation is founded upon the belief that mentorship and guidance can be transformative forces in young lives. The ultimate goal of YLN programs is to produce informed young leaders who can think critically, reason and deal with life challenges positively and also contribute positively to their families, communities and Africa at large.
Claude is an advocate for youth leadership and is passionate about and how she can activate youth to become youth change agents in their communities and the world. The absence of mentorship and the scarcity of positive role models is what has driven Claude to bring Young Leaders Network as her ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ focus. “Indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili” – the path is asked from those who walked it before – serve as the guiding principles of YLN.
“South Africa cannot afford to lose its young minds to despair or misguided paths. The country’s future hinges on the positive outlook, drive, and determination of its youth. Together, we shall light the way toward a future where the dreams of South Africa’s youth are not just aspirations but concrete realities,” said University of Pretoria Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery graduate.
“We congratulate Claude for being an ambassador of the Beauty with a Purpose ethos of the Miss World Organisation. We wish her all the best for the pageant in India and we know she will bring home the Miss World crown,” said Carol Bouwer, founder of Carol Bouwer Productions and license holder of Miss World South Africa organisation.
More than 130 nations, including South Africa, are franchised to host local Miss World competitions. Miss World was founded in 1951 and is the longest-established global pageants, in 1971 Beauty with a Purpose was introduced with an ethos to raise money for organisations that support disadvantaged individuals and communities including people living with disabilities and other deserving initiatives.