There is just no end, it seems, to the talents of Phindile Dlamini.
Earlier this year, the 17-year-old Simon’s Town School matric pupil made a name for herself by releasing an eight-song album, Poppingtin, on SoundCloud, which had been viewed more than 1 400 times within days of releasing it. To date, it has been streamed 2 885 times.
The petite teen, who goes by the stage name FleeQy, proved that her talents stretch further than her voice when she was selected as a finalist in the Miss Teen Commonwealth SA pageant earlier this year.
She was encouraged by family and friends to enter the pageant and realised that it would be a great
platform to raise current issues and give back to her community, she said.
Phindile was born in Durban, and when she was about five months old her parents moved to Ocean View for a few months. They later relocated to Simon’s Town.
“I want to touch lives, be an inspiration and a leader,” she said.
She said she had been “ecstatic” after learning she had been chosen as a pageant finalist.
The Miss Teen Commonwealth SA pageant is part of the Commonwealth Pageants South Africa which hosts Mrs Universe South Africa and Africa and Mrs Commonwealth South Africa.
“I decided to take it upon myself to become a leader and to illustrate to those who look up to me that there is much more to beauty than appearance,” Phindile said.
Commonwealth Pageants South Africa owner and director Anel de Swardt said that because of Covid-19 the pageant would run virtually with video submissions and online interviews.
“It’s the new way of running pageants,” she said.
The winner’s duties, she said, would include being involved with charitable causes, attending events and being a role model and leader to her peers.
The winner will be announced on social media next month, Ms De Swardt said.
Phindile said that while she had had some difficulties with school work during lockdown, she was determined to finish school.
“Our school didn’t do online Zoom meetings for classes so we worked through group chats which wasn’t easy. There were so many times where I was tempted to stay in bed all day and completely ignore all the messages, but it’s important for me to finish school,” she said.
Simon’s Town School principal Jean Human said it was an amazing achievement and she wished Phindile well in the competition.
“Hold onto your dreams,” she said.