Mia le Roux is the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa, following a highly controversial pageant after a finalist withdrew from the competition due to her Nigerian heritage.
In her speech, Le Roux said she hoped the victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve "their biggest dreams, like me". She said she wanted to help those who were "Financially excluded or differently abled", write foreign media.
Le Roux, 28, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of 1 and has a cochlear implant to help him perceive sound. She said it took two years of speech therapy before she was able to say her first words.
After the win, the model said: “I am a deaf and proud South African woman. I know what it's like to be excluded: "Now I know I was put on this planet to break boundaries."
Last week, 23-year-old law student Chidimma Adetshina withdrew from the competition following allegations that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman. Ms. Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother.
She came under fire on social media for several weeks, including from a minister who questioned her right to represent the country. She said she had been a victim of "black hatred", highlighting a particular type of xenophobia in South Africa known as "Afrophobia", which attacks anyone who comes from other African countries.
