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The closing date for entries for this year's Miss South Africa approaches quickly. Entries opened in April and close on 26 June.

I've always wondered what's it's really like to be a Miss South Africa, most specifically, why people enter, the pros and cons of pageants as a phenomenon and the impact the whole shebang has on guys i.e. will anyone ever ask you out again?

I decided to find out once and for all from someone who's been through it.  When I chatted to Tatum Keshwar while she was on Tropika Island of Treasure 3 the thought struck me that she'd be a perfect person to quiz.

She won in 2008 so she's made it out the other side: not too recently so she has some distance, but not too long ago that she could forget. I got in touch with her again and fired away:

Tashi:  There's an ongoing debate about beauty pageants round the world and whether they're relevant to modern society. What's your view on the relevance of Miss South Africa?
Tatum: I think the pageant definitely is still relevant. The reason for me is that South Africa, especially in the stage of democracy that we're in, we're in a young democracy - we need real, genuine role models. People that the South African public can aspire to be like. Not just young girls or women, but guys as well.

It's a wonderful opportunity, so we need somebody who really takes it very seriously, takes the responsibility and uses it to the maximum.

I think people subscribe to the perception that it's just a beauty pageant, it's about having a good looking body and nothing more but there's a lot more to it than that. Being a Miss South Africa means that you're an all-rounder.

For me, having a good body means you take pride in who you are, you have a healthy lifestyle but also they look for somebody who's intelligent, who knows what's going on in the world around them, locally and also internationally because you become an ambassador for your country.

This means that you really are a go-getter, somebody who's very driven, you know what you want, you appeal to the masses, you can be taken seriously but also, there's a light-hearted side of you.


Tashi: When you did the ramp in your bikini, did it feel like a cattle call?
Tatum: Not at all, because I'd modelled for eight years before I won Miss South Africa, modelling on the ramp was not at all foreign to me. It's quite a passion of mine, it still is, although now, my modelling career is very exclusive, it's still something I enjoy from time to time.

It didn't feel like a cattle call because I know I've worked hard for my body to look this way. I'm fortunate that I have a very fast metabolism, but I do take care of what I eat, work out, have a personal trainer and that kind of thing.

It feels very liberating to be confident enough to be able to walk on a ramp, in a bikini, other people are looking at your body and my thing is, "Regardless of what other people think, this is what I look like and I'm proud of it."

Tashi: What's the best thing about being Miss South Africa?
Tatum: There are so many amazing things - I'll never be same since winning. It really catapulted my life to another dimension of living because of your experiences that you have.

If I could boil it down to one thing, I'd say it's the experiences. It encapsulates the people you meet, the places you go, the things you see - no other ordinary South African is exposed to those kinds of experiences.

It changes your perspective on life, it changes your outlook, the way you comminucate, the way you think and the things that you want for yourself. Just withink that one year I probably grew and matured between seven and 10 years. It gives you the impetus to aspire to more than you thought you could achieve.

Tashi: And the most challenging?
Tatum: I think the challenges are different for each Miss South Africa. For me, I'm very outgoing, but I also enjoy having my own personal space and downtime and to make an impact on the people in your sphere, you have to do things as quickly as possible so you have a heightened sense of urgency.

Because of that I really drove myself, all the time, to be out there, meeting people, experiencing different things. It was very challenging for me to not have my own headspace because you're constantly being interviewed and people want to be around you and gravtitate to you - which is amazing - but I did miss having my own personal space and downtime as well.


Tashi: Men and being a Miss South Africa - how has it impacted on your romantic relationships?
Tatum: I think with me, there was a perception about me before I won as well. I was a model , I was studying and I was also quite quiet before I won the title and then I became Miss South Africa and already it's intimidating to try to approach or strike up a conversation with a model, but then becoming Miss South Africa was even more intimidating.

Especially because, for most of the functions, especially at the beginning, for say, the first three or four months, I had to wear the sash at formal events and functions so that's very intimidating. It acts as a repellent actually.

Tashi: That's what I've always thought.
Tatum: Yes, pyschologically, if you look at a sash, it's like a barrier that I formed between myself and everybody else. That's highly intimidating so I would try to wear the sash just for the event and then take it off.

Also, I'm very confident so if you're going to come up to talk to me you better know what you're talking about and you better not have an agenda so guys didn't really come up to and if they did they'd crash and burn very quicky.*laughs*

People initially might find me intimidating but once we get chatting I think they realise that I'm quite down to earth - I've got a great sense of humour and I try to make that show because it often puts people at ease. It definitely adds a level of difficulty because people don't readily come up to me.


Tashi: Have you had people who are obsessed with you? Stalkers?
Tatum: I've been very fortunate to have a fan base from the inception of my modelling career. Because of that I've had some great fans who've watched me grow over the past 10 years.

I have a few fans who very enthusiastic, you know, I'll bump into them and they and the whole fan - I have had one or two who've bordered on fanatacism and it does get a little bit scary, just from a safey point of view.

I had a fan who rocked up at one of my events and then followed me to my car and that was quite scary - but other than that, I think it's all love and it's great having support from a fan base.


Tashi: Have you dated since you've been Miss South Africa?
Tatum: I have dated *laughs*. It's great to also travel internationally where people might recognise you but they don't know why they recognise you.

Because I was in the Top 10 in Miss Universe and Top 3 in World, people might recognise me, but they can't put their finger on why so it's great to be able to be somewhat anonymous - that's when guys come up to me.

I have dated and I am dating somebody at the moment. It's nice to be able to side-step the title a little bit and be in a normal relationship.

Tashi: Did you have to ask him out or did he ask you out?
Tatum: I'm not the asking out type of gal, I'm very traditional when it comes to things like that. All my friends laugh because they know that I'm a softie, I'm very much a girlie-girl. I like getting flowers, my favourites are tulips or lillies. I like being taken out and that kind of thing.

I didn't have to approach the guy, he came up to me and I think that's the way it should be quite frankly. I don't see myself picking up a guy or asking for his number or anything like that.

Tashi: So is he public knowledge or is he a secret? Who he is.
Tatum: He's a foreigner, nobody knows who he is and that's the way I prefer it.

Tashi: Does he live here?
Tatum: No.

Tashi: So when do you see each other?
Tatum: When we travel.

Ends

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