Kimberley’s Mishka Boughan, who was recently crowned Miss Pre-Teen Universe South Africa 2024/25, will be jetting off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for the international leg of the competition on Friday.
KIMBERLEY’S Mishka Boughan, who was recently crowned Miss Pre-Teen Universe South Africa 2024/25, will be jetting off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic on Friday for the international leg of the competition.
Twelve-year-old Mishka received a warm homecoming ceremony at The Royale in Cassandra, Kimberley, on April 2. This follows her arrival back home from her national crowning in Durban on March 24.
The ceremony also doubled as a farewell, as Mishka prepares to fly the Northern Cape and the country’s flags high in Punta Cana.
Mishka, brimming with pride and excitement at the event, received warm congratulations and well-wishes from her family, friends, fellow models and members of the Patriotic Alliance.
Mishka told the DFA that she hardly had enough time to raise the funds for the international pageant in Punta Cana as she had to leave in less than a week.
She will be among four girls from South Africa who will be representing the country in different categories at the event. One of whom is eight-year-old Nthabeleng Nonkasa, also from Kimberley and who was crowned Miss Mini Model World South Africa 2024 in February this year.
Mishka will be accompanied on her trip by her mother and her coach, Theanè Willemse, who was crowned Miss Teen Universe South Africa in 2022.
She pointed out that this would be her biggest and most significant competition since embarking on her modelling journey at a tender age.
This, according to her, is an indication that hard work pays off.
She mentioned that the competition had become easier for her because it also emphasised charity work, which is her strong point.
The competition is not only about modelling but is also a platform to showcase women empowerment.
Mishka described the Durban experience as “utterly amazing”. To her, the highlight was meeting her fellow models, whom she referred to as her “sisters”.
She said she was “surprised” when she was announced as the winner, given the strong competition she faced.
The Grade 7 learner vowed to continue her reign by doing charity work and empowering young girls.
“And if I win that international crown, I will definitely use that crown to reach out to more girls,” she said.
Looking to the future, Mishka said she wants to be a software engineer when she finishes school.
She was quick to point out that she was sad to have to miss out on two weeks of schooling because of the trip to Punta Cana.
“It is very sad because school is close to my heart and I advocate for education. But hopefully, I’ll be able to catch up.”
Mishka’s mother, Rene, said that her daughter is “99% ready” for the international stage.
She said Mishka has no reason not to be ready for the big stage. “She is a strong child and an all-rounder, including academically, and has a heart of gold,” said Rene.
She, however, pointed out that the most draining aspect of the competition has been finances.
She said she has had to carry the costs by herself.
“We entered the competition assuming that the Miss Teen organisation would back us in some way, perhaps in the form of paying for some of the expenses after she was crowned. But we discovered after she won that they won’t be paying for anything.
“Coming from Kimberley, it is already very expensive to travel nationally, never mind internationally. Just to take her to Durban was challenging because you need national costumes and a lot more.”
“The organisation’s representatives are going to be there, they travel with you but don’t assist you financially. So I don’t understand … It is disappointing to realise that we represent their brand and win for them but they don’t assist us.”
“We need support from the Northern Cape and Kimberley to empower our girls. She is empowering our girls, so she also needs to be boosted somehow.
“I am feeling the pressure, and partly to blame, but I don’t know who to reach out to, especially at such short notice. I hardly had a week to prepare for the international pageant. Although we would have loved to travel with her as the whole family, it would not be possible.
“I am, however, also partly to blame because I did not get the time to approach any department or anybody.
“We are, however, hoping that the message gets out about support for our child.”
Rene sent a “shout-out” to her father, who has been supportive throughout his granddaughter’s journey.
She also said that Mishka will have to “juggle her many caps” after being away for two weeks.
“She is an A-team netball player and has a lot to catch up on academically, but we know that she will manage.”
