South Africa’s Lucia Simelane-Ochan, winner of the 2023 Mrs Curve Globe pageant, returned to California this week to help crown three new queens.
Simelane-Ochan, from Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, arrived in Palm Springs on Monday to prepare for the global beauty pageant which aims to celebrate women 45 years and older and those in size 12+ categories.
“Mrs Globe is the most incredible international Mrs-pageant in the world and I feel privileged to be part of it,” Simelane-Ochan said.
“This charity-based pageant under the auspices of the WIN Foundation is a celebration of beauty, culture, and charity for women, with over 80 licences worldwide.”
Her first time as a contestant in the pageant was in 2019.
“I took part in Mrs Globe 2019 in China, representing Africa, and made it to the top 15, winning ‘The best of Africa Award’. In 2023 I won the world title of Mrs Curve Globe 2023.
“I was recently honoured with a Mrs Curve Globe Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mrs Globe 24 Coronation in China,” Simelane-Ochan said.
“I am in Palm Springs now to be one of the judges in the latest edition of our pageant. When one of our queens is crowned she gets to keep her crown. I love the idea of having that crown for the rest of your life and also getting to crown fresh queens every year.”
But what is Mrs Globe and why a Mrs Curve Globe?
“In 2016 the Mrs Globe pageant — contestants must be aged between 27 and 45 — expanded its scope by introducing the Mrs Globe Classique for women aged 45 and older.
“But not all women are petite and tiny, so in 2019, in order to really celebrate women and the female form, the foundation launched Mrs Curve Globe for women sized 12+.”
That is the crown she took home in 2023.
Simelani-Ochan believes in South Africa.
“South Africa’s journey to democracy is a result of the culmination of brave and selfless actions by leaders and citizens who sought to transform our nation into a democratic dispensation. We all have to do our part in our own communities, we all have to be brave.”
The proof of being brave is in the pudding, Simelani-Ochan says.
“For the past 10 years I have been involved in communities by empowering young women, girls and boys by restoring their dignity by donating essential packs in schools. We also did menstrual care and hygiene education, cancer awareness, economic empowerment programmes and many more.
“My advocacy involves gender equality, women empowerment in marginalised communities, economic emancipation of women and restoring dignity to humanity by promoting positive sustainable environmental impacts that create job opportunities that assist rural young women in providing for their families.
“I am all about empowering and supporting women suffering different types of trauma all over the world by being a role model and spokesperson and fundraiser for the WIN Foundation and Mrs Globe.”
Simelani-Ochan says she is a “still learning democrat”.
“We are celebrating the 30th anniversay of democracy in South Africa this year, but in the regional space it feels as if we still need to learn what democracy is and how to let it spread.”
Simelani-Ochan launched her own range of cosmetic products last year.
“I launched the Glow Up! Make a Difference with the NaBo’Ngwane Naturals Skincare Products Campaign last year in Nkomazi at Masukumeni women’s crisis centre, which is one of the trauma centres I will be working with.”
Simelani Ochan is married to a paliative care specialist.
“My husband and our two kids — they are 21 and 17 — are my world. They are my support system together with my mom and my three sisters, who step in when I have to travel.
“My mom is helping the 17-year old to study for the exams. I try to keep my life with them private, so I prefer to only mention but not name them.”
But she does reveal that she has been married for 22 years.
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