Lance chases the crown with pride

Brooklyn resident Lance Soldaat, who represents the LGBTQ+ community, is a finalist in the Mr and Mrs Sovereign Western Cape 2025 pageant.

Lance, a retail manager at a fashion retailer, said the competition was about more than just a crown; it’s about visibility, self-acceptance, and representing his community with pride.

The annual event, hosted by representatives of the LGBTQ+ community, celebrates beauty, talent, and empowerment within the LGBTQIA+ community in the Western Cape.

Previously known as Miss Gay Western Cape, the pageant introduced the Mr Sovereign Western Cape title in 2023 - the very title Lance hopes to claim.

This is not his first time on stage. In February 2025, he entered his first pageant, Mr Cape Town Pride, which he said marked a turning point in his journey of self-discovery.

“I had just turned 30 and had this epiphany that I needed to choose myself — and choose my community,” he said.

Before pageantry, Lance worked in the entertainment industry. As a young man, he appeared on a youth TV show, but was told to hide his sexuality to succeed.

“When you’re a young boy from the Cape Flats, people think it’s okay to tell you who to be — and that’s when I lost myself,” he said.

While American stars were coming out and living authentically, Lance felt he couldn’t. At 25, he made the bold decision to leave the industry altogether.

“The industry became more democratised elsewhere, but not here — and I wanted to be part of making that change,” he said.

The move, he said, was also for his mental health.

“I started doing the work on myself and went to therapy so that I could manage better. It was time to choose myself. It’s about self-expression and advocacy,” he said.

Looking back, Lance said he used to be a people-pleaser, worried about impressing others.

“Back then, I wasn’t really living. The Lance I am now is outspoken, passionate about my community, and no longer afraid or ashamed,” he said.

He said the things that once stressed him no longer faze him and that he has learned to live freely and with purpose.

Growing up in Brooklyn, he says, taught him resilience, but has never defined who he is.

“We may not have control over where we come from, but we do have control over where we’re headed,” he said.

Lance credits his mother as his biggest supporter.“ She encouraged me to be a better version of myself and to embrace my sexuality,” he said.

“She gave me the space to be free and explore who I am — and I’m forever grateful.”

Through pageantry, Lance hopes to inspire young people to step outside their comfort zones and embrace who they are.

“It’s about growth and purpose. Becoming the best version of yourself starts with believing that you deserve to be seen," he said.

The Mr and Mrs Sovereign Western Cape 2025 pageant will be held at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone on Saturday, November 1, at 6pm. Tickets cost R220 per person.