The lovely Ambani Budeli, former radio presenter for Nzhelele FM and Kovsie TV presenter, was dubbed the fairest of them all when she was crowned Miss Nzhelele 2022/23 on 23 December last year. More than 100 other ladies participated in the pageant.
This 20-year-old model from Milaboni village's cabinet is filled with sashes and crowns. In her five-year modelling career, she has won a lot of titles in other beauty contests, including the Miss Whitehouse Best Confidence title in 2019, the Miss Thohoyandou Beauty Pageant Queen in 2021, Miss Venda Glam Co-Founder, and Miss Tourism Globe Africa Public Choice winner in 2022.
The secret of her success, she said, was pouring her heart into whatever she did. "Talking and being in front of people has become a passion I cannot resist. That is why I have vouched for pageants because it helps me polish my public-speaking skills and it has also given me the ability to be a professional noise maker and talk about social issues that we come across in our societies," she said.
Ambani is an enthusiastic advocate for rural empowerment and development. "I have noticed that there is a huge imbalance between urban areas and rural areas, which further leads to people not being equipped to pursue their dreams and visions," she said.
"With the help of the Miss Nzhelele Organization, I launched a campaign called Ambani (talk) na Ambani Budeli (Let's talk with Ambani Budeli) in January 2022, which focuses on bringing awareness to our people in rural areas to keep them empowered and educated," she said. Some of the matters raised focus on HIV and AIDS awareness, addressing unemployment and helping the youth to equip themselves with the necessary skills.