Mental illness is a subject that is very close to my heart. I devoted the year of my reign as Miss South Africa 2020 to working towards finding ways to ensure that people with mental illness are not shunned, forgotten and humiliated. I also wanted to use my public platform to let those who suffer from mental illness know they need not feel ashamed or silenced while also providing practical information on how and where they could seek relief.

The first episode of Mindful Monday's 

I saw success in the overwhelming public support of a weekly IGTV Live show called Mindful Mondays that I hosted. Each Monday a mental health expert (sourced by the South African Anxiety and Depression Group) discussed a wide range of topics dealing with mental health. We raised important issues and provided information about where to get help.

One of my most successful IGTV Live sessions (September 27, 2021) was called Men and Depression.

I was joined by Dr Goodman Sibeko who is the Head of Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town.

He is also the Director of the International Technology Transfer Centre of South Africa and is Head of the Division of Addition Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town.

I give his credentials because he is the calibre of mental health care expert who joined me in conversation on a weekly basis.

In this particular Mindful Monday talk, we discussed whether depression is different in men and women. While the jury is out, what emerged was the possibility that depression is often undiagnosed in men.

It certainly seems that more investigation is necessary into this fraught area. South Africa was left reeling in February 2022, by the death by suicide of much loved South African hip-hop artist Riky Rick. It emerged that he had suffered debilitating depression for a long time.

In Mindful Mondays, we covered issues that ranged from young doctors on the frontline, teen suicide and why suicide should not be something that nobody talks about to depression and sexual abuse in children. We also covered useful information, like the power of breathing – which I learnt is a powerful tool to help with anxiety.

My IGTV sessions reached more than 40 000 people a week, with over a million viewers by October 2021.

Talking about mental health is critical at this time. People in the space in which we work are not immune to mental health issues. 2022 began with the shocking death by suicide of our friend Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019. It is my fervent hope that, globally, this conversation around an absolutely critical subject, continues to be had.