Talisa Naidoo’s journey is one of resilience, purpose and transformation.
Image: LizMike Photography
“To know me is to know the home I grew up in and the women who shaped me,” said Talisa Naidoo, reflecting on the journey that carried her from the streets of Chatsworth to the national stage.
At 22, Naidoo speaks with clarity about her roots. Raised in Chatsworth, Durban, by her mother alongside her elder sister, she said that her childhood was defined by sacrifice and resilience.
“We did not have an easy life. I learned about life through quiet sacrifices, tight months and the strength it takes to keep a household going when the odds are against you,” she explained.
Those early years became her foundation. Watching her mother raise two daughters under pressure shaped her understanding of grit.
“We did not just witness a struggle. We lived it. That was my masterclass in survival,” she said. “Circumstances do not define your destination, but they do forge your spirit.”
For Naidoo, Chatsworth is more than a place. It is a community built on hustle and hope.
“The air is thick with both hardship and possibility. Everything I am carries those lessons. My success is not just mine. It belongs to my family and to the community that raised me.”
Respect and self-discipline were central in her home.
“There was a non-negotiable emphasis on respect for elders, for neighbours and most importantly for ourselves,” she said. “I was raised to carry myself with grace, but with the backbone of someone who knows how to survive.”
She described independence not as a lifestyle choice but as a necessity that later became her strength.
“That upbringing did not just happen to me. It architected the woman I am today.”
Her love for performance began long before pageants.
“As a child, I did not need a studio. I just danced. Movement was my first language,” she said. Dance gave her joy and freedom, even when she was shy.
After finishing school, modelling entered her life. Encouraged by people who saw potential in her, she entered the industry with a clear purpose.
“When I entered my first pageant, it was not about being a pretty face. I wanted to be a voice,” she said. “I wanted girls from backgrounds like mine to see that they can be unapologetically themselves and still achieve big dreams.”
Winning Miss Chatsworth 2025 marked a turning point.
“That crown showed me my upbringing was not a shadow. It was my spotlight,” she said. “When I look at it, I see my mom and my sister. They were my first audience, my first supporters.”
The title became a platform.
“It means I get to stand in front of other women and say, ' Look at me. I found my confidence in the middle of the struggle,” she said. “Your destination is still yours to choose.”
On the national stage at Miss Royal Jewel of South Africa 2026, she was placed second runner-up and earned both the Public Choice award and Brand Ambassador title.
The journey was demanding.
“I will not sugarcoat it. It was tough. There were moments of doubt and exhaustion,” she said. “But every time I felt like giving up, I remembered why I started.”
Talisa Naidoo’s journey is one of resilience, purpose and transformation.
Image: LizMike Photography
Winning Public Choice meant the most.
“It told me my message is resonating. People see my authenticity,” she said. “This success belongs to everyone who believed in a girl from Chatsworth who just wanted to be a voice.”
Competing nationally taught her that authenticity outweighs perfection.
“You arrive surrounded by incredible women, and it is easy to feel intimidated. But I learned that you do not have to change who you are,” she said.
“The crown is a platform. Your character is the foundation.”
Dance continues to influence her modelling career. Under the mentorship of Fabian Pillay, whom she calls her guru and guardian angel, she refined her confidence.
“He taught me that every pose tells a story and every step is a statement,” she said. “Dance gave me the language of movement and modelling gave me the platform to speak.”
Looking ahead, Naidoo wants more than titles. She plans to open a dance school in honour of Pillay.
“He shaped the core of who I am. By opening this school, I want to create a space where others are empowered the way I was,” she said.
Her vision is clear.
“I do not just want to be remembered for crowns. I want to be remembered for the lives that I touched,” she said. “No matter how tough the journey is, you can still reach the grandest stages. The journey is tough, but you are tougher.”