Chatting to Chelsi Shikongo – Miss Namibia 2021

MODEL, creative and activist Chelsi Tashaleen Shikongo (23) from Walvis Bay was crowned Miss Namibia 2021 on Saturday night in a virtual event.

The annual national pageant was held after the cancellation of its 2020 edition because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Annerie Maré (26) from Kamanjab won the first princess title, while Michelle Mukuve (21) from Rundu was the second princess.

Shikongo also won the top model and Miss photogenic awards.

The Namibian spoke to Shikongo.

I am the first title holder from Walvis Bay. I am an international model, self-taught creative and activist. A fun fact about me is that I was named after the late Chelsi Smith, who was crowned Miss Universe in Namibia in 1995.

I am excited. I am happy and overwhelmed. I have so many emotions and I am mostly honoured and proud that Namibia chose me to be a goodwill ambassador.

I wanted to challenge myself mentally, emotionally and physically and I saw the Miss Namibia pageant as the best platform to do that. I also wanted to know about the pageant world and what it has to offer and what I can learn from it. This is the first pageant I have won.

Continuing what I am already doing raising awareness on the relationship we have with food and how that affects our body image and mental wellness. I definitely would like to work with each and every organisation with the same or relatable objectives and aims because if I would like Namibians to be informed, feel empowered and included, it starts with me creating that community and starting the conversation.

My cause is truly close to my heart as I suffer from gluten and lactose intolerances and only realising as an adult that I had food allergies since I was a child just showed me how we really need to invest more time on information on nutrition and dismantle the stigma around food allergies, especially in Namibia. I want to work on this because I would like to empower each Namibian to invest in healthy living, food security and food sustainability through sustainable agricultural methods such as urban gardening.

That it is okay to ask for help. I grew up as an independent person from a very young age. I didn’t know how to ask for help and it really took me taking part in Miss Namibia to understand that asking for help doesn’t mean weakness and vulnerability. It is where our true power lies. Being part of the pageant, I enjoyed the sisterhood, and the fitness challenges really pushed me in a positive way, mentally.

I entered a competition on Facebook that was being run by Truworths SA and they were looking for a brand ambassador but Boss Models Cape Town was scouting as well. I entered without knowing anything really and they got back to me [telling me] that they love my look and that they would like to sign me. Since May 2017 till today, it’s been nothing but a blissful journey. I have travelled the world because of this amazing opportunity.

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Pageantry is a celebration. It brings happiness and pride to every country. Empowerment is something we must focus on more than just the physical beauty of the women who compete. The youth look up to us as role models.

Namibia, thank you so much for choosing me to be your goodwill ambassador and represent you all across the world. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for believing in me. I love you!