BY TSHEGO SEBITLOANE
Bloemfontein- A young beautiful lady from Vista Park, Bloemfontein who is passionate about pageantry and making a difference in the community, Relebohile Matli ,20 is on quest to make an impact in people’s lives.
Matli is studied Management assistant at Motheo TVET , and is currently doing her practicals at the Department of Education. When asked about where her passion for modelling comes from she answered “I started pageants at creche, you know they don’t give you much of a choice and I did another one again in grade R”.
With the influence of her mother, a former model, Matli slowly started growing a love for pageants and modelling as she would spend a lot of time with her mother and her mentor known as Äbuti Teboho” who owns UBA agency.
Matli says she began to love pageants when she was in grade 9 (2012) when she competed in pageants in high school as should would always come out in the top3 of all pageants that took place.
When she came back to Bloem in 2017, she entered Miss College FS, her first professional pageant. She did not make it further in the competition and she felt a bit discouraged she said “ I didn’t make it in to the top 6, I remember I was so crushed”. Regardless of the disappoint she did not give up.
In 2018, she tried again as she was experienced and knew what was expected of her, she paid attention to criticism and learned from that, she came out as the second princess. The very same year she entered Miss Splendid Spring and didn’t win.
Matli stays persistent regardless of all she comes across throughout these pageants as she is now a finalist for Miss Manguang.
Matli is working on a project, which she hopes to turn into an organization one day, the project will be giving breakfast to homeless people who stay around downtown. As they are not really considered much.
She said “I want to do this because as much as they (homeless people) smoke they are dirty and don’t have options to go to shelters as they don’t have access to shelters and im taking it upon myself to do this for them”
When asked what motivated her to do this she said “My cousin Motlatsi,my heart and passion with disabled people”. She mentioned that her cousin has epilepsy and when they were young she would give him his medication, they grew up together hence this is close to her heart.
Matli also added “ I’m not doing this because im a finalist at Miss Manguang, we have to do charity work and I’m doing this from my heart”.