19 Aug 2020

Some event organisers have not allowed the COVID-19 pandemic stop them from doing their planned activities.

Such include organisers of Ms Gospel Africa 2020, an international pageant that was recently held virtually in Lagos, Nigeria where Botswana’s Kgomotsego Ntsima was crowned the second runner up.

Christian Botswana public relations officer, Kabelo Eric, said in an interview that Ntsima was the first-ever Motswana to participate since the inception of the pageant.

Countries that participated are Botswana,  Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya and Togo.

“This was the first time our country participated in this pageant. I am happy that our representative Ntsima did well despite that she had to do it virtually something that she has never been exposed to before,” he said

He said Ms Gospel Africa was an international event held annually but due to the COVID-19 safety measures, the pageant was held virtually.

He said contestants were given a link that connected them to a panel of judges through the use of Zoom.

He said though Ntsima participated at the comfort of her home in Molepolole, she followed all the stated guidelines in relation to the pageant’s other requirements.

Eric further said Ntsima first won Miss Christian Botswana and later was crowned Ms Gospel Botswana, which automatically earned her a chance to contest for Ms Gospel Africa 2020.

Sharing her experience on virtual participation, Ntsima maintained that her crown was a testimony of God’s goodness as He works with a willing heart considering that it was her first attempt.

She said virtual and physical pageants shared the same protocols, saying their first parade entailed self-introduction while the second stage was to showcase the national costume and the final parade was done wearing a gown. There was also a segment for the question and answer session.

“I was a bit nervous to participate without any spectators around, but I remained focused,’’ she said.

Ntsima said she connected with judges in Lagos through Zoom using her living room for all the parades.

Ntsima’s journey into pageantry dates back from 2012 when she was first crowned Ms Reach Out Botswana first princess.

Since then she never looked back and she did well in other pageants.

In 2013, she made it to Miss Botswana top 25 while in 2015, she tried her luck in Ms Heritage World International and made it to the top 10.

Ntsima is currently engaged in reaching out to the needy in rural areas as she donates food hampers, stationery and motivates students on issues that affecting the girl child.

She further said she was assisting the underprivileged because she realised that poverty could derail children from a good educational path adding that she intends to bridge the gap between a learner from a well off background and those that were from less privileged families. ENDS