‘I overcame my worst fears…’
Miss Lesotho 2021 bares her soul
‘MAKERESEMESE LETUKA
MASERU – Miss Lesotho 2021 2nd Runner-up Rapelang Ntsane says she was extremely excited for overcoming her fears upon being crowned runner-up in the national pageant. Rapelang told Life&Style that this recognition meant she had achieved her goal, beating the fear of thinking she was never good enough.
“That night really proved that a person should never limit themselves, that’s the lesson I will forever carry with me and cherish. Out of all the gorgeous ladies, I was seen as worthy to be the 2nd Runner-up. Indeed, I was so happy and I still am,” she says.
Rapelang said growing up she always liked to watch entertainment shows, especially those that had something to do with modelling; the likes of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
She adds that she fell in love with pageantry when doing her Standard 7, she was called to take part in her school’s Miss Standard 7 pageant that year. “So, basically I got inspired from my own genuine love of being an entertainer, a centre of attention,” she continued.
Rapelang says the Miss Lesotho pageantry has helped her achieve psychological well-being in that it has challenged her long held insecurities about her body. She believes she has reached an enormous achievement as many people struggle to love and appreciate their bodies as they are. She continues that despite the spotlight, pageantry has catapulted her into a ‘role-model’ mode.
“Every now and then I receive messages from people who wish to be like me, they seek advice as to how to go about modelling. It really means a lot to me because that says the effort I am putting is actually paying. Nothing is as important as knowing that as a person I have helped establish another person’s self-esteem and self-reliance. It really makes me happy,” she says.
“Well, I cannot predict the future but I definitely see myself doing greater things in the future apart from modelling…and like I have already mentioned I enjoy being the centre of attention and I really look forward to making moves in the entertainment industry, I have a good feeling about that.”
As she aspires to always be the centre of attraction Rapelang feels she is going to nail it. Born 20 years ago, Rapelang was raised in Maputsoe, Leribe, having begun her primary schooling at St James Anglican Primary School in Maseru for two years; she finished off her remaining years in primary school at St Luke Primary, in Maputsoe.
She proceeded to St Boniface High School, Leribe, where she stayed from 2014 to 2018. She is currently pursuing a law degree at the National University of Lesotho and is in her second year.
Rapelang is also a working student, she works for Vodacom Lesotho as a Brand Ambassador. “I look up to Mojabeng-Senekal Ndebele a lot. I first met her in 2015 after she won the Face of Lesotho when she went to coach us for a pageant we were preparing for (Miss Urban).
So, I really like and adore everything she was doing. It would really be an honour one day to feature with her. As for my family and supporters I would like for them to expect me to put in more work. I will not stop trying to do greater and bigger things, they should expect consistency and involvement in life-changing projects.
Internationally I admire Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015,” she adds. Rapelang thinks being in a pageant is absolutely amazing but cautions it has its own moments when one would feel like her world is breaking down. “But all in all, it is lots of fun and very great. It also helps one gain knowledge, especially self-acknowledge.”