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It was written in the stars long before she could walk, let alone strut a runway in high heels. She says her dad manifested this title when he named her after Chelsi Smith, Miss Universe 1995. It’s a stroke of serendipity that Chelsi Shikongo was crowned, 26 years later, at the Country Club, much like her namesake. In the very last week of her reign as Miss Namibia 2021, I sat down with Chelsi to take a look back at the year that was, the mishaps and triumphs and what the future holds for the twenty-something micro-mogul.

In her own words, Chelsi is a creative entrepreneur. Before she was the face of our nation, the girl from Walvis Bay pursued comedy, both stand-up and digital (@namibiangirlhumor) and graced the international modelling industry with her long legs and radiant personality. Both of these passions had to take the back-burner to her responsibilities as Miss Namibia, but once the crown is handed over to her successor, Chelsi says she’s ready to take them on full-time.

Chelsi’s greatest cause, pre, during and post-reign, is advocating for comprehensive, honest sex education in Namibia. Particularly focussed on the ever pressing topic of consent, Chelsi says it’s equally important to feel you can say no, as it is to take rejection with pride and respect. She says our greatest challenge is opening up and facilitating constructive conversations. Through her I Can Say No campaign, Chelsi hopes to further destigmatise important conversations surrounding sex and consent. The beauty queen also managed to raise over N$20,000 for the Twaloloka community in her hometown of Walvis Bay, who lost their homes and belongings in a devastating fire in July of 2020.

Her best piece of advice for the next title holder, or anyone for that matter, is to read your contracts with a microscope. If there is one thing Chelsi has taken away from her journey, it is the importance of staying true to herself. When the paperwork tells you who to be, and an entire nation’s gaze is directed at you, remember to be yourself. She believes it's vital not to compromise on the things that make you unique because, eventually, the reign does end. And false perceptions are ridiculously difficult to rectify.

Looking back at her journey to Miss Universe, Chelsi says what every beauty queen has said, so it must be true: the best part is the sisterhood. She made lifelong friends at the controversial pageant in Israel. Fast forward more than a year later, she ran into one of her Miss Universe sisters, Miss Panama, while travelling to Thailand. It isn’t hard to believe that the girls form strong bonds during the competition. Chelsi says that particularly on crowning night, the air backstage was filled with excitement and pride in representing their respective countries on a global stage.

Handing over the crown is undoubtedly a bittersweet moment, but there's no doubt we haven’t heard the last of Chelsi Shikongo.

WATCH: The reign that was with Miss Namibia 2021 Chelsi Shikongo video interview on our social media pages.

Charene Labuschagne