Miss SA top 10 finalist Ndavi Nokeri is confident that in a week she will be the one to walk away with the coveted crown.
The 23-year-old from Tzaneen in Limpopo works as a consultant for an asset management firm in Cape Town.
While she participates in this year’s pageant, Nokeri has relieved herself from all her work duties to fully focus on winning the competition and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Zozibini Tunzi, Basetsana Kumalo and Rolene Strauss.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by so many women, women who are breaking glass ceilings and showing us that there is so much more for us to achieve out there as women. These women show us there is a big role that we have to play in society.
If I were to narrow it down, my biggest inspiration is my mother. She is soft-spoken, but when she speaks you listen because she speaks with so much passion and conviction. She has taught me that to be a powerful woman you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. It means that you speak and lead with love and passion.
” I am inspired by so many women, women who are breaking glass ceilings and showing us that there is so much more for us to achieve out there. ”
What does your name mean?
I never know how to answer that question because it doesn’t have a meaning but I always say my name means “lovely”. I don’t know why but it sounds like love me.
What was your family dynamic like?
I come from a very big family and I’m the lastborn. My parents are both pastors. I was raised in a staunch Christian family that was able to set a firm foundation for the woman of faith that I am today. Through my faith, I can step into rooms that I think I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do so if I didn’t have faith.
Why Miss SA?
It is the leading women’s empowerment platform in our country. And every year I witnessed many women from different backgrounds just look beyond their fears and push boundaries. I saw that in doing so they were able to unlock the power within themselves and make an impact that they were able to make on their communities just by that one decision to enter Miss SA. So, I decided to do the same and look beyond my fears and insecurities by giving it a shot.
What are you hoping to do during your reign should you win?
I hopefully will be able to ignite hope in the youth and encourage them to keep chasing their dreams.
What makes you unique?
The way I can be relatable. I also can speak four of the official languages and that is English, Afrikaans, Sepedi and Xitsonga. I make it a point to connect with people on a deeper level and language is one of the best ways that I do so.
How would you describe your journey thus far in a beauty pageant?
It’s been incredible. It’s been filled with a lot of memorable moments, but also a lot of challenges that have helped me garner much growth. I’ve experienced and learnt my truth in such a short space of time, which is quite fulfilling.
Do you have any secret talents that we don’t know of?
I am currently teaching myself to play the piano. I am nothing like Alicia Keys at the moment but maybe one day I will be.
Where is the best place to collect your thoughts?
My bedroom, that’s where I am all alone. Also anywhere in nature and its surroundings. I love to take these long walks in nature where I just think about how I feel about certain things and process my life’s events.
What’s the one lesson life has taught you?
Anything is possible. As a girl who comes from a village, you can’t disqualify yourself and think that certain things are only for certain people who are of a certain class or background. So being obedient and having the belief in myself will prove that anything is truly possible.
Source: SowetanLIVE
