Ambani Budeli (18) has earned herself a place among Miss Teen SA's top 25, and she is over the moon.
This young lady from Milaboni village took a leap of faith and joined the Miss Teen South Africa empowerment programme last year. To her delight, she made it to the top 50 semi-finalists.
"During the journey of the top 50, I got to learn authenticity," she said. "I was sometimes pressurised by other girls, since we all represent different backgrounds. But, honestly speaking, the Miss Teen SA team know how to handle teenagers, and I remained myself."
Ambani is a self-taught model and former jazz presenter for Nzhelele FM. "I describe myself as a passionate and enthusiastic teenager," she said. "I am goal driven; when I dream of something, I work on it."
She is the eighth of nine children, and a student at Dzata Secondary School.
"I want to use this platform to empower the youth in rural areas," she said. "In order to reach some of my goals, I would seek help or support from local initiatives and businesses. I want to create awareness among the youth that there is life beyond living a lifestyle for show. Let's create sustainability for our future. Let's consider the generation that comes after us."
She thanked the Alfred Mafukaduvha Foundation, Tshilidzini Christian Ministries and Mikey Mashila for their continued support.