Mpiletso Motumi
Miss Soweto, Mangali Ngcobo, wanted to be in the media industry – but even beauty queens aren’t perfect.
“If I didn’t have a squeaky voice, I’d love to be a radio dj or presenter. I love to talk,” she says.
Technically, she is in that very industry. As the reigning Miss Soweto, she is a public figure.
Her friend Nondyebo Njilo, 21, describes Mangali as an extrovert who tells it like it is; a person who hasn’t let the title go to her head.
In her neighbourhood, only a few people address her as Miss Soweto, says Ngcobo.
“Most people knew me from before. Nobody makes a big hoo-ha. I’m still the same.”
She laughs as she recalls how she went from about 500 friends on Facebook to having more than 2 000.
“The reception has been overwhelming. I still get congratulations messages even today,” she says.
The elder of two siblings, Ngcobo is extremely proud of her younger brother, 14-year-old Zakhiti.
The lounge of their Pimville home is filled with Zakhiti’s ballroom and Latin dance trophies.
Among the shiny golden awards displayed on the wall is a photo of Ngcobo; the one of when she was crowned Miss Soweto in October. She looks elated in the glossy snap, sitting on a regal chair in a beautiful ball gown with a crown that certifies her as the fairest of them all.
Here at home, she wears a grey coat with black tights and lace-up boots as she talks about her year.
She celebrated her 21st birthday in January and had a small braai with friends and family.
“Except for her commitments, nothing has really changed. Her chores are still the same,” her mother, Zodwa, says.
Ngcobo explains that she often has to stay late at events to network, but home “is where I feel most comfortable. I know where to find everything.”
The Renault she won as part of her Miss Soweto prize has also come in handy.
“I used to ask my mom for her car all the time,” she says with a chuckle.
Meeting people such as DJ Sbu, Sophie Ndaba, Doris Msibi, Somizi Mhlongo and Lungile Radu has been one of the perks for her.
There’s always something to do for Ngcobo, who is still good friends with her princesses, Liesl Laurie and Zanele Masuku.
Ngcobo has also formed relationships with former Miss Soweto 2008, Rochelle Mothapo, and 2009’s Keneilwe Maduko, who gave her advice about school and life.
Of her year as Miss Soweto, she says: “It’s been great, exciting and tiring. It comes with a lot of sacrifice.”
In her spare time she listens to KayaFM, hangs out with her friends and watches action movies and the music channels on DStv.
One of the prizes she received was a bursary to study at Damelin, and she chose a course in PR. After her reign she would like to continue working with some of the initiatives she is involved with. She is a road safety ambassador for the Road Traffic Management Corporation, an ambassador for Teens South Africa and runs a project with 1808, a Pimville initiative.
Ngcobo still has a lot to do until October, when her reign ends.
What does she miss most about her life before being Miss Soweto? “That small thing they call privacy.”