MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Stellie Taute (46), a local fashion designer, was announced as a Mrs South Africa semi-finalist on Friday, 31 January.
Stellie designed the dresses for the Mrs South Africa final for three years in a row and she was asked by people why she did not enter herself.
Her reply was always that she felt more comfortable being behind the scenes, as the fashion designer, but finally, it was as if she heard from the Lord that she should enter.
See a picture gallery here: Local fashion designer is Mrs SA semi-finalist
Stellie told Mossel Bay Advertiser she felt the Lord say: "I can only use you if you are on the stage. You don't grow in the dark, only in the light."
She felt she should "just do it" and not think she was not good enough.
Stellie emphasised: "This is not to do with beauty, but the spiritual, and what it means to other women."
She hoped she would help boost other women's self confidence and self worth.
She expressed special thanks to her husband for his words of encouragement, motivating her to enter and assuring her she was good enough.
She said she "would love to have the support of the Garden Route".
The castings in which Stellie took part were at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria.
Thereafter the proceedings moved to the Hotel Sky, Sandton.
Saturday and Sunday consisted of an intense series of workshops for the semi-finalists.
Stellie arrived back home this morning, Monday 3 February.
A major motivational boost for the semi-finalists was that the current Mrs South Africa, Tshego Gaelae, was announced as Mrs World.
She is the first black woman to win the title since the competition began 40 years ago.
Entries for Mrs SA opened last year and a selection was made from these entries and then the 100 semi-finalists were chosen.
The next step will be to choose 30 finalists from the semi-finalists. This will take place at the "semi-final showcase" on 4 July.
The crowning of Mrs SA and the runners-up will take place on 14 November at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.
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