Miss Eswatini 2024/25, Temvelo Nicole Mtsetfwa, is proving that the title she wears is defined by the depth of her character and the breadth of her vision, not by the public battles she currently navigates.
While her name has dominated headlines due to the legal struggle over her promised prize car, the UNESWA Journalism and Mass Communications student remains steadfastly focused on her mandate: Service, entrepreneurship and uplifting her nation.
The entrepreneurial spirit: A fresh start
Even as she fulfils the demanding calendar of a reigning queen, Temvelo has demonstrated a striking entrepreneurial drive. In 2024, she unveiled her own business venture, ‘Temvelo coffee’, taking to social media with the inspiring caption: “Here is to more mornings for a fresh start and strong coffee.”
This initiative, initially soft-launched during the Miss Eswatini prize presentation, immediately captured the public’s imagination, drawing floods of congratulations and positive feedback from users who hailed the move as ‘a very great move’.
While the official plan of action and launch details are pending, the venture signals a clear intent to leverage her platform for sustainable business success, securing her future far beyond her current reign.
A heart for service: Beyond the crown
Temvelo’s drive to serve shows her genuine desire to uplift others. Her dedication extends beyond high-profile events to direct, tangible community support, such as a documented visit, where she donated a wheelchair to a family in need.
This compassionate spirit fuels her ongoing plans. She intends to launch a fundraising drive to secure Christmas groceries for the same home she previously visited. This action confirms that despite the heavy emotional and financial toll she faces, her primary focus remains on giving back and ensuring that the most vulnerable in her community receive support during the holiday season.
It is also worth noting that her highly publicised legal action against the sponsoring entities (Kwando Lifestyle Brands and Oukitel Eswatini) over the non-delivery of the promised Jaecoo J7 vehicle, is not merely a fight for a car, but a principled stand for the integrity of the title and the fulfilment of contractual promises.
She has detailed the continuous emotional and monetary toll caused by the prolonged failure to deliver the vehicle.
Represented by her lawyers from HN Mdladla Attorneys, she argued that the alleged deliberate disregard for the law caused her ‘ongoing prejudice, inconvenience and financial loss, including but not limited to the value of the vehicle and related costs’.
She attested that the lack of the prize car meant to cover her official travel forced her to accumulate unexpected, costly expenses for nearly a year to fulfil her official duties. Furthermore, the non-compliance pushed her into continuous and escalating legal action, culminating in a costly contempt application.
Her argument is clear: The necessity of a public lawsuit against her own sponsors damages her professional standing and detracts from the success of her reign by inhibiting her duties.
This fight, therefore, highlights her unyielding drive and resilience, demonstrating that she will defend the value of her title and the principle of accountability qualities that promise greater achievements ahead.
Rising from the ashes: Lessons from global women who conquered adversity
Temvelo’s current struggle for validation and resources finds echoes in the journeys of internationally renowned women who leveraged adversity to fuel greater success. Their shared wisdom often centres on transforming pressure into purpose.
These global figures, who have navigated intense public scrutiny, financial setbacks and professional betrayal, often share three core principles that allowed them to conquer their challenges:
Focus on the mission, not the mistake:
Conquerors advise that the moment a setback occurs, the focus must immediately shift from the pain of the problem to the future goal. By maintaining their vision (like Temvelo’s coffee venture or her charitable drive), they prevented the external battle from defining their internal success.
Turn litigation into legislation:
Many high-profile women who faced legal or contractual battles transformed their personal struggle into systemic change. They used the visibility of their court cases to highlight industry flaws, essentially using their battles to create better rules for the next generation of women.
Those who succeeded through adversity often assert that the only true, reliable sponsor is their own passion and self-belief.
They describe how the lack of external support forced them to become resourceful and self-reliant, making them stronger leaders in the long-term. This self-sponsorship ultimately empowered them to offer more value to the world.
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