Culture Craze
From Miss Universe to Mentor: Margaret Gardiner’s Empowering Website
From Miss Universe to women’s advocate
Margaret Gardiner is no stranger to breaking barriers. In 1978, she became the first South African woman to be crowned Miss Universe. Nearly five decades later, she has added another achievement to her list: the launch of her own website and newsletter, a project she unveiled as part of her 66th birthday celebrations on 21 August.
The Cape Town-born beauty queen has long since outgrown the crown. She is a journalist, an author and a former model who has spent years interviewing Hollywood icons such as Angelina Jolie and Zendaya. Now, she wants to use her platform to build a community for women.
Why she started
Gardiner says the idea came from her own experience with bullying. After facing online harassment, she realised how many other women were writing to her about their struggles. “Women carry a lot of internal pain about their looks and their trauma. I’m hoping to start conversations where women are kinder to themselves,” she explained.
The website, www.margaretgardiner.com, is designed as a safe space for women to discuss everything from fashion and body confidence to deeper issues such as ageing, psychological scars, and healing. “There is grace in maturing, but there is also pain. Let’s talk about both,” she said.
A sisterhood online
Gardiner envisions the platform as more than just a blog. She calls it a “sisterhood” where like-minded women can uplift each other. “If three women sign up and feel better about themselves, then that’s a win,” she added.
The site will feature fashion and lifestyle conversations, but it will also encourage dialogue around confidence, self-acceptance, and resilience. For Gardiner, the mission is personal as much as it is public: “I want to talk about the things women hide from and create confidence.”
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Beyond the screen: her writing
Alongside her new digital venture, Gardiner recently released a book titled Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar. Published in 2025, the novel explores the life of a woman in pain and the outrageous ways she acts out before finding the strength to fight back. Gardiner describes it as both a literary and psychological work, written to challenge readers and offer an unflinching look at resilience.
The book has already sparked strong interest, something Gardiner is grateful for. “I knew it would be a challenge because it’s written in literary language. But it is ultimately about courage and recovery,” she said.
A legacy of empowerment
Margaret Gardiner’s latest project signals a new chapter in her journey. From beauty queen to journalist and now digital community builder, she has consistently used her visibility to highlight women’s stories. With her website, she is inviting women to come together, share openly, and find strength in solidarity.
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Source: IOL
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