Nishttha Ramnath, a fourth year medical student in Johannesburg, is vying for the Miss South Africa crown with a goal that prioritises women and girls in a nation riddled with gender-based violence.
The 22-year-old Indian beauty, born in Durban and residing in Johannesburg, is completing her fourth year of studies in medicine, and vying for a dazzling crown that represents the nation.
Ramnath’s determination to scoop the title as Miss South Africa from reigning queen Mia le Roux extends far beyond herself. Her goal is crucial–for women and girls to be heard. In a nation rife with gender-based violence (GBV), it’s a pursuit that prioritises the safety of women in South Africa.
“I’m here because I believe in something bigger than a title or a crown,” says Ramnath, who doesn’t miss a beat in her entry video for the prestigious national pageant.
“I’m here for her. For the little girl walking to school with fear in her chest, for the mother in Cape Town who hides her bruises behind her smile, for the teenager in Chatsworth, who has never believed. For little girls whose names we now know because of the pain they suffered,” she says.
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Speaking on violence against women and children, Ramnath urges that GBV is a crisis that needs to end. The beauty queen aims to play her role in the fight by being a voice for women who have been silenced.
“Our beauty does not lie within how quiet we can be. It lies within how loudly we stand for what is right, in our differences and our stories, and our healing and scars. I am not here to be palatable. I am not here to be quiet. I am here to be heard, and if I shake the room, so be it,” she says.
In the caption of her Miss South Africa entry video, Ramnath confidently throws her hat into the ring, hoping for a chance to claim the crown:
“I’m loud. I’m tattooed. I’m proudly South African Indian. And I’m here to take up space — for every woman who’s ever been told not to. My name is Nishttha Ramnath — and this is my Miss South Africa 2025 journey.”
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Feature Image: Instagram / @nishramnath
