Zukie Mosieane selected as a Mrs South Africa 2023 semi-finalist
Eastern Cape’s own Zukie Mosieane, a Life, Business and Executive coach based in Centurion, a Masters student who was listed as one of the M&G top 200 young South Africans in 2018, a wife and a mother of eight can now add Mrs South Africa semi-finalist to her impressive resume as she joins the class of 2023.
Mosieane received the happy news on Friday, 03 February after the National Casting event at Emperors Palace, in Johannesburg. Following the announcement, the semi-finalists took part in a jam-packed two-day conference filled with motivational talks, workshops, upskilling sessions, socialising and networking opportunities, and an introduction to the famous Mrs SA sisterhood.
“Being announced as a Mrs South Africa Semi-finalist 2023 was one of the most humbling moments of my life. From that moment onwards, I realised the enormous responsibility that had been placed on my shoulders to use this platform, to continue my life’ mission to be a liberator, explorer and catalyst embodying the source power of love. My aim is to wear two sashes simultaneously, a Mrs South Africa Finalist sash and a Masters graduate sash, proving that you can be both beauty and brains,” says Mosieane
Mrs South Africa is foremost a self-discovery and empowerment programme that celebrates diversity, ambition, and confidence while showcasing some of the country’s most phenomenal and talented women, and giving them the skills and tools needed to achieve their dreams.
Joani Johnson, CEO of Mrs SA, says, “We are proud to work alongside so many strong, formidable, and inspirational married women, and to empower them through our pillars of community, self-development, and networking to be the leaders and social game-changers that we need in this country.
“Our experienced mentors teach leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, self-promotion, and self-discovery throughout the year to ensure that all participants have a truly life changing experience.”
Sharing more about her decision to enter, Mosieane says, “Over my lifetime, I have faced insurmountable circumstances with stoic courage, resiliency and an open heart. I’ve faced a divorce after 10 years in my first marriage, a stint of single parenthood, an attempted hijacking, mental health challenges but my biggest challenge to date was cancer. On the 2nd of October 2015, on my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. More specifically, Triple Negative Breast cancer – the most aggressive and the hardest to treat. I was diagnosed on a milestone birthday that was meant for celebrating my life and achievements in all spheres of my life. I am the high achiever, the one who sets impossible goals and achieves them through sheer determination. But on that day, my life changed in an instant. I no longer felt invincible. I thought differently, I felt differently… and wondered what was in store for me. For once in my life, I had very little control over an outcome. I went through 20 rounds of the strongest chemo cocktail, a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. I lost all my hair, gained a lot of weight and literally aged physically and mentally overnight.”
“What helped me was a positive mindset, which was extremely difficult to maintain when I was continually sick from chemo and couldn’t do normal things like drop my children off at school. I also had a great support network. While all this went a long way into helping me beat cancer. I am now in remission for the 7th year. It was not completely responsible for ensuring a positive outcome. For once in my life, I had to rely on a higher power for strength, courage and complete healing. It was a surrender of sort, in spite of the fact that I was scared. Scared that I wouldn’t see my children grow up. Scared that I would never feel or look normal again. Scared that this would mark me for ever. But in that fear, I looked to inward to my higher-self and surrendered to the lifetime journey ahead. Because, for the first time, I had no other choice. I’m delighted that CANSA is one of the official charities for Mrs South Africa.”
“Other than my desire to share my life story and hopefully inspire every women to never give up regardless of their life circumstances, I entered Mrs South Africa for my children. I have 8 children between the ages of 3 and 29. I know that they are continuously watching me and this knowledge inspires me to show up every day and push the boundaries of what is possible. I want to teach them that they never have to live up to anybody’s expectations, including mine. Through my life, I want to open their eyes to a whole world of possibilities that they may never have realised existed.”
“I’m also inspired by different people that my journey has connected me with. I’ve been blessed with a kind and hardworking husband, an extremely supportive mother, family members who love me unconditionally, amazing friendships, an ex-husband who is a present co-parent, and inspiring ex-bosses, mentors, coaches and lecturers who have taught me the true meaning of leadership and servitude. My success has never been a one-man show. Rather, it is a master production with God as the author and director of everything.”
As part of her journey, she hopes to be a beacon of hope and light to others. She believes that her calling in life is to take people on her journey of extreme highs and lows with miracles in between. As an open book wearing her heart on her sleeve, she feels well equipped to lead others on the adventure of being human. “Authentic expression is non-negotiable, as I am meant to make waves through bold truth telling with nothing held back. When my path presents even the most devastating experiences, I drop deep into my heart and soar to new heights with resilience, restoring hope and possibility to others. Heart wide open holding the space for miracles, I’ve always emerged embodied in love with a larger than life presence. My goal is to use this platform to demonstrate that every women can overcome any challenge thrown her way and reinvent herself,” says Mosieane.
“We are blown away by the number of high-quality entries that we received this year, and we are deeply appreciative to have met so many wonderful women from all walks of life. The National Casting day was exceptionally difficult, as a substantial number of entrants have what it takes to make a success of this programme,” notes Johnson.
This year, the casting panel was looking for women who have a keen interest in empowering others, display strong family values, and are passionate about making a difference in their community and the world.
Zukie Mosieane fully embodies the values that Mrs SA holds most dear, and is representative of our tagline for the year: #EveryWoman. We look forward to going on this journey with her and her fellow sisters,” concludes Johnson.
Be sure to follow Zukie Mosieane’s journey on the Mrs South Africa Instagram and Facebook pages.