A well-known international beauty pageant, Miss Heritage Global 2022, will be hosted in Vhembe this year. The competition, which focuses on promoting the diverse heritage of the peoples of the world, is set to take place at the Kalahari Waterfront Nandoni resort on 24 September.

Speaking about the importance of this global pageant taking place in Vhembe, the CEO of Miss Heritage Global, Ms Mbofholowo Mbodi, said: “We’re quite excited to bring the Miss Heritage Global Pageant 2022 to South Africa, and specifically Limpopo. As an individual who was born and bred in Limpopo, I feel there is so much to see and experience in terms of our culture and heritage. We want the world to experience the beauty of our heritage sites, cultures, food, and the local communities because that is what Miss Heritage Global is all about - coming together to recognise and celebrate our unique cultures.”

According to Mbodi, the pageant is not solely focusing on the beauty queens but is also a great opportunity for local communities around Limpopo to benefit in various ways. The co-founder of Miss Heritage Global, Mr Ronald Tisauke, said he hoped that the pageant would help create jobs as the different communities from different backgrounds participate in the event.

“We are not just trying to be internationally recognized. The point of this pageant is also to help marginalised communities and to reshape their destiny if possible. So, a part of it is also to try to identify the gaps within societies and help where we can through the pageant,” he said.

Miss Heritage South Africa, Zabelo Hlabisa from Kwa-Zulu Natal, shared her excitement about being the host queen this year, saying that she was looking forward to teaching the rest of the queens more about South Africa’s heritage.

“As beauty queens from around the world gather in September to showcase their heritage, it is a cue to the world why being united in culture matters,” said Ms Angela Skomolo, COO of Miss Heritage Global 2022. “South Africa is well known for its diversity and the contestants will have a chance to tour some parts of South Africa to get a better understanding of the history of the country,” she said.