BASETSANA JULIA MAKGALEMELE


NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOLLOWED WHEN SHE WAS CROWNED MISS SOUTH AFRICA IN 1994 AND IN THE SAME YEAR ALSO BECAME THE FIRST RUNNER UP IN THE MISS WORLD PAGEANT.
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THE YEAR 1994 STILL PROVED TO BE REMARKABLE FOR "BASSIE". SHE RECEIVED AN HONORARY SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA-DR NELSON MANDELA TO PURSUE HER STUDIES OVERSEAS AND DURING HER REIGN AS MISS S.A, SHE WAS APPROACHED BY WELL KNOWN MAGAZINE PROGRAMME, TOP BILLING TO BE ONE OF THEIR FEMALE ANCHOR PRESENTER, THE SHOW FOCUSES ON FASHION, TRAVEL, LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS, MOVIES AND MUSIC.

DURING THE SAME YEAR SHE WAS APPOINTED AS BEAUTY EDITOR OF DRUM MAGAZINE.

BASSIE STARTED HER OWN TELEVISION PRODUCTION COMPANY, TSWELOPELE PRODUCTIONS TOGETHER WITH A PARTNER, PATIENCE STEVENS WHICH HAS MERGED WITH UNION ALLIANCE MEDIA AND LISTED UNDER REDEVELOPMENT ON THE JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE, MAKING HER ONE OF THE YOUNGEST BLACK WOMAN DIRECTORS TO BE PART OF THE MAINSTREAM OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY.

IN 1996 SHE STARTED ON A HIGH NOTE WHEN SHE WAS INVITED TO HOST THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW SABC (SOUTH AFRICAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION) WITH SOME INTERNATIONAL STARS (INCL. BLAIR UNDERWOOD OF L.A LAW AND MALCOLM JAMAL WARNER OF THE COSBY SHOW FAME), SHE ALSO HOSTED THE " KORA ALL AFRICA" MUSIC AWARDS ( THE EQUIVALENT OF THE GRAMMY'S IN AMERICA), WHICH WAS BROADCAST LIVE TO OVER HALF A BILLION PEOPLE ACROSS AFRICA AND EUROPE, FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

SHE HAS HAD THE HONOUR AS WELL TO PRESENT THE BIGGEST AWARDS IN THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY "THE LOERIES", FOR TWO YEARS IN SUCCESSION.

SHE HAS SINCE BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD BY SHOPRITE/CHECKERS/SABC 3 IN THE CATEGORY MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION.

BASETSANA WENT ON TO LAUNCH HER OWN CLOTHING RANGE UNDER THE LABEL "STATURE LADIESWEAR BY BASSIE", WHICH IS DISTRIBUTED BY ACKERMANS DEPARTMENT STORES ACROSS 240 OUTLETS THROUGHOUT SUB SAHARAN AFRICA.THIS PROVED TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS.

IN HER TELEVISION CAREER SHE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THE LIKES OF NELSON MANDELA,MICHAEL JACKSON, GLORIA ESTEFAN, ELIZABETH HURLEY,THE BEE GEES, THE BACKSTREET BOYS, BOYZONE, STING, SAMUEL L JACKSON, SOL KERZNER, NAOMI CAMPBELL,RICHARD BRANSON AMONGST OTHERS.

HER HOBBIES INCLUDE TRAVEL AND GOLF. SHE IS ALSO A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER.