From KuGompo to the world, with a crown and a purpose

For 16-year-old Lisolihle Nyingwa, the trip from KuGompo City to Brazil was never simply about winning a crown. It was about proving that where a young person comes from does not have to determine how far they can go.

The Grade 11 learner from Clarendon High School will returned from Brazil on Friday as Miss Teen Global Beauty 1st Princess, placing her among the top three contestants at the international pageant and putting KuGompo and the Eastern Cape firmly on the international stage. The contest took place in the early hours of this morning.

Nyingwa said the journey was challenging, particularly competing against contestants who arrived with professional teams supporting them. “At some point, I honestly thought, ‘Maybe it’s game over for me.’”

Despite watching other contestants collect several awards, she said she remained confident in her interview performances, walk and overall presence. When her name was announced among the Top 3, Nyingwa said she felt a mixture of “shock, excitement, relief and gratitude.”

The achievement, she said, felt bigger than herself. “I felt that I was carrying my entire clan (Oorhadebe namaJwarha), my community, the Eastern Cape and South Africa with me.”

A crown with a purpose

However, it was not only her pageant achievement that made her international appearance significant. During her speech in Brazil, Nyingwa used the global platform to acknowledge the deaths of eight women in South Africa and speak about gender-based violence and femicide.

For the teenager, the issue extends beyond empowering young women. She believes young boys must also be part of conversations around respect, responsibility and preventing violence against women and girls. “Most of the time we spend too much time on women empowerment kanti who empowers the boy child?”

Nyingwa said she wants to continue advocating for both young women and young men, arguing that creating safer communities requires everyone to be part of the solution.

She also called for leadership that goes beyond speaking about GBV and takes meaningful action to protect women and girls and hold perpetrators accountable. Her decision to address the issue on an international stage was deliberate.

“I had been given a voice on an international stage, and I felt responsible for using that voice for something bigger than myself."

Where you start does not have to determine where you finish.

Beyond the pageant, Nyingwa hopes her journey will inspire young people from communities such as KuGompo to dream beyond their immediate circumstances.

She said one of her biggest lessons from Brazil was to never underestimate yourself because of what you do not have. Although some contestants had extensive professional support, Nyingwa said the experience taught her the value of preparation, confidence, authenticity and determination.

She now hopes to continue her education while developing herself in pageantry, modelling and advocacy. For Nyingwa, the international title is not the end of the journey.

“This is not my destination. I see it as the beginning of another chapter,” she said.

And perhaps her most powerful message is reserved for the young girl watching her journey from the Eastern Cape.“Your community can be the beginning of your story, but it does not have to be the limit of your story.”

The crown may have taken her from KuGompo to Brazil but she intends to use the platform to take her message even further. “The crown is an achievement, but the message is the purpose.”

Lisolethu lands at King Phalo Airport at 13H05 on Friday.