Miss Mamelodi Sundowns, one of the most prestigious pageants in South Africa has, for the first time in its history, appointed an agency for its PR requirements. Integrated agency Stratitude will be managing all the PR for the pageant, which begins in September when entries open, and culminates in December 2016 when a new winner will be crowned.
“Miss Mamelodi Sundowns is more than just a beauty pageant, it also has a strong focus on empowering women and this is what makes us excited about winning this account,” says Sylvia Schutte, managing director at Stratitude. “We get to build the profile of one of the most popular pageants in the country and we get to champion the message of women empowerment.”
Sport and beauty combine in the Miss Mamelodi Sundowns pageant, which is a CSI initiative of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club. With over R2-million in prizes, it boasts the largest prize package in the country. This includes nine provincial pageants where 18 finalists receive R60 000 each and go on to compete for the national title.
During these provincial pageants, the Miss Mamelodi Sundowns team will select two finalists per province who will go through to the national final. These contestants will also attend workshops on a variety of topics that range from handling social media to proficiency in interviews. The team will travel to all the provinces, giving young women from around the country an equal opportunity to enter the competition and to be upskilled, regardless of the size of their province and whether they go on to win the title or not.
Stratitude will handle all media requirements before, during and after the provincial pageants and the national competition. The agency will be responsible for creating awareness of the events, generating editorial coverage, integrating the pageant with Mamelodi Sundowns Supporters Club activities, and enhancing the profile of the pageant and the 2016 winner after she is crowned in December.
“Miss Mamelodi Sundowns is different from other pageants,” says Sizwe Nzimande, general manager of Mamelodi Sundowns. “Not only does it combine beauty, empowerment and sport in one event, but ours is the only pageant in the country that ensures that each of the nine provinces is represented in the final. Because we’ve adopted a different approach, we were looking for an agency that shares our thinking. We believe that Stratitude will boost the profile of Miss Mamelodi Sundowns, which will help us to continue changing the lives of young South African women.”