Kerri makes her marks on Mrs SA pageant

Kerri Marks has never entered a beauty pageant before, but was recently chosen as one of the top 25 in the Mrs South Africa competition. Possibly the only Jewish woman to enter and reach this point, she has her eyes on the crown and big dreams of making an impact on the lives of women in South Africa and beyond.

An alumnus of King David Linksfield, Marks is 37, and has been a business development manager for an inbound tourism publishing company for 11 years.

“I’m passionate about my career, which is selling Southern Africa as a destination to international leisure tourists,” she says.

Mrs South Africa is specifically for married women between the ages of 25 and 50. According to the organisers, “It’s not a beauty pageant in the traditional sense of the word, it’s truly a life-changing journey for the women who enter this renowned empowerment programme.

“Mrs South Africa delegates are mature, driven, ambitious, and most of all real, relatable women who strive to be the best versions of themselves. They are wives, in some cases mothers, some are entrepreneurs, and most are change makers, some are business women, and others home makers, but they all want the best for their family and their community. They are brave and bona fide women.”

About 350 women entered the pageant in February. It was then narrowed down to the top 100, then the top 50, and now the top 25 finalists. The winner will be announced in February next year.

A mother of three children, Marks says she is a “beauty pageant novice”. She felt ready to enter such a contest as “Mrs South Africa is the perfect platform. It’s not a pedestal. It’s a foundation for women to come together to speak their truth. I want to empower women and be a voice for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) mothers, women battling with mental disorders, and women facing abuse.”

These causes are personal. “My story isn’t easy. I was in an abusive, toxic relationship, and I needed to get out of it, and did so. My mother has battled with mental disorders for the past 14 years, and I have been there for her in supporting her journey. It’s important to recognise that mental health is the second biggest looming pandemic in this country.

“The other reason is because I struggled to fall pregnant with my second daughter. We put our life savings into in-vitro fertilisation and fell pregnant with twins. But at my 13-week scan, we had lost one twin. I then went on to give birth to Isabella at 32 weeks. She was merely 1kg at birth – the size of a block of butter. She spent the first seven weeks of her life in NICU. So I want to be a voice for those struggling to fall pregnant and also to empower NICU moms, to give them encouragement, upliftment, and support.”

Marks hopes to be a role model for young girls, and a voice for women of all ages, colours, creeds, and body types. “There is no one-size-fits-all. Everyone is included. We are an inclusive, beautiful nation. I also want to be a role model to girls and women in our own community,” she says.

Reaching this level of the competition has required strength and fortitude, and an “attitude of gratitude to always appreciate this amazing opportunity”. While the women are competing against each other, they are first and foremost a “sisterhood” that cheer each other on and treat each other with kindness and respect, she says.

Mrs South Africa delegates immerse themselves in its non-profit organisation, Women4Women, focused on female empowerment, community upliftment, and youth education. Its main goal is to improve the lives of less fortunate and previously disadvantaged girls of South Africa by providing access to life skills and education.

Marks says she is passionate about children, and wants to fight for equal healthcare for all children as well as harsher punishment for the gender-based violence that plagues South Africa.

Somehow, balancing it all, she wants to encourage women to be strong, no matter what life throws at them. “You can be a mother and wife, have a career, and juggle it all with a smile.”

If she wins, she will hold the crown for a year, attend Mrs World, and immerse herself in Women4Women and the causes she holds close to her heart.

There have been extra challenges for the pageant this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some judging taking place virtually and fewer sponsors on board, but Marks has taken it all in her stride.

She is grateful to be part of the South African Jewish community, and for all the support, kindness, and guidance shown to her on this journey. She hopes to work with businesses as an influencer or brand ambassador.

“Whether I win or not, my ultimate goal is to set the tone for women. To encourage them to accept themselves for who they are, and to be adaptable and resilient, because life is going to challenge them,” she says. “We need to rise up and tackle these challenges; all while being kind and being there for other women going through the same struggles.”