Mia le Roux has become the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa following a divisive competition which saw one finalist withdraw after being trolled over her Nigerian heritage.
In her acceptance speech, Ms Le Roux said she hoped her victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve their “wildest dreams, just like I am”.
She said she wanted to help those who were “financially excluded or differently abled”.
Last week 23-year-old law student Chidimma Adetshina pulled out of the competition following allegations that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Ms Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican origin.
She had been at the centre of a social media storm for several weeks, with many people, including a cabinet minister, questioning her right to represent the country.
She said she had been the victim of “black-on-black hate”, highlighting a particular strain of xenophobia in South Africa known as “afrophobia”, which targets those from other African countries.
Ms Le Roux, 28, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one and has a cochlear implant to help her perceive sound.
She said it had taken two years of speech therapy before she was able to say her first words.
After winning, the model and marketing manager said: “I am a proudly South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded.
“I know now that I was put on this planet to break boundaries and I did it tonight.”