Bring It On

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Aka Miss Universe, Is The Embodiment Of Beauty, Poise And Elegance. But Spend A Bit Of Time With Her And You’Ll Discover A Tough And Tenacious Woman With Steely Determination. She Shares Her Recipe For Unlocking Your Own Inner Badass

- Gotlhokwang Angoma-Mzini

It’s a crisp Friday morning in Joburg when the phone rings. It’s Demi-Leigh’s manager calling to say our cover star is running late for her shoot. Whispers churn through the air from people who’ve met her before, wondering whether being crowned Miss Universe and living in New York City for almost a year has changed her. Sure enough, when the beauty queen arrives, she’s preceded by an entourage of security and publicists from both the Miss Universe and Miss South Africa franchises. Then, an unexpectedly heel-less Demi-Leigh dashes into the studio and heads straight towards the crew. “Sorry to have kept you. Thank you so much for waiting,” she says. She’s flawless and knows how to command a room. But the minute she opens her mouth, it’s like you’re chatting with a friend. She speaks with the practised ease of someone well-accustomed to being in the spotlight – each sentence considered and perfectly articulated. But the charm and openness are genuine. At heart, Demi-Leigh is most definitely still the girl next door. But with a drive and determination that means she was never going to stay next door for long.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, BE PREPARED TO WORK FOR IT.