MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The newly-crowned Mr Global SA 2024, Anton Siebert, who is a teacher in Mossel Bay, had a warm welcome back at Diaz Primary School this week. 

It's not every day that one's teacher wins a national pageant. 

The children were "beyond excited and could not wait to see me", Anton said. 

"I received a warm, loving welcome, with lots of good wishes and hugs." 

Crowned

Anton was crowned at a gala event in Pretoria last Saturday night. 

There were 16 finalists in the competition. This number was reduced to 10 for the final week and then five, before the top three were chosen. 

Anton was the Mr South Africa second prince in 2021 and the Mr Supranational SA 2023 runner-up.

Finalists 

There were finalists from all over South Africa in Mr Global SA, with a number of them from Durban, Cape Town, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. 

Anton said: "I talked to the judges after the announcement and they told me I won because I was original and I had a purpose - my project for more than three years."

He founded Project Blessing, an animal welfare charity. 

Judges

Anton continued: "The judges said they could see I was not doing pageants to show off or shine, but to shine more light on my project. This was something that stood out, they said." 

Explaining the work of Project Blessing, Anton says: "It's looking after needy animals. 

“We go out on a weekly basis to communities. “Through taking care of the animals in the community, we teach children about love, care and respect.” 

Teaching 

On 13 April next year Anton will have been teaching at Diaz Primary for 10 years. He told the Advertiser teaching was his calling and he never considers doing something different as a career. 

"I love working with children, helping them grow, seeing them grow, being a role model for them to look up to and filling in the gaps where there are no mothers or fathers they can look up to." 

Thailand

At the end of September Anton is leaving for Thailand to vie for the international Mr Global title. He is the only man representing South Africa. 

Only the winner of the Mr Global competitions in different countries goes through to the international competition. 

The first runner up in Mr Global SA was JP Geldenhuys and the second, Thato Rammala. Both are from Gauteng. 

 Anton with the Grade 7 C class.

Anton with Diaz Primary principal Genevieve Muller.

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