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18 March 2022 | Story Nonkululeko Nxumalo | Photo Supplied
Uyleta Nel-Marais
Mrs Universe SA 2022, Uyleta Nel-Marais.

Uyleta Nel-Marais, a former Law student from the University of the Free State (UFS), has been crowned Mrs Universe South Africa 2022 and will be representing SA at the Mrs Universe finals to be held in South Korea in April 2023.

With the aim of inspiring and empowering married and divorced women, crowning for the pageant took place in Pretoria last month. “I cried so much when I heard my name announced as the winner. The first thing I did was wave to my family; their support has been incredible and so important to me on this journey,” she said.

Nel-Marais, who graduated from the UFS in 2015, is the founder of the One Nation: Our Women and Children against Gender-Based Violence initiative, a practising attorney, and director at a law firm in Bloemfontein. When asked how she balances her work and modelling, Nel-Marais emphasised organisation and prioritisation. “You have to plan your week ahead, while also leaving that space open for anything unexpected. Be flexible and organise your time as far as possible.”


Modelling journey

Nel-Marais has never given modelling a thought before. “I was too busy studying,” she laughed. Her journey started in 2019 when she was invited to walk at a fashion show in Boksburg. She later walked the runway during New York Fashion Week in 2020 and took part in Top Model (now known as Opulent Models) that same year. “Modelling wasn’t something I planned, it just happened, and things picked up so quickly,” she stated.

Why she entered Mrs Universe SA

“I enjoy being on the ramp, it’s one of my favourite things to do. My heart has also always been with charities, even before the crown. With this pageant, I saw an opportunity to be on the ramp and make a difference. Why not, I thought. Mrs Universe SA’s biggest aim is to fight gender-based violence, so I knew that this was definitely for me,” she highlighted.

When asked what she would say to that woman who dreams of wearing the Mrs Universe SA crown one day, she replied: “Just do it! Take the chance and just do it. Life is short,” she said. “With COVID, we’ve seen how things can change in the blink of an eye. Stop doubting yourself, grab that opportunity and just do it. What do you have to lose?”

The beauty, who hails from Cradock in the Eastern Cape, hopes to inspire others to believe that they can be anything they want to be through hard work, tenacity, and determination.

Nel-Marais is part of a long list of UFS students who have represented the country in beauty pageants. In 2014, former UFS student Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss World during the international pageant held in the UK, and Thato Mosehle, another alumna, was runner-up in the Miss Supranational pageant held in Poland in 2021.


News Archive

Triumph of the Human Spirit – a symbol of hope
2015-08-24

Ahmed Kathrada discusses his latest book, Triumph of the Human Spirit.
Photo: Johan Roux

“A triumph of courage and determination over human frailty and weakness; a triumph of the new South Africa over the old.” – Ahmed Kathrada

Ahmed Kathrada, stalwart of South Africa’s liberation struggle, visited the Bloemfontein Campus on 18 August 2015 to launch his latest book, Triumph of the Human Spirit. Turning page after page, the reader travels back with Uncle Kathy – as he is fondly known – to revisit Robben Island with the more than 300 guests he has accompanied since 1994. With each photo – be it a celebrity or school child, head of state or famous artist, friend or royalty – the significance of the island is eternalised, right alongside Ahmed Kathrada.

Message of triumph
“Why this specific title for the book?” Prof André Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ), asked during the book launch. “Robben Island,” Kathrada answered, “should not be remembered only as a place of suffering – that’s history. But the message of Robben Island is the message of triumph – triumph of the human spirit over all sorts of adversities.”

Speaking about Kathrada’s quiet but profound impact, Zaakirah Vadi, editor of the book, said “I think Uncle Kathy does not realise what an inspiration his own strength of spirit is”. The fight for human values and dignity was “honed and perfected in the cells of Robben Island,” she said. “It created the vision for a new South Africa and, as Uncle Kathy puts it, the triumph of the new South Africa over the old.”

UFS surprises Ahmed Kathrada with a birthday cake.
Photo: Johan Roux

Freedom was sacrifice
This triumph was not achieved without a cost, though. “No freedom comes on a platter,” Kathrada said. “Freedom was fought for. Freedom was sacrifice. Through the sacrifices of those who did not survive, we are still here to tell the story.”

And that is exactly what Triumph of the Human Spirit does. As Kgalema Motlanthe writes in the foreword, “This book serves as a preservation of history and a symbol of hope.”

Birthday celebration
Just as the event seemed to come to a close, members of the Student Representative Council carried a candle-lit cake – shaped in the number 86 – toward Kathrada. This surprise was organised by the UFS to celebrate his birthday on 21 August 2015. And, as the audience cheered and sang, Kathrada’s smile spread like a light across the hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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