Qhawekazi Mazaleni inspires learners through storytelling, cultural pride, and reflections on diversity.
Miss South Africa 2025 and Empower Youth Africa (EYA) Ambassador, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, continued her literacy-led outreach with a visit to Nkone Maruping Primary School, where she engaged learners through a book-reading session and meaningful dialogue centred on diversity, inclusion, and self-belief.
As part of her ongoing Empower Youth Africa literacy programme, Qhawekazi read from her isiXhosa children’s book Amasele Amdaka, encouraging learners to embrace reading in their mother tongue as a foundation for learning, confidence, and cultural identity. The interactive session fostered enthusiasm for storytelling while reinforcing the importance of language in early childhood development.
The visit coincided with the school’s Diversity Celebration Day, which Qhawekazi described as both exciting and deeply affirming. In conversations with learners, she reflected on the beauty of South Africa’s diversity, sharing lessons on respect, tolerance, and the importance of celebrating each person’s uniqueness. She encouraged learners to view diversity not as a difference to be feared, but as a strength that enriches their school, communities and the nation as a whole.
Addressing the learners, Qhawekazi spoke about her own journey and the values that have guided her path, including discipline, perseverance, and pride in one’s identity. She urged learners to honour who they are, remain curious, and treat others with kindness and respect, regardless of background or circumstance.
The Nkone Maruping Primary School community welcomed the engagement warmly, with educators noting the positive impact of combining literacy promotion with broader life lessons on social cohesion and mutual respect. Learners responded with enthusiasm, participating actively in discussions and expressing excitement at meeting Miss South Africa and taking part in a reading experience that celebrated both language and diversity.
Qhawekazi’s school visits form a central part of her Empower Youth Africa mandate, which places strong emphasis on access to education, literacy development, and values-driven leadership. Through these engagements, she continues to champion education as a catalyst for empowerment, unity, and long-term social transformation.
About Empower Youth Africa (EYA)
Empower Youth Africa is the Miss South Africa Organisation’s flagship collective action programme, uniting all Miss South Africa 2025 finalists under a shared vision to deliver scalable and sustainable social-impact initiatives across five pillars: youth unemployment, entrepreneurship and skills development, access to education, health and wellness, and civic engagement and Pan-African collaboration.
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