Pretoria - The Gauteng provincial government has congratulated Liesl Laurie from Eldorado for winning the Miss South Africa pageant.
The 24-year-old beauty was crowned Miss South Africa 2015 at a glittering ceremony held at the Sun City on Sunday.
Gauteng was the big winner for the night, with Refilwe Mthimunye from Bronkhorstspruit winning the first princess title and Ntsiki Mkhize from Midvaal being crowned as the second princess.
“On behalf of the provincial government and people of Gauteng, we are proud that all the top three winners came from our province.
“We are also pleased that our very own from Eldorado Park has earned this prestigious title after months of hard work and dedication,” said Gauteng acting Premier Barbara Creecy on behalf of the executive council.
Laurie is the first finalist to come from Eldorado Park since the pageant's inception in 1956.
“We are hopeful that this will instill a sense of hope and encourage all young people from Eldorado Park that dreams do come true,” said the acting Premier.
After graduating with a B.Com from the University of Johannesburg in April last year, Laurie worked with various Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs).
Intent on giving back to the community, she launched her own NPO in June – The Pearl Project – which motivates young girls with educational workshops.
Laurie hopes to use her Miss South Africa title to reach even more young people across the country and motivate them to rise to the challenge of building a better and brighter future.
Creecy said the provincial government was looking forward to explore areas of collaboration with Laurie.
“We are determined to work with her in all her projects to uplift the communities of Gauteng,” Creecy said. - SAnews.gov.za
