Miss South Africa Mia le Roux is on a mission to spread the message of hope and inclusivity.
Rosetta Msimango/City Press
A week after being crowned Miss SA, Mia le Roux is still processing the fact that she won the title. The 28-year-old Capetonian told City Press that the honour was too big for her to comprehend. “But, with each passing day, I’m getting used to it and it’s sinking in,” she giggled.
While becoming accustomed to the magnitude of her new title, Le Roux explained what her first week had entailed.
“It’s been amazing, as I’ve been thoroughly spoilt. I was given a new Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé, as well as a new apartment and on top of that, I’m having my nails done. I’m enjoying the attention I’ve been getting and am grateful for it,” said the excited beauty queen on Friday morning.
As part of her prizes, Le Roux also received R1 million in cash. Her apartment is in the lavish Brookfield at Royal in Johannesburg and will be hers for the duration of her reign.
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Long tough journey
Le Roux’s journey to victory was one that required great determination, resilience, hard work and breaking barriers, as she had to prove herself to sceptics.
The first deaf Miss SA, who has a cochlear implant, hopes to inspire others with hearing impediments and spark greater inclusivity and representation.
She said:
I hope to use this platform of Miss SA to make a change in South Africa. I’m living proof that nothing’s impossible if we’re all given a fair chance.
She explained that, after noticing a change in inclusivity in Miss SA, with women who were previously excluded being given a chance to appear in the pageant, she decided to take her chances in the hope of paving the way for others who had long been sidelined.
To Le Roux, inclusivity is “when someone sees you, hears you and allows you to pursue your dreams”, though she added that the hard work still had to be put in.
Miss South Africa Mia le Roux is on a mission to spread the message of hope and inclusivity.
She said it was very important for the pageant not to exclude anyone based on their ethnicity or disability.
“I want to help promote inclusivity where I can, to put people on an equal footing,” she stated.
Unfortunately, she says, because of her condition, all her life she has had to go the extra mile.
She said:
There wasn’t a lot of information in my surroundings about what it meant to be deaf and how others could accommodate it, and I hope to change all that wherever I can. It’s all about spreading the message of hope and making it possible for everyone.
READ: Miss SA Mia le Roux on breaking barriers as the first deaf woman to win the pageant
What motivated her to break barriers was her personal experience of working extremely hard to build a future for herself, but not being given a chance to prove herself.
“I experienced things like going for job interviews, but then having people doubt my capability or intelligence, asking whether I was able to do this or that, [simply because of my hearing impairment]. I’m not the only one who’s been through that and I want to stand for others who’ve walked the same path,” she said.
Messenger of hope
Le Roux said she hoped that winning the pageant would open more doors for her, provide her with more connections to achieve her goals and give her a voice to spread awareness of the challenges faced by the deaf.
She added that she believed her title would lay a strong foundation for the rest of her life to do the work she had always wanted to do.
This platform will allow me to be heard as never before, as I haven’t always felt heard or given a chance. Most of all, though, I’ll enjoy and embrace this journey.
Although she has a bucket list of things to achieve, she said her priority was advocating captions on TV news bulletins so that deaf viewers could follow the broadcasts and understand what was being said.
Since she was crowned, many have wondered whether she becomes annoyed at being asked repeatedly whether her hearing impairment will affect her duties. However, she said she did not mind and welcomed the questions, as they helped spread the word.
“I don’t mind being asked this question, because it’s worth it when I see someone willing to actually learn about it and take the steps they need to take to be accommodating of it,” she said.
Pillars of strength
Le Roux credited her parents for giving her a winner’s outlook, saying they had always been her pillars of strength.
She said:
Since I was young, my mother instilled a deep sense of resilience in me, always telling me that sticks and stones would break my bones, but words could never harm me. My father always reminded me that everything depended on me and what I wanted to do and achieve.
While some people living with disability have low self-esteem and doubt themselves due to the stigma surrounding impairments, Le Roux said her upbringing had given her the confidence she needed to pursue her ambitions.
READ: Here’s how Miss SA, Mia le Roux overcame challenges on Crown Chasers all the way to the Mowana crown
Taking the shine away
This year’s Miss SA pageant was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the eligibility of contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s citizenship status. Her father is Nigerian and her mother is of Mozambican descent.
Asked whether the uproar had taken the shine away from the other contestants, Le Roux said it had been hard for them to experience, but added: “I don’t believe it’s my story to tell.”
