JOHANNESBURG — Inside the Bible of a Cape Town-based mother is a baby photo. That picture is of Mia Le Roux, who was crowned Miss South Africa 2024 just last month. In fact, Liesel le Roux’s daughter made history on Aug. 10 by becoming the first deaf women to be crowned Miss South Africa at the 66th pageant finale held at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.

Mia Le Roux was born in the Free State on June 28, 1995, and was raised in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape. She was diagnosed with profound hearing loss as a baby and has a cochlear implants to help her perceive sound.

“My mom keeps a baby picture of me in her Bible, which I always think about in moments when I need some peace,” she told Religion Unplugged. “I have faith that God will never send me anything that I cannot handle. He is stronger than my fears.”

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She said it feels incredible to be the first deaf South African woman to win the crown and compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

“It feels incredible. I am able to spread my message on a very strong platform,” she said. “As a deaf woman with a cochlear implant, I represent a community that often goes unheard. I am here to prove that, despite being differently abled, it has not affected me in terms of what I am capable of. My journey is a testament to the power of dreams and determination we all possess.”

International Week of the Deaf is celebrated by the World Federation of the Deaf and its national associations and their affiliates globally during the last full week of September.

Liesel and her husband, Schalk, were blessed with two children: Mia, and their older son, also named Schalk. The couple co-owned Die Hoorn, which was established around 2001, and Postnet in Oudtshoorn. Mia said they are semi-retired, but they still own and run Postnet, a prinitng and shipping company.

“My mom and dad have expressed immense pride, and they were a bit awestruck that it actually happened,” she said of her parents’ reaction to her winning the crown. “They are very grateful, and I am very fortunate to have two loving parents who have been my saving grace. They have instilled within me a deep sense of ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.’ They have shown me that the best armor lies in knowing who you are, and this armor has helped me survive the often-too-rough corners of the world.”

Until the age of five, Le Roux attended the Carel du Toit Centre, where the “deaf learn to speak.” She said she received “a life-changing” cochlear implant at age 2, and it took another two years of speech therapy and continued repetition of words for her to catch up with other children.  

Reflecting on her childhood, she said: “At the tender age of 2, I was blessed by my community with the gift of a cochlear implant. Family, friends and strangers rallied to raise funds for this operation — a life-changing opportunity that allowed me to hear. It was also the start of a long journey to listen to sound and connect with the world through speech, a journey that also has taught me to never give up. It took two years of speech therapy and continued repetition of words before I looked up to the sky one day and said my first four words: ‘Kyk daar, wit wolke” [Afrikaans for ‘Look there, white clouds.’]”

At the time of her crowning, Le Roux, 29, a practicing Christian, worked as a marketing manager for a start-up company and studied part-time for a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing at the University of South Africa.

Accepting her role as the reigning Miss South Africa, she said, “It is my turn to be your community, to be a voice for those who, like me, have experienced the challenges of being different and feeling excluded. I am here to serve as your representative, to champion the causes that matter to South Africans and to create a space where everyone can shine in their unique, beautiful way.”

She added: “With a humble and grateful heart, I accept the incredible responsibility of being your Miss South Africa 2024. It is an honor that fills me with immense pride and gratitude, and I am deeply touched by the trust and confidence that South Africa has placed in me.”

The victory took place during a significant month on the South African calendar: August was Women’s Month in the African nation. Every year on Aug. 9, the country celebrates the struggle fought by 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 in protest against laws that had been enforced by the apartheid government.

“I think it is beautiful to have been crowned in Women’s Month as it is a platform for women, by women. And I hope to help our women feel hopeful, seen and heard,” Le Roux said.

She said she is committed to using her title to address issues affecting “our communities by working with the government, corporate South Africa and anyone who is able and willing to play their part.”

“As a little girl I never would have thought that someone like me could become Miss South Africa,” Le Roux said. “It is extremely powerful what this could mean to other little girls — that even if you have something that makes you different, you still can achieve your dreams with determination and hard work.”

Vicky Abraham is an investigative journalist based in South Africa and has reported for the Mail & Guardian, City Press, Assist News, the Nation newspaper in Nigeria and Nation Media Group in Kenya.