Resilient, ambitious Lungo Katete eyes Miss SA crown

Candidate architect and Miss SA finalist Lungo Katete plans to take on the coveted title with every “ounce of her being”.  

The 24-year-old from Midrand, Johannesburg, has fixated her eyes on being the one crowned at the prestigious occasion set to take place at the organisation’s flagship venue, the SunBet Arena at Time Square, in Pretoria,  on August 13. 

A creative at heart with a flair for all things design, Katete obtained her bachelors, honours and master’s degrees in architecture from the university of the Witwatersrand. 

She considers herself as a charismatic yet resilient and ambitious person who enjoys exploring her creative side through music. 

Katete is one of 10 women who will compete for the Miss SA crown. Other finalists include Homba Mazaleni, Keaoleboga Nkashe, Lebohang Raputsoe, Melissa Nayimuli, Nande Mabala, Natasha Joubert, Jordan van der Vyver, Ané Oosthuysen, Anke Rothmann and Bryoni Govender. 

The group of women represents five of nine provinces – Gauteng (five), Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and North West.

“I am the firstborn of four and naturally, I became the leader of the pack. It was a bit challenging growing up because I tend to know what everyone wants and needs. I have a brother who is turning 23, a sister who is 16 and a younger brother who is eight years old who all look up to me. We are a big bunch when we're in the mix... there’s never a dull moment when we are all together with our various personalities,” said the Miss SA hopeful.        

“In high school, I did a lot of sports, namely tennis, high jump, 100m sprint... I was very competitive and outgoing – and I still think I am.

“I grew up as a young, bubbly but very artsy child. My dad used to watch engineering shows that shaped my view on engineering and construction. One day, I watched a show that dealt specifically with the design of luxury apartments. I then became fascinated by the design process to the obstacles they faced in order to achieve the end result. 

“I like how you can have a design and draw it on a piece of paper and have the full phase where you can be in ... this has been my fascination since I was 12 years old.” 

Katete notes that making it as a finalist was one of her biggest highlights thus far in the competition as well as being announced the winner of the people’s vote. 

“Just seeing all the ladies who entered and the gruelling that we had to endure and then making it to the top 12 gives me such pride and joy. There’s a lot of nerves and stressful moments but I can safely say that it was all worth it,” she said.

“I remember hearing Stephanie Weil [from Miss SA] tell the other girls before me, ‘unfortunately’, I burst into tears when she said ‘fortunately’ to me because I couldn’t believe I made it... I couldn’t believe that the dream I had always wanted was becoming a reality.”  

Should she be crowned Miss SA, Katete hopes to use her reign to lend a voice to women suffering from cyst complications through her campaign called "Her health, our future". She also wants to help bridge the gap to help women access good healthcare.  

“More than anything, I want to make an impact in people’s lives through such a platform and to make sure that my legacy continues to live on beyond my time.  

“I’ve always wanted to enter Miss SA but because of time and school, I knew I only had to try my luck only after I’ve completed my studies. After seeing the impact that Zozibini Tunzi and Rolene Strauss had during their reign, my intuition to participate was solidified. I told myself, ‘If Zozi can do it, so can I’ despite my dark-skinned complexion.”