Ex-Miss SA Mia le Roux commends designer Anel Botha, a beloved figure in the Miss SA community, for her stunning wedding dress. Here’s a glimpse of their history together.
Mia le Roux, who formerly held the title of Miss South Africa, has expressed her admiration for the designer who crafted her gown for the most significant day of her life.
Just days after tying the knot with her longtime partner, Luke ten Oever, on 16 October, Le Roux took to Instagram to extend her gratitude to designer Anel Botha for the exquisite wedding dress she wore, a designer renowned for her longstanding affiliation with the Miss SA pageant.
“If magic was a dress”
The day preceding the sharing of her wedding video, Le Roux posted a detailed view of her gown. She remarked that, “If magic was a dress”, Botha “would be my fairy godmother”. Moreover, she noted that the dress reminded her of “the beauty of rain that purifies the earth”.
The credits of Le Roux’s post also acknowledged Botha for the wedding dresses, listing La Paris Estate as the venue and Nicolette Weddings as the planner.
The dress itself, an ivory satin ball gown, features a strapless draped sweetheart neckline paired with a sheer embroidered illusion corset that includes a pointed basque waist. It is complemented by fitted off-the-shoulder lace sleeves and a full pleated satin skirt. Le Roux accessorized with lace gloves, a modest veil, a sleek updo, and understated makeup, while her husband chose to wear a timeless black suit.
Who is Anel Botha?
Anel Botha is the creative mind behind Anel Botha Couture and is well-regarded for her designs that make appearances on red carpets. Recently, her bridal creations have gained much attention. Briefly News highlighted that she was also responsible for the ceremony gown donned by Vasti Spiller during the wedding of Dricus du Plessis on 10 October.
A long history with Miss SA
Botha has had a longstanding relationship with the Miss SA pageant. In 2017, she crafted various ensembles for Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters during her Miss Universe campaign, including the gown for the finale. Two years later, she was one of just two female designers chosen to style that year’s Miss SA finalists, alongside Palesa Mokubung.
In 2020, she provided designs for finalists Jordan van der Vyver and Lebogang Mahlangu. Though she couldn’t meet them in person, she studied their social media profiles to ensure her gowns echoed their “vibrant personalities”. The next year, she designed evening wear for Thato Mosehle for the Miss Supranational pageant held in Poland.
By 2024, the year when Le Roux clinched the title, Botha celebrated a decade as an official evening wear sponsor for the Miss South Africa Organization. At that time, she expressed having aspired to be an official Miss SA designer since her studies and pledged that the newly crowned queen would be unveiled in a gown embodying “a subtle African twist.”
Botha has also dressed other titleholders, including Natasha Vermaak (formerly Joubert).
Her relationship with Le Roux is significant. In Le Roux’s farewell statement at the conclusion of her reign in October 2025, she expressed her gratitude to Botha for materializing her visions. She stated that Botha possesses the ability to “tell the story of the woman behind the dress.” Following this, it was noted by Business Report that Botha would not be returning for the 2025 pageant, indicating she had exited the Miss SA designer lineup.
Luke always believed in her
When Le Roux made headlines in August 2024 as the first Miss SA with a hearing impairment, her family spoke to News24 Life about the significance of that achievement.
In conversation with her parents (mother Liesel and father Schalk), her boyfriend at the time, Luke ten Oever, remarked that the victory wasn’t unexpected. He indicated to the publication that he “knew” from the moment she first took the stage. He characterized her as “the strongest person I’ve ever met” and expressed that she would offer a unique perspective to the title.
From engagement to “Mr and Mrs ten Oever”
Le Roux announced her engagement in July 2025, showcasing images of her emerald-green diamond ring. In her post, she described the patience and composure that Ten Oever had shown her, humorously adding that he spends an hour inspecting his cricket gear before making her coffee. Botha was credited for the gown featured in the first and last pictures of that announcement.
Fifteen months later, she labeled her wedding video with the phrase “Mr and Mrs ten Oever”, including a line from Pablo Neruda’s Sonnet XVII.
