Miss SA launches campaign to alleviate plight of nation's needy

Pretoria - Miss South Africa Ntandoyenkosi Kunene has launched her random acts of kindness campaign – Your One Day.

“I believe in giving back and I am privileged to find myself in a position where I am able to do just that. I cannot wait to get started,” she said.

Sun International and headline sponsor Cell C provided Kunene with R200 000 as part of her prize package to use during her year of reign on charities or needy individuals of her choice.

She expressed a desire to focus on topical issues, which she may read about in the media, and act on them immediately.

Sun International’s public relations executive, Claudia Henkel, said: “Ntando has shown an incredible enthusiasm to use her platform as Miss South Africa 2016 to benefit others.

“It is an honour to witness her passion for her random acts of kindness campaign, Your One Day, and I believe she will leave a proud legacy.”

Her predecessor, Liesl Laurie, named her drive Liesl’s Piggybank, which benefited The Grave Factory that provided nappies and formula for babies in children’s homes and provided donations to a number of educational institutions.

Before Laurie was Rolene Strauss, who went on to take the Miss World title in the same year.

She named her random acts of kindness campaign Believe, building on Cell C’s ongoing campaign of the same name.

Initiatives that she contributed to during her reign included the Procter & Gamble programme, Always Keeping Girls in School Campaign, and the No Student Hungry Bursary Programme.

Former Miss SA and Cell C’s commercial communications executive Suzette van der Merwe said: “We are delighted to be associated with Ntando’s good work and very happy to help contribute to her fund.”