She has cemented her career as a transgender activist, reality TV star, and most recently a fine artist. She is hosting the second annual Queer Met featuring Jean Paul Gaultier happening on the 7th of October in Sandton and is nominated at the fifth Africa Choice Awards in Nigeria under the viewer's choice category. Yaya Mavundla now adds host with the most to her accolades, as she joins media personality Lunga Shabalala and businessman and politician Zareef Minty as red carpet host for Miss World South Africa.

A DREAM COME TRUE

Seen and heard at some of the biggest industry events in South Africa for her love of pop culture and transgender visibility, multi-award-winning Yaya says landing the gig to host Miss World South Africa red carpet, alongside actor Lunga Shabalala and businessman Zareef Minty, this October is a dream come true. "This is a perfect opportunity to continuously prove to both myself and society that as a transwoman I am just as capable and deserving of these opportunities, equally as heterosexual people," Yaya says.

GETTING A CO-SIGN

Yaya is no stranger to the world of beauty and pageants and remembers hosting her very own first pageant with her fellow high schoolmates in Untunjambili, Kranskop in 2003, where she grew up. She attended her first phase of high schooling and went on to organise and sometimes participate in some of the queer pageants in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Today, she is afforded an opportunity to be part of a national pageant as a host and she details this as a moment of affirmation and to prove herself. Carol Bouwer, who is the licence holder of Miss World South Africa, emphasised celebrating Mavundla as a transgender woman who is equally worthy of these opportunities and embodies Miss World South Africa values which shine a spotlight on beauty and intelligence amongst other things. "To have a woman such as Carol Bouwer telling me that I am brilliant and trusting me for this job is life-changing and great affirmation," Yaya says. "I can't wait to interview some of our favorite stars on the red carpet together with Lunga and Zareef."