When Homba Mazaleni isn't sitting in one of the lecture halls at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), she’s zooming around the campus on her skateboard.
 

“The one thing I miss about being on campus is skating around. My mode of transport is a skateboard, so just skating around and waving at people, I miss that. It would turn heads when I skate to Erica Square; anywhere I needed to go, I would use my board because I don’t have a car just yet,” said Homba.

Her energy is infectious, and is one of her qualities - along with many others - that caught the attention of the Miss South Africa judging panel when she claimed her space in the pageant finals. 

The 23-year-old is studying Biokinetics but has already completed her Sports Science Degree. Juggling studies and the responsibilities of being a Miss SA finalist is something that Homba finds rewarding. “The Miss South Africa platform isn’t just about being beautiful and walking on a stage with grace; it's about showing people that no matter what your circumstances are…it’s about rising above them and seeing yourself as the person you are going to become.”

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Born and raised in Gonubie, in the Eastern Cape, Homba is also a student intern at UWC. Her passion now with regard to her studies is to “help people recover from injuries and sickness”, and it gives her great satisfaction to assist them in gaining the tools they need to pursue their own goals and passions.

UWC Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, Professor Matete Madiba, said the campus community is exceedingly proud of Homba. “Her life embodies what hard work is all about, the kind that leads to excellence.”

Homba said whatever the outcome of the Miss SA pageant will be, she is proud of her achievements and all she has learned on the road to the finals. 

If she is crowned the most beautiful young lady in the country, she promises to return to the UWC Bellville Campus and she might even hop on her skateboard with her crown firmly placed on her head like the Queen she is.

The Miss South Africa pageant is taking place on Sunday, 13 August, at 18:30.