“It’s Been a Journey”: Entrepreneur, 16, Becomes Miss Teen Grand SA Finalist

• 16-year-old KwaZulu-Natal-born beauty queen Enhle Mdakane became a finalist for the Miss Teen Grand South Africa 2025 pageant competition
• The young entrepreneur and youth advocate shared with Briefly News that she hopes to promote skills development and help young people survive in the world
• Enhle made history in 2023 when she became the first young black woman to win the Miss Eco Teen International pageant

KwaZulu-Natal-born beauty queen and entrepreneur Enhle Mdakane is putting her passion for empowering the youth on a grand stage as she sets her sights on taking the Miss Teen Grand South Africa 2025 crown home.

The fifth edition of the pageant, which takes place on 5 October in Pretoria at the Silver Lakes Farm Hotel, empowers girls aged seven to 19 in pageantry and leadership. As a finalist, Enhle carries a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment.

A passionate young businesswoman

As a firm believer that hands-on skills hold the key to empowerment, the 16-year-old dedicates her spare time to learning new crafts, such as makeup artistry. She also showcases her creative side in her business, Show Up, which features a line of lipstick, perfumes, gym wear and tracksuits.

Enhle shared with Briefly News details about her business:

"I express creativity by developing innovative ideas and solutions, especially in fields related to beauty, which led me to start my beauty line. I love experimenting with sustainable practices that can make a positive impact."

Take a look at Enhle's lipsticks in the Instagram post on her business's account below:

With the young people of South Africa as her main concern, Enhle hopes to promote skills development among the youth and help them navigate and survive the world we live in.

The advocate also encourages them to turn their hobbies into income streams, further emphasising that skills are assets nobody can take away.

Enhle Mdakane's years in pageantry

Miss Teen Grand South Africa isn't Enhle's first time entering a pageant. The teen told Briefly News that she started participating in pageants as young as six years old.

"It has been a journey of growth and self-discovery. I began my modelling classes at Rampage Modelling School, where I was crowned Top Model of the Year and Miss Little Miss Benoni. That’s when I realised I actually love being on stage."

In 2023, Enhle travelled to Egypt to compete in and win Miss Eco Teen International, becoming the first young black woman to do so.

Speaking of her win, she said:

"It also gave me more insight into taking care of our environment, leading me to start school eco clubs in partnership with the Etwatwa greening team to begin gardening and growing our food to combat poverty, while teaching the community about taking care of their community through recycling."

3 Other stories about pageantry

• In another article published last year, Briefly News reported about a Tsonga woman who opted against entering Miss SA, fearing tribalism.
• A young primary school girl mesmerised many when she performed at a beauty pageant, receiving cheers from onlookers.
• An Eastern Cape woman who conquered breast cancer was over the moon after winning Mrs Eastern Cape Queen 2024.

Source: Briefly News