The Dallmayr Mrs South Africa pageant and empowerment programme has kickstarted 2024 in style after hosting its National Public Casting event in front of a live audience on Friday, 2 February 2024 at the Piazza at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort.
According to CEO Joani Johnson, Dallmayr Mrs South Africa began the new season on an exceptionally strong footing, receiving a record number of applications that flooded in from the beginning of November 2023 right up until the week of casting.
“The Mrs South Africa standards are incredibly high, but we’ve always been delighted by the calibre of applications received. That said, this year’s interest exceeded all our expectations, which I think speaks to the reputation we’ve built for helping women become the best version of themselves, and do things they never thought possible before,” she says.
Looking to shake things up in 2024, the decision to host a National Public Casting event was made in order to allow the public to share in the action, giving Clearwater mallgoers the opportunity to stop by and watch the ladies audition. The event was also in keeping with Dallmayr Mrs South Africa’s 2024 theme, #YourTimeIsNow, which aims to encourage women to be daring, take risks, and bet on themselves.
A select number of entrants were invited to the National Public Casting at Clearwater Mall, where a distinguished panel of judges was tasked with selecting the 2024 semi-finalists to officially join the Dallmayr Mrs South Africa programme for 2024.
“We were thrilled to host the first National Public Casting for Mrs South Africa. This is such a great platform for women to embrace their power, and we are proud to be aligned with Mrs South Africa this year. We wish all the ladies participating everything of the best for the days ahead, and cannot wait to see each of you again,” adds Prianka Singh, Marketing Manager of Clearwater Mall.
The judges were particularly interested in how hungry candidates were to learn and grow, and the day provided a unique opportunity for the ladies to show off their confidence, grace, and beauty in front of not only their friends and family, but the general public as well. “This gave the judges a fairly good idea of how they would fair on the Mrs South Africa stage, but also where we could help them unlock their potential, reach their goals, and discover just how fierce they can be,” says Johnson.
“Ultimately, that’s what the Mrs South Africa sisterhood comes down to: standing shoulder to shoulder with other women as you explore and experience exciting new possibilities, while supporting and motivating each other every step of the way along your individual journeys.”
After extensive deliberation, the 2024 semi-finalists were selected to proceed in the competition, beginning with a two-day bootcamp of empowerment and development workshops. The judge’s results were verified and audited by the independent auditing firm, PKF Octagon.
As for those who didn’t place this year, Johnson explains that it has no bearing on their suitability for the programme. Dallmayr Mrs South Africa can only take a certain number of candidates along on its journey, and she encourages them to reapply and try again in the future.
She notes that it is not uncommon for women to reapply the following year, readjusting their submissions to better communicate their strengths to the judges. Some of these women even make it all the way to the grand finale.
Each year, Dallmayr Mrs South Africa welcomes married women between the ages of 25 and 55 from any and every background, with no restrictions on appearance, education, or experience in modelling or pageantry.
Due in large part to its stance on inclusivity, and its dedication to helping women find their voices, face their fears, and grow to their full potential, Mrs South Africa still stands as not only the original, but the most highly regarded and beloved pageant and development programme for married women in South Africa.
This year’s women development journey is made possible by Mrs South Africa’s gracious sponsors, namely: Dallmayr Coffee, PR Worx, Clearwater Mall, Chery Krugersdorp, Skin Renewal, Hirsch’s Homestore, Brentoni Eyewear, BTL, Slimz, Protein Feed Haircare, Urbantrend, PKF Octagon, iStyle, Espavo Hair Design, Action Coach, Truewood Furniture, Kryolan Professional Makeup, Flora Mystique, Collagen Lift Paris, Wild Africa Cream, Lashout by Monise Beauty, Maskscara, Whirlpool, Wild Coast Sun, Karma Clothing, Caribbean Tan, and IME.
