MISS Heritage Global South Africa finalist Serati Phaleng (21) from Polokwane in Limpopo has her eyes on Miss Heritage Global.
The event will take place on Saturday, 23 September in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.
"In the modern era, heritage still plays a huge role in our lives, and we should celebrate and preserve it. As a proud Pedi girl, I am happy to be given this title and the responsibility of wearing South Africa across my chest. I'll certainly make everyone proud.
"It's not an easy journey, but through perseverance, I'm surviving. This is my biggest milestone because I hadn't entered beauty pageants since grade 8. So, when I entered Miss Heritage, I was merely taking a chance. My confidence wasn't even up there. Fortunately, I made it, and here I am," Serati said.
She said she faced many challenges, but the biggest one was a lack of funds.
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"When I entered Miss Heritage, I wasn't financially ready as a result, when I won, my family had to come through for me. We had to make a few sacrifices just to get by. But at the end of the day, it paid off," she said.
She told Daily Sun that now she needs South Africa's support.
"I am fortunate enough because my province and the MEC are fully behind me. Now I am pleading with South African citizens to support me. I am appealing to South Africans because this is not just about me, but I'm going there to represent the entire country," she said.
"If I win, I'll establish a cancer foundation. My objective is to create awareness around cancer and teach people about it. I am passionate about this awareness because I lost my grandmother to cancer when we found out it was too late to do anything," she said.
The MEC for Sports Arts and Culture in Limpopo, Nakedi Kekana, also called on Limpopo citizens and the country to vote and support Serati's endeavour to top the world and showcase the heritage of South Africa.
