Michelle Coetzee, a 31-year-old CA(SA) with a master’s degree in Computer Auditing (cum laude), as well as being a PhD candidate and an award-winning CIMA lecturer, added another accolade to her professional accomplishments on 17 November 2023:1st Runner Up in the 2023 Supreme Queen Global Earth Africa competition
When asked to describe herself, Michelle says: ‘Have you ever seen a sunflower at the break of dawn? Its head hangs towards the shadows of the night. However, as the sun rises, something magical happens, and it turns its head to find the sun. I see myself as a sunflower because I always seek the light whenever I face darkness.’
What is the competition about?
The Supreme Queen Global Earth Africa (SQGEA) serves as a leadership platform for women between the ages of 21 and 55 to utilise it for causes that impact our continent and promote social change. Owner, qualified lawyer and master’s (LLM) candidate Cartier Lebatie founded the SQGEA brand, as it creates a safe space for Sub-Saharan African women in business and society.
Why did Michelle enter this competition?
Drawing from her personal experiences, her main goal in embarking on this journey was to create more safe spaces for South African women.
Statistically, one in three women falls victim to gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. As a GBV survivor, Michelle entered SQGEA to expand her legacy project beyond its initial scope. Being a victim of GBV as a university student, she understands the fear that can result from feeling unsafe and how victim-shaming can disempower and silence one’s voice.
Michelle’s legacy project, the Tamar Project, restores dignity to GBV survivors by providing GBV shelters with care packages for distribution and connecting survivors to safe support networks. Michelle personally collects funds and puts together and delivers the care packages to selected GBV shelters. As a proud CA(SA), she empowers GBV survivors to become financially independent through finance webinars.
SQGEA gave Michelle a platform to launch a global hashtag campaign (#GoPurple): ‘The colour purple holds significant symbolism, representing power, royalty, strength, and transformation. However, it also serves as a reminder of the countless women who have suffered the horrors of GBV. Wearing purple is a powerful symbol of solidarity with the remarkable women who have shown incredible resilience in the face of GBV.’
What motivated the judges to elect Michelle 1st Runner Up?
This competition over nine months started with hundreds of entries, 58 semi-finalists, 18 finalists, and finally, the top 10, the top 5 and the top 3. The eight judges were part of this process from the start and included a combination of business owners, entrepreneurs and directors from private and listed companies.
The judging criteria were rigorous. The judges were looking for a combination of commendable qualities in determining the final placements. They appreciated Michelle’s authenticity, humility, grace, resilience, confidence, effective articulation, intellectual strength, and commitment to her Tamar Project (#GoPurple) in addition to her on-stage performance. This resulted in her achieving the 1st Runner Up position.
As one of the 58 semi-finalists, Michelle also won the social media sponsor challenge. She and her father designed a pencil crown for her initiative: ‘A Pencil Today, A Princess Tomorrow’. The pencil crown represents that the youth can achieve their dreams through education. The crown also successfully promoted pencil sales in aid of the Helping Those in Need NPO.
What are Michelle’s hobbies?
She enjoys baking cupcakes, creating digital content, gardening, and spending time with her pet and family.
And how does she stay fit?
Says Michelle: ‘Floyd Lebatie Physiotherapy’s power rehab training sessions are a fitness game-changer, especially for individuals with past ankle and foot injuries like me. The practice is in the Waterfall Health Centre, and their individualised training routines yield optimal results and boost energy levels.’
Michelle’s resilience and force are a testament to rising above one’s circumstances and using them as a beacon of hope for others. As the 2023 1st Runner Up, Michelle is determined to advocate against GBV by leading sensitive conversations about reporting GBV and making the world safer for others.
PHOTOS
Willem Botha, RDK Lifestyle Photography, JC Crafford Photography
