Miss SA Shudufhadzo Musida’s children’s book in stores this week
By CityLife Arts Writer
For every book sold, one will be donated
Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida children’s book Shudu Finds Her Magic is available in book stores from today (Thursday, September 2, 2021).
Published by Jacana Media, Shudu Finds Her Magic is available in six languages and includes colourful illustrations by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne.
The book, which is aimed at children aged between four and nine years of age, is inspired by Musida’s own childhood and the bullying she experienced when she moved to a new province and a new school.
Says a delighted Shudu: “The response and interest to the news that I had written a book has been phenomenal. I am over the moon that it is now available this week.”
Shudu Finds Her Magic – which retails at R95 – is available in Afrikaans (Shudu Vind Haar Sprankel), English (Shudu Finds Her Magic), Sesotho (Shudu O Sibolla Boikgetho ba hae), Venda (Shudu u wana Vhuṱolo Hawe), Xhosa (uShudu u Fumanisa ukuba UnoMlingo) and Zulu (uShudu Uthola Umlingo Wakhe).
The Miss South Africa Organisation and Jacana Media say they are determined that Musida’s book is available to children around the country. For every book sold, one will be donated to Childline South Africa and The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) who help children with issues like bullying and depression. Copies will also be given to literacy organisations like Biblionef which donate books to schools and libraries to help foster a love of reading.
Musida will be giving a series of virtual school readings and will do a countrywide tour to promote it, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Booking requests may be made here link.
Musida has chosen her book as part of her Beauty with a Purpose project for Miss World 2021. As the reigning Miss South Africa 2020, she will be participating in the 70th edition of the Miss World pageant to be held on December 16, 2021 at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico..
In this courageous and beautiful book, Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida, tells the story of her upbringing: of a delightful and outgoing girl in a small village named Ha-Vhangani. She is surrounded by a loving extended family. Things for Shudu, however, take a turn for the worse when her mother gets a new job and they move to Mpumalanga. At her new school, Shudu is bullied by her classmates. Read how Shudu overcomes the bullying and sadness, and grows into a girl, and then an adult, who has learned to love herself.
“The one lesson I learnt is that when something bad is happening to you it is important to speak to an adult that you trust about it. This could be a parent, a family member, a teacher or an elder. Remember that being bullied is not your fault. There is nothing wrong with you. Nobody should have to go through what I went through,” says Shudu.
About the author
Shudufhadzo Musida was born on 18 July 1996 in the village of Ha-Masia, Limpopo, South Africa. She has a BSc from the University of Pretoria and an honours degree in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a model and beauty pageant titleholder and was crowned Miss South Africa in 2020. Shudu is devoted to advocating for mental health awareness and the educational and economic empowerment of children and women.