10 Questions For: Jo-Ann Strauss

The Cape Town-born darling who’s gone on to win the millenium Miss South Africa, host Top Billing and prove that she’s a formidable entrepreneur

1.  How would you describe what you do for a living?
I do what I love and work hard at maintaining a balance. I would say that I’m a media entrepreneur and an international speaker who has a chance to travel extensively, observe and learn.

2.  What is your most vivid childhood memory?
Riding my red BMX around the block in Blackheath with my brother, Heinrich, on his blue one. We would splash through the puddles and arrive home dirty and happy.

3.  If you could invite any three people, dead or alive, for dinner, who would they be and why?
I would love to invite Joan Rivers (her sense of humour was legendary), Julius Malema and Helen Zille – can you imagine the conversations and insight. Joan would be a perfect one to drive the dialogue.

4.  If you ever found yourself auditioning for a music reality TV show, what song would you sing and why?
I have zero singing ability – I mimed throughout most of my time with the school choir. So, probably something easy – ‘West Coast’ by Lana Del Ray?

5.  How would you complete this sentence? 
The South African cabinet should include a Minister of…
Children – I find it interesting that there is no one who looks after the interests of the most vulnerable in our society.

6.  What would you say is the biggest misconception about you?
The cliché about ex-beauty queens being vacuous perhaps?

7.  What is your (honest) opinion of Cape Town?
It’s a lovely little city that seems to strike the right balance between work and play, but it has its own challenges and is not as perfect as we’d like to believe it is in many instances. But, it’s my favourite city in the world!

8.  What's the greatest fear you've had to overcome to get where you are today?
I think like most people, I’ve feared failure, but I’ve realised that that fear can be something positive if you learn to work with it and use it to motivate you to try that little bit harder to achieve.

9.  What's the one thing you'd like to achieve before you die?
Good question – I think we’d all like to leave the world in a better state than that of which we found it in, and I’d love to leave it a greener, healthier place for future generations.

10.  Which well-known South African personality would you, without a doubt, be able to beat in a street fight and why?  
LOL! Great question, maybe Paul Rothmann of Pasella – he’s an ex-colleague and a world champion in fighting, but he’d never hit a girl, so I’d win by default.

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ABOUT #CapeTownMag10Q:

CapeTownMagazine.com’s 10 Questions project gets to know some of the Mother City’s most creative and inspiring people. From television personalities and musicians to politicians and entrepreneurs, we find out more about well-known and up-and-coming Capetonians. You can follow #CapeTownMag10Q on Twitter and Facebook to track recent interviews or read more here about our other awesome 10 Questions candidates. 

A FEW OF OUR OTHER 10Q CANDIDATES:

10 Questions For Writer Rebecca Davis

10 Questions For Actor and Model Freddy Djanabia

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