Adè van Heerden opens up on what its really like to be Miss SA

Adè van Heerden has shared the Pros and Cons of being Miss SA.

Speaking to The Juice ,

Adè says she really enjoys the impact she is able to make in the lives of young girls through her Instagram account.

“I get to connect with young girls, not only in South Africa, but across the whole world. I spend a lot of time, I reply to each and every DM because I know that that’s the way I can make an impact.”

“I can be a real girl on Instagram. You will see me sweaty in the gym, you will see me without makeup, you’ll see me on bad days. And I try to be as transparent as possible because it’s so important to be a genuine role model.”

She adds:  “In society it’s so easy to always be dressed up and show your highlight reel, but when you share those difficult moments, young girls realise that it’s okay to struggle and we’re not all perfect, and if she can do it then so can I.”

She also said the most difficult part of her journey, the beauty queen says that constantly being judged by society’s standards of beauty was not easy at first.

“If I have to be 100 percent honest, I’m not a beauty queen by nature, I’m a doctor, I’m a lieutenant. So coming into the beauty world and constantly being judged on how beautiful you are was tough in the beginning. I just needed to shift my perspective and say: ‘That’s what all women go through, this is just more in the spotlight.’ The way that I handle this and the way that I keep staying true to myself is so important because it sets the example.”