09 Mar 2025

With her wardrobe, Beauty With a Purpose project, and rigorous training in place, Miss World Botswana Anicia Gaothusi is ready to take part in the highly anticipated 72nd Miss World Festival in Telangana, India.

With just weeks remaining before the world’s most prestigious beauty pageant, the 23-year-old queen has been undergoing an intense training programme focusing on three key areas, mental sharpness, physical strength, and pageantry skills.

A crucial part of her preparation is also her Beauty With a Purpose project, ‘Lights’, which aims to promote primary healthcare through basic first aid education. The initiative seeks to empower communities with essential lifesaving skills, enabling them to respond effectively to medical emergencies before professional help arrives.

Speaking to BOPA, Gaothusi expressed excitement on representing Botswana at the global stage.

“I feel incredibly honoured and excited to represent Botswana. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a dream come true,” she said.

While acknowledging the pressures of the competition, she remains focused on her mission.

“There are moments of pressure, especially in the public eye, but I remind myself daily of my purpose, to showcase the beauty, strength, and resilience of my country,” she said.

She also expressed deep gratitude to Batswana for their love and unwavering support throughout her journey.

Miss Botswana team shared their satisfaction with the preparation progress, highlighting that everything has been running smoothly without major challenges.

“With a supportive team, well-planned schedules, and dedicated partners, everything has been progressing according to plan,” said Miss Botswana’s publicr relations and administration assistant Unaswi Moalusi.

She noted that sponsors had played a key role in ensuring that Gaothusi received top tier training, including swimming with Propellers Swimming Academy, gym sessions at Jack’s Gym and pageantry coaching, including top model walking.

In response to last year’s wardrobe criticism, the Miss Botswana team assured the public that Gaothusi had been working closely with a stylist to refine her fashion choices. They emphasised that her wardrobe was being carefully curated to reflect her elegance while embracing the rich cultural heritage of India, particularly Telangana.

The team also encouraged Batswana to continue supporting Gaothusi by following her journey, liking, sharing, and commenting with messages of encouragement.

With an impressive background of Miss Teen Botswana 2019 and 2nd Princess at Miss Teen International 2019, Gaothusi has shown a remarkable growth since being crowned Miss Botswana on March 23, 2024. Her confidence and public speaking skills have significantly improved, thanks to weekly Toastmasters sessions, training with Radio Botswana 2 (RB2) and frequent media engagements.

“She has become more articulate, assertive, and relatable,” Moalusi noted, commending her progress. ENDS