Tshego Gaelae, First Black Mrs. World, Turns a Crown into a Platform

When South African attorney Tshego Gaelae captured the Mrs. World title in January, becoming the pageant’s first Black winner, she stepped into a whirlwind of expectation and scrutiny that few outside the industry fully grasp.

A newcomer to pageantry who first earned Mrs. South Africa, Gaelae says the learning curve has been steep but clarifying. “You’d hear the stereotypes, that pageant women are catty, that women don’t want other women to succeed,” she told People. “I walked in as a blank canvas… it will be what I make of it.”

Gaelae, 35, credits her legal training for the poise and purpose she brings to the role. Initially drawn by the networking opportunities, she immersed herself in the circuit while filtering out noise and misconceptions. “I allowed myself to take it all in and not let other people’s judgments cloud my view,” she said.

Mentorship also sharpened her focus. Before finals, a mentor urged her to consider the significance of history: If you win, you’ll be the first Black woman to hold this crown—what do you want that to mean to you, and to the world? The question now shapes her agenda.

For Gaelae, the title is less a pinnacle than a platform, to model confidence, leadership, and coalition-building across communities. “It’s bigger than just me,” she says. “It’s about every woman who has dared to dream, Black, mixed race, Indian, even White. It’s how you carry the crown, what you do with the crown, and the legacy you leave.”

As the first Black Mrs. World, Gaelae is intent on turning symbolism into substance—using a historic win to widen the pipeline for those who come next.