UP FOR THE CROWN: THEMBELIHLE JELE

My name is Thembelihle Jele, born and raised in Mpumalanga. I am 16 years of age and currently doing matric. I would describe myself as an ambitious and courageous young person. I stand firm for what I believe in and never back down. I am always open to learning new things and having new experiences. As a model, I work hard to achieve my goals both in the modeling field and my academics. I really enjoy spending time with children and having conversations with them.

What inspired me to join this pageant was seeing how far it took the previous titleholders. I believe that having a Miss Teen Universe SA 2023 crown opens so many doors for you and with that I will be able to open doors for other people. I believe that I possess qualities of a MTUSA queen and with that I will be able to use my reign as the opportunity to reach more people and change more lives.

The challenges I faced in this pageant were getting the amount of support I need especially in terms of voting. I think part of the reason why is because I come from an area of great disadvantage so I had start looking for support from all angles of my province. Even though it might have took me twice as hard as the next person , I still overcame that challenge and am now getting support all round.

I grew up in a small community where opportunities to do great and achieve good things in life are not as much. I have seen the struggles that young people face and in as much as we can’t do much for the old, i think we can do alot more for the young.One thing I would like to do if

I win this title is to introduce modelling in schools. I think that this field needs to be broader and by that I mean involving each and every person who would like to be part of it .

For a long time modelling has been underestimated and it’s time our leaders realise how important it is in the upbringing of young children as it teaches ambition , dignity and hard work which are the qualities that have been lacking in our older youth.Modelling being made available in all the schools in our country can help those girls and boys who dream of being in this industry but limit themselves because they of their pockets.

Everyone deserves an opportunity to showcase they’re talent and passion and I think making these platforms available for learners at schools will indeed give them that.

What I have learnt from this pageant is the importance of being able to adapt to different environments and people. Miss Teen Universe SA has pushed me to go beyond my limits and step out of my comfort zone and do great. As a finalist I have done a lot public speaking, even as far as hosting Miss Teen Mpumalanga 2022 and for that I am grateful because without this finalist sash I wouldn’t be able to push myself that far.

MTUSA is all about girl empowerment in all aspect. It is very big on charity and giving back to the community as we are also required to do so as finalists. With that, they push the contestants into being better people by being more involved in their communities.This is a pageant that offers young girls to compete and go represent South Africa on stage. With 5 international titles, Miss Teen Universe SA is the biggest teen pageant in this country .The sisterhood there is amazing and our Directer , Ntombi Gumede is always will to assist if you’re stuck on something concerning the pageant. The finale is taking place on the 12th March 2023 at Sun International in Durban and I really can’t wait.