My daughter represented strength, beauty and resilience on Miss SA stage

Dominique Jones, mother to Miss South Africa top 9 finalist, Bridgette Jones

On Saturday, my daughter, Bridgette Jones, stood on the Miss South Africa stage - not just as a finalist, but as a young woman carrying the weight of loss, grief, and strength far beyond her years.

Just two weeks before, she lost someone who was her entire world - her grandmother, the very reason she did everything she did. Her home away from home.

While others had PR teams and privileges, Bridgette had to hold her own - keep her head high and step on that stage with a heart that was breaking.

Still, she showed up. Still, she smiled. Still, she represented what it truly means to be a coloured South African woman - rising against the odds, working twice as hard for half the recognition, carrying generations of resilience in her bones.

Bridgette has fought for everything she’s ever achieved. Nothing was handed to her. And yet, she stood there with grace, dignity, and strength - even when the system wasn’t fair to her.

I love my daughter with my entire being. It breaks my heart to see her being judged unfairly - before, during, and after the pageant - when I know the depth of her heart, her faith, and the fire of her purpose.

To me, Bridgette represents the story of so many coloured women in this country: strong, beautiful, and overlooked - yet still standing. Still shining. Still believing that her time will come.