What we saw in Rolene Strauss: judges
The three Miss SA judges were the first people to realise there was something special about Rolene Strauss when she was one of hundreds of entrants who entered the Miss SA competition back in 2013.
In March 2014 Strauss beat off 11 other finalists to take the Miss South Africa crown at Sun City and this week she was crowned Miss World in the UK.
“The one thing we did as the judges from the first round was look for a Miss South Africa but we knew it was time for us to win Miss World. The first time Rolene met with us and left the room, there was a bit of silence and then we said ‘Boom, there goes our girl’. A year later she has honoured all our wishes as judges and hopes as a country. Well done meisiekind,” said radio personality and TV presenter Anele Mdoda.
It is a sentiment echoed by editor of Glamour magazine Pnina Fenster: “From the moment Rolene walked into the room, I was convinced of her star power, for, in addition to her beauty, intelligence, and sincerity, she gracefully exudes that rare and magical X-factor. My name for her, from that moment on, was The Bombshell – because of the way in which she is reminiscent of the glamorous stars of the 1950s, women who epitomised Coco Chanel's dictum that a woman should be two things: classy and fabulous!”
Says magazine editor, poet and writer, Kojo Baffoe: “The beautiful thing about Rolene is her authenticity and calm genuineness. For me, this stood out from the first time I met her. In a way, it is that caring that drew her to the medical profession and it is what stands out whenever you engage with her. At the same time, she has a quiet determination and drive to achieve what she sets her mind to. I was delighted when she took the Miss World crown.”
Rolene returns to South Africa on Saturday - and a hero's welcome is anticipated for her.