Mia Le Roux has been crowned Miss South Africa 2024, becoming the first deaf person to be given the crown.
The 28-year-old was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one and has a cochlear implant to help her perceive sound.
She was born in Sasolburg, Free State and grew up in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape province. She is a descendant of Dutch settlers in South Africa.
She said it took two years of speech therapy before she was able to say her first words.
Le Roux is also a businesswoman. She currently works as a marketing manager and models part-time. She is studying marketing part-time at the University of South Africa.
In her acceptance speech, she said she hoped her victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve their “wildest dreams, just like I am”.
She said she wanted to help those who were “financially excluded or differently abled”.
She added: “I am a proudly South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded.”
Le Roux described herself as resilient, dedicated, graceful and kind.
The 2024 Miss South Africa pageant drew widespread attention after one of the finalists Chidimma Adetshina withdrew over her Nigerian ancestry.
Adetshina explained in an interview that her father was a Nigerian and her mother a South African of Mozambican descent.
For several weeks her roots dominated centre of discussion on social media, as many people, including one cabinet minister, questioned her right to represent the country.
