Zinnia Rose Petersen, 8, of Kuils River, jets off to Johannesburg this week to represent the Western Cape in the finals of the Miss Petite South Africa pageant.
The Grade 3 Somerset House Preparatory School pupil is no stranger to the pageant world.
In the space of two years, she has collected just over 50 crowns and sashes from various beauty pageants, including Petite Queen of the Universe 2017, Junior Model of the Year 2018, overall winner of Miss and Mr Northpine 2018, Miss Petite Globe winner 2018 and many more local and national titles.
Anthea Petersen signed her daughter up with a Durbanville modelling agency when she was 3.
She said Zinnia would dress up in her high heels, call all her family together and put on a modelling show, strutting across the dinning room table.
“My daughter is such a natural on the stage. She was even a natural at that age,” said Ms Petersen.
Zinnia has competed in many formal and informal pageants but both mother and daughter still get nervous ahead of one.
“I remember my first pageant when I was in creche,” said Zinnia. “I still get nervous even after all the pageants.”
Zinnia also does ballet and drama, and she plays the piano.
“I make time for everything,” she said. “Books are my best friend so in my free time, I read four books at once, but my favourite author is my mother because she makes up the best stories ever.
“I enjoy doing the pageants because it gives me the opportunity to show other girls that they can also give it a try,” said Zinnia.
She also does humanitarian work – it’s part of the pageant – reading stories and donating clothes to babies at Rock A Bye Baby House for abandoned babies in Kuils River. And she’s the ambassador for Angels United Helping Hands, a non-profit organisation.
Ms Pestersen said she tried to save costs because competing in pageants could be expensive
“Sometimes I design and sew her own dresses, and I do her hair by myself.”
The downside of any pageant, she said, was the risk of bullying.
She recalls an incident from a pageant last year, when, just minutes before Zinnia had to go on stage, another girl told her her earrings did not match her dress.
“This can be discouraging, but I have instilled in Zinnia to be kind to others and everyone has a fair chance of winning the competition.”
Zinnia’s modelling goals include becoming Miss South Africa, Miss World and then Miss Universe, but her main goal now is winning the Miss Petite South Africa title.
If that did not work out, she said, she would like to be a dermatologist.
“I would like to make ordinary people feel comfortable in their skin,” she said.
Zinnia will need the public’s support in her bid to take the Miss Petite South Africa crown. To vote for her, SMS the code P003 to 47087 at R2 an SMS. You can vote as many times as you like.